Thomas James Collacott, Petty Officer 1st Class, Royal Navy, was born in Devonport on the 9th of February 1872, to Joseph and Elizabeth Collacott (née Sowden). He was the eighth of their 12 children. His father, a dockyard labourer, was from Devon and his mother from Cornwall.  

Thomas joined the Navy  in September 1887 as boy 2nd class but his ‘official’ time didn’t start till he was 18, on the 9th of February 1890. He initially signed up for a 12 year engagement which would have ended in 1902. However he signed up for a further ten years service to complete the term required for a pension. 

Thomas married Matilda Ann Nichols in Tenby, Pembrokeshire in July 1904. By the time of the census in 1911 Thomas and Matilda had moved to Devonport with their four year old daughter Olive.  Thomas was pensioned from the Navy the following year and joined the The Royal Fleet Reserve. As a member of the Reserve Thomas was called up in August 1914 when war was declared.

Thomas joined the crew of the Laurentic in November 1914 so was on board when the ship sailed for Sierra Leone to assist in the Kamerun Campaign, moving on to Asia in August 1915, to patrol around the Far East. In June 1916 the Laurentic headed to Nova Scotia and spent the following months patrolling around Halifax and Bermuda before returning to Liverpool in late November.

Thomas is one of the few Laurentic casualties to have a burial place. He is buried in St. Mura’s Church Of Ireland Churchyard, Fahan, County Donegal, Ireland.