Cree, Rev. James Douglas Beckett
Already in this War the College has suffered bereavement. The Reverend James Douglas Beckett Cree, A.K.C., was drowned when the Royal Oak was sunk on October 14th. He was Chapain on board the ship. A member of the Theological Faculty from 1926 to 1930, he is remembered by thos in the Office who knew him as a man who took a very real interest in the activities of the Union Society, besides being a brilliant student, and who was liked by all. So far as can be ascertained he is the first casualty from the college. King’ s College Review December 1939
Biographical
| Surname(s) | Cree |
|---|---|
| First name(s) | Rev. James Douglas Beckett |
| Date of birth | 1906 |
| Family details | Son of William and Ruth Cree. |
| College | King's College London and/or King's College London Hospital |
| Dates at college | 1926-1930 |
| Dept / course | Faculty of Theology |
| Qualifications | A.K.C. |
| Military unit | Royal Navy, H.M.S. Royal Oak |
| War / conflict | World War Two (1939-1945) |
| Date of death | 14/10/1939 |
| Age at death | 39 |
| Rank at death | Chaplain |
| Cause of death | Killed on board HMS Royal Oak |
| Commemoration(s) | King’ s College Chapel; Portsmouth Naval Memorial |
| Notes | The Rev. James Douglas Beckett Cree, A,K.C., R.N., was commissioned as Chaplain, Royal Navy on Jan. 2, 1936, and served during that year on H.M.S. Iron Duke. From January 1937, until the summer of this year he was on the cruiser Suffolk. He had only recently joined the Royal Oak. The Times 21 Oct. 1939 |
| Sources | King’ s College London Archives, Commonwealth War Graves Commission |