James Doyle was the sixth burial in the Catholic Naval Section. James was born in Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland on 12 Dec 1886. He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Seaman on 24 Feb 1903 and as sent to HMS Black Prince, a steam frigate, serving as a static training ship. He trained on Black Prince until 31 dec 1903, joining his new ship HMS Emerald on 01 Jan 1904. He was to serve on 9 other ships and depots until posted to HMS Fantome on 03 May 1911. Fantome was a Survey Sloop and spent much of her time on the Great Barrier Reef undertaking hydrographic surveys.
James was to meet his death in a tragic manner while playing soccer 27 Apr 1912. Fantome was in the Sutherland Dock, Cockatoo Island at the time and James was playing soccer alongside the dock. It appears he got carried away during the game and while trying to stop the ball which had been kicked towards the dock and he fell into the dry dock and fractured his skull. He died in the ambulance on his way to Balmain Hospital. The coroner returned a finding of accidental death and noted “the absence of a fence around the dock. He said it was evidence of extraordinary neglect on the part of the dockyard authorities.”
James had been onboard HMS Fantome for just under a year, his headstone has inscribed upon it “Erected by his shipmates HMS Fantome”.
Sources
RN Service History 225373 UK Archives;
Daily Telegraph Mon 29 Apr 1912
HMS Fantome later HMAS - RAN Seapower Centre Site
