Francis was born on the 5 September 1910 with the birth registered in Kings Norton, Worcestershire, though RN Service Documents show Smethwick, Staffordshire. He was the 2nd child of the 3 children of Francis Joseph and Martha (née Deeks) Whiting with sister’s Edith (1908) and Kate (1914) completing the family unit living at 233, Brunswick Rd, Smethwick, Worcestershire.

He joined the Royal Navy on 4 September 1926 when he walked through the gates of HMS GANGES, the Royal Naval Training Establishment (RNTE) at Shotley, near Ipswich, Suffolk, and signed on as a Boy Second Class. On 10 April 1927 he was advanced to Boy First Class then drafted on 2 July to HMS EMPEROR OF INDIA , and on 19 April 1928 to HMS COMUS with advancement to Ordinary Seaman on 5 September 1928. Then he was drafted to HMS VIVID 1.2 in Devonport on 8 January 1929, HMS DEVONSHIRE in 1929-1930, VIVID 1.3 in 1931, HMS DEFIANCE on 5 May 1931 to 5 September. He volunteered for a return to COMUS before joining HMS DOLPHIN on 2 October 1931 and on to HMS M2 on 5 December 1931.

M2 left Portland harbour on the morning of the 26 January 1932 for an area in West Bay off the coast of Dorset, at 1011 she signalled her depot ship HMS ALECTO with an “intend to dive at 1030” message. A merchant  ship later reported seeing a large submarine diving stern first at 1115 in that area. M2 was reported missing on the afternoonof the 26th when she did not return to her depot ship in Portland Harbour.  Due to weather and sea conditions she was not located for 8 days and the first divers on scene reported she was sat upright on the sea bed with hangar doors open. Of her 60 man crew there were no survivors.

Information gained in the nearly year long salvage efforts showed M2 had been overcome before diving preparations were completed. Hangar doors open, main access hatch No 2 from hangar to accommodation areas, open. The bodies of 2 crew members were found in the hangar with the seaplane.

Able Seaman,  Francis Charles Whiting,  Svc No. JX227947 had “Crossed The Bar” with 59 of his shipmates.