Accidentally drowned, Foyle River, Londonderry 16 January 1942 age 19.
Born in Clare, Suffolk on 30 October 1922 the son of John “Jack” and Olga Knights of 145 Wallace Road, Ipswich. Jack was a Signalman for LNER and he worked at Bramford Station.
Derrick is buried in Londonderry City Cemetery and commemorated in the Bramford Methodist Chapel.
US Coastguard Cutter USS CHAMPLAIN was built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding, Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was laid down on 23rd May 1923 and launched on 11th October 1928. She was transferred to the Royal Navy on 3rd April 1941 under the 1940 UK/USA Lend/Lease Agreement and renamed HMS SENNEN, when commissioned. She was the first RN ship to bear this name, that of a British Coastguard Station like those given to other US Coastguard Cutters.
She sailed to England with convoy HX 128 and was assigned to the 42nd Escort Group after a refit on the River Thames. She escorted convoys and operated from the naval base on Lough Foyle, Londonderry.