More about Douglas Davidson

The third HMS Halcyon was a Dryad-Class torpedo Gunboat of the Royal Navy. Once described as “perhaps the smallest and least formidable vessel that ever crept into the ‘Navy List,’ “, she was launched in 1894 and was put up for sale before World War I. She was recommissioned in 1913, was converted to a minesweeper and served under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves. She was sold for breaking in 1919.

Douglas Davidson lived at 26 Wellington Street, Dundee and his sister, Mrs B Wilcox lived at 41 Windmill Street, Peterhead. He is buried in Peterhead Old Church Yard Cemetery, grave reference C16 849. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve in February 1916 in Peterhead. After training at HMS Vivid in Devonport he served in minesweepers based at HMS Halcyon, the Base Ship for minesweepers in Grimsby and at HMS Kingfisher, the Base ship at Great Yarmouth. Douglas Davidson’s Service Record states that he drowned on 13 March 1917 whilst still on the books of HMS Kingfisher but the CWGC records his parent ship as HMS Halcyon.