Lieutenant-Commander John Austin Gaimes, DSO, was a submarine commander for the Royal Navy. He died 20 January 1921, at the age of 33, when HMS K5 sank with the loss of all hands during a mock battle in the Bay of Biscay.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

John Gaimes
Born	1887
Died	January 1921 Lost at sea with HMS K5
Buried	Bay of Biscay.
Allegiance	British Empire
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1901–1921
Rank	Commander
Commands held	HMS A9 HMS B9 HMS C37 HMS K5
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	DSO

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• 1901, posted to the training ship HMS Britannia.
• Served as second-in-command of the destroyer HMS Syren for a year.
• Volunteered for British submarine command in 1908, appointed January 1909.
• Served on the C-class submarines.
• Appointed command of HMS A9 on 5 October 1911.
• A year later, appointed command of HMS B9.
• March 1913, captained HMS C37 in Hong Kong.
• 10 April 1917, commanded submarine in Harwich flotilla.
• Located the secret Heligoland passage, marked out by buoys for German warships to follow.
• June 1918, awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for war services.
• After World War I, commanded submarines attached to depot ship HMS Dolphin at Portsmouth.
• November 1919, appointed to cruiser HMS Inconstant for steam-driven vessels of the K-class in the First Flotilla.
• 1 April 1920, appointed command of HMS K5.

• "The Lost Commander". The Times. 24 January 1921. p. 12.