Lieutenant CommanderDouglas Roscoe Saxby-Thomas, Royal Navy, was born on 18th July, 1884, in Rangoon, Burma, the second of three boys born to George and Clara Thomas (née Saxby). When Douglas was born his father worked as an engineer for the Indian Public Works Department, in the British Burma State Railway. The family returned to England when George retired in 1889.
On 15th September, 1899, Douglas enlisted in the Royal Navy, joining the Training Ship H.M.S. Brittania, where he stayed until 15th January, 1901. He was then posted to H.M.S. Niobe (1st Class Cruiser), where he served for almost a year as Midshipman and was then posted to H.M.S. Grafton (1st Class Cruiser) on the 14th of January 1902. Prior to leaving H.M.S. Grafton in May 1904, Douglas was promoted to the rank of Sub Lieutenant.
Sub Lieutenant Saxby-Thomas was then sent ashore to a Royal Naval College where he attended watchkeeping, navigation, gunnery and torpedo courses. When he left the Royal Naval College he returned to sea-going duties. He joined H.M.S. Flora and for the next eighteen months was in the seas off the Chinese coast. He was first appointed Acting Lieutenant of H.M.S. Flora, and then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His tour of duty ended on this ship in 1907, when he posted to H.M.S. Whitting, where he served for a further five months on the China station.
From March, 1908 till till 1914 he served on a number of ships and in December, 1914 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander of H.M.S. Venerable, where he’d been serving since January 1914. He left H.M.S. Venerable on 27th December, 1916 and was due to join H.M.S. Isis. For passage to the Isis, Douglas joined the the Laurentic at Liverpool, before the ship departed for Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 24th January, 1917. He was destined never to join the Isis.
It is not known if Douglas was able to get to a lifeboat, or if he was killed by the mine explosions. His body was never recovered.
His family erected a stone tablet in his memory, in St Peter and St John the Baptist church, Wivelsfield, Lewes, East Sussex
Inscription
In loving memory of Lieut. Com. DOUGLAS ROSCOE SAXBY-THOMAS. R.N. H.M.S. Venerable The Second dearly loved son of Mr. and Mrs. G.E. Thomas of the Indian Public Works Dept. Who lost his life when H.M.S. Laurentie was sunk in the Irish Sea 25th January 1917. “He laid down his life for noble cause and passed unafraid to GOD” This Memorial has been erected by his Mother and Father and his two Brothers Capt. H.G. Saxby-Thomas R.E. and Lieut. N.H. Saxby-Thomas R.F.A.
Sources:-
Peter Threlfall, World War 1 historian
Census Census Returns of England and Wales 1891, 1901 and 1911. The National Archives of the UK
The National Archives: Royal Naval Service Records
UK Register of Employees of the East India Company and the India Office: ancestry.com
General Register Office England and Wales: http://www.gro.gov.uk
The British Newspaper Archive: http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Sussex/Wivelsfield.html
The Legacy of the Laurentic 