Watson, James Henry Digby

Details
Category: 1914-15

James Henry Digby Watson

Royal Navy

Royal Navy
He is remembered with honour on the Scottish National War Memorial, Chatham Naval Memorial, King’s School memorial, Edinburgh Academy memorial, the RFU Memorial at Twickenham, St Michaels and All Angels memorial and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 1 Line 5.

The family home was Westwood, Helensburgh. The son of Captain J.H. Watson RN and Mrs E.V. Watson.
Siblings:  Digby was an only son with one sister, Greta.

 James (known as Digby) was born in Helensburgh, where his father was an Engineer Captain in the Royal Navy.
He studied at King's School Canterbury, Edinburgh Academy and then for a M.A. at Edinburgh University where he played rugby for the 1st XV, as well as winning the middleweight boxing championship and winning the long jump each year. He joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon and was posted to HMS Hawke, he died when HMS Hawke was torpedoed. Digby was 24 years old when lost at sea.
The submarine’s first torpedo hit HMS Hawke, igniting a magazine and causing a tremendous explosion, which ripped much of the ship apart. Hawke sank in a few minutes with the loss of her Commander and 523 men.