Bevan, D.V (David Vaughan)
Bevan, D.V (David Vaughan)
Lieutenant David Bevan was the only son of William Reece Bevan and Mary Hannah Bevan; husband of Irene Sylvia Bevan, of Felixstowe, Suffolk and father of two twins, Angela and Roger. David served onboard H.M.S. Watchman[1] and had only been in the service for a year.
H.M.S. Watchman was a British destroyer that was launched during December 1917. It served with the Grand Fleet until the end of the Great War and then was decommissioned and transferred to the reserve fleet until 1939 when it was recommissioned during the rising tensions in Europe.
The Second World War would find the ship serving from Gibraltar and performing patrols and convoy escorts to and from this port up until the French surrender in 1940 when she was sent to Casablanca to monitor one of their war ships; The Watchman would soon return to her Gibraltar duties and then during mid 1940 it transferred to the North Atlantic for convoy duties.
Between the 18th and 20th of August 1941 it had been part of the escort group for Convoy HX 143 when the ship returned to port in Londonderry.
On the 23rd of August 1941, David was killed in an air crash while on war operations. This was reported by the Commanding Officer of RAF Limavady.
David Bevan was buried with full military honours during Wednesday 26th August 1941.
Date of Death: 23/08/1941 (Aged 31)
Service: Lieutenant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.S. Watchman.
Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, C. of E. Plot. Sec. F. Grave 10.
[1] HMS Watchman was a W-class destroyer and was launched on the 2nd of December 1917.
