Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of David Crutchlow, a coal miner, hewer, born 1866 in Bedworth, Warwks., and his wife Hannah Crutchlow (nee Smith, married q4 1885in the Burton upon Trent, Staffs. district), born 1864 in Bedworth, Warwks. David was born on the 27th January 1892 in Bedworth, Warwks., his siblings were, Alice, born 1890, Zillah, born 1895, Samuel, born 1898 and Ethel V., born 1900, all his siblings were born in Bedworth, Warwks., in March 1901 the family home was at Chapel Street, Bedworth, Warwks. In April 1911 David was employed as a coal miner, loader and was residing in the family home at 80, Coventry Road, Bedworth, Warwks., together with his father, a coal miner, hewer, his mother and siblings, Zillah, a silk trade winder, Samuel, a hat trade closer, Ethel, a schoolgirl and Herbert Stanley, a schoolboy, born 1904 in Bedworth, Warwks. David enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 5 + 7 year engagement on the 23rd August 1911 and was allocated the service number SS/111261 in Portsmouth, Hants. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 7¼ inches in height, he had a chest measurement of 37½ inches, his hair colour was fair with blue eyes, his complexion was described as fresh, he gave his trade or calling as coal miner. His service record began when he joined HMS Victory II as a Stoker 2nd Class on the 23/8/11 – 16/9/11. HMS Renown, 17/9/11 – 18/11/11. HMS Victory II, 19/11/11 – 22/4/12. HMS Hecla, 23/4/12 – 30/4/12. HMS Topaze II, 1/5/12 – 31/7/12. HMS Minerva II, 1/8/12 – 27/8/12, when he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class. HMS Minerva II, 28/8/12 - 29/8/12. HMS Victory II, 30/8/12 – 5/9/12. HMS Venus, 6/9/12 – 11/12/13. HMS Woolwich, 12/12/13 – 19/1/14. HMS Hecla (Sparrowhawk), 20/1/14 – 19/2/15. HMS Victory II, 20/2/15 – 20/3/15. HMS Collingwood, 21/3/15 – 16/10/15. HMS Victory II, 17/10/15 – 1/2/16. HMS Diligence (Onslaught), 2/2/16 – 14/11/17. HMS Diligence (Narborough), 15/11/17 12/1/18. The circumstances in which David lost his life are as follows. On the night of the 12th January 1918 two Royal Navy destroyers, HMS Opal and HMS Narborough, were escorting the light cruiser HMS Boadicea on patrol against mine layers. There came such a severe blizzard of snow and high winds that the destroyers were forced to return to base at Scapa Flow. Unable to see, a navigational error caused the ships to sail straight into the cliffs at Hesta Rock, just to the north of Windwick Bay, South Ronaldsay. There was only one survivor, Able Seaman William Sissons of HMS Opal. He survived by clinging to a cliff ledge for 36 hours before he was rescued. 188 men died that night, either killed by the impact, drowned or died of exposure.