Donald Victor Langlands

An Able Seaman with H.M.S. Loyal. Donald died on 17th of October 1914 at the age of 19. 

Donald was born at Norwich on 21 January 1895, a son of John and Alexandra Langlands. In 1901 his family were living at Layham, Suffolk. By 1911 his father had died and his mother lived at Cliftonville House, Alexandra Road, Pakefield, and later she lived at 500 London Road, Lowestoft.

Donald was working as a gardener's assistant when he joined the Royal Navy, as a Boy 2nd Class, on 7 March 1911. 

Donald was drafter to H.M.S. Loyal on 22 May 1914. A note on his service register entry reads:

Died on 18 October 1914 from wounds sustained in action off the British Coast on 17 October 1914 when four German torpedo boats were sunk.   

Donald was wounded in the Battle off Texel. On 17 October 1914 a British naval squadron encountered a half-squadron of German torpedo boats off the Dutch island of Texel. The German boats were en route to lay mines in shipping lanes. All four German vessels were sunk. During the battle H.M.S. Loyal was hit twice and four men wounded, including Donald. British casualties totalled only five men wounded: German casualties were 218 men killed and 31 taken prisoner.

H.M.S. Loyal, along with H.M.S. Lance sank the German torpedo boat S119. Later the sea-chest, containing codebooks, that had been thrown overboard by the Captain of the S119 was recovered and this enabled the British to read German wireless signals for many months afterwards. The engagement also led to the Germans changing the way that torpedo boats were used and this meant that they made fewer sorties into the Channel.