Francis Frederick Dinan – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.S. Laurentic

Able Seaman Francis Frederick Dinan – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.S. Laurentic

Family Background and Early Life

Frederick Augustus Dinan and Mary Catherine Mollett
marriage certificate
Grouville, Jersey

Francis Frederick Dinan was born in 1893 in Swansea, the son of Frederick Augustus Dinan and Mary Catherine (née Mollett), who were married in 1886 at Grouville, Jersey.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, Frederick Augustus Dinan was absent from the household, working away at sea. The remainder of the family were residing at 163 Gorse Lane, Swansea. Mary Catherine Dinan, aged 30 and born in Jersey, was recorded with their children: Frederick (listed as Eric, aged 8), Raymond (7), Beatrice (6), and Rosalie (4). Also present in the household was a domestic servant, Dorothy Taylor (17).

Civilian Employment and Enlistment

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Naval Records

Prior to his wartime service, Francis was employed as an Assistant Secretary at the Y.M.C.A. He enlisted in November 1915, joining the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Naval Service and H.M.S. Laurentic

H.M.S. Laurentic

Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen

Francis served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve aboard H.M.S. Laurentic, a ship with a notable pre-war and wartime history. Built in 1909 as a passenger liner for the White Star Line, Laurentic gained public attention in 1910 when she carried the fugitive murderer Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen and Ethel Le Neve across the Atlantic. The ship’s wireless operator transmitted information that led to Crippen’s arrest, marking the first use of wireless telegraphy to capture a criminal.

During the First World War, Laurentic was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted for naval service. In January 1917, she was undertaking a secret mission carrying a large consignment of gold bullion intended to support Britain’s overseas war finances.

Death and Commemoration

On 25^th January 1917, while sailing off the north coast of Ireland near Lough Swilly, H.M.S. Laurentic struck two German naval mines laid by the submarine U-80. The ship sank rapidly with heavy loss of life, resulting in the deaths of more than 350 officers and men.

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

South Wales Daily Post

The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records confirm that Francis Frederick Dinan lost his life as a result of the sinking. His death was also reported in the South Wales Daily Post, bringing news of the tragedy to his family and community in Swansea.

Francis Frederick Dinan
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

With no known grave, Francis is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours members of the Royal Navy and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who died at sea during the First World War.