Douglas F. Franklin

Douglas Frederick Franklin was born in Braintree registration district in the third quarter of 1901.

In 1911 the Franklin family are living at Woodhouse Farm, Kelvedon, (which is south of Bradwell near Braintree, and South West of Coggeshall)
Charles Franklin, age: 38, Horseman on Farm, born: Takeley.
Annie Franklin, age: 38, born Sudbury (married 17 years, delivered of 7 children, 6 surviving)
Charles Thomas Franklin, age: 16, born Takeley
Ruby Franklin, age: 12, born: Chigwell (more properly Kathleen Ruby Franklin)
Douglas Franklin, age: 10, born: Kelvedon.
Bernard Franklin, age: 8, born Kelvedon.
Winifred Franklin, age 6, born: Kelvedon.

another child, Daisy Mary Franklin, aged 14, was in Service in a house at Ilford.

He married Olive Minnie Huff in the Braintree Registration district in the last quarter of 1931. Douglas and Olive had a daughter, Brenda R. Franklin in 1933

Douglas served as a Stoker 1st Class aboard HMS Wakeful a 'W' class Royal Navy destroyer. 

HMS Wakeful was built in the first world war, and had been put into reserve until 1939 when the outbreak of war meant she was restored to full service.

HMS Wakeful had been successfully returning men to Dover in the first days of the Dunkirk evacuations, evading air attacks. She was attacked, while returning to Dover, by a German E-boat on 29th May 1940, and hit by two torpedoes. She was carrying 641 soldiers from the beaches, 640 of whom died along with 85 of her 110 crew.

Stopping to pick up survivors, HMS Grafton which was also carrying a full load of troops was attacked by a U-boat U-62, and once the survivors had been rescued was scuttled by HMS Ivanhoe. The loss of Wakeful and Grafton together necessitated a change in naval orders that no ship laden with troops was to stop to pick up survivors from another ship but should report the position to un-laden ships.

Douglas Franklin is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.