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Our thanks go to Jane Headlam who has passed on the sad news of the death of Captain David Dornom at the age of 92 on 29 May 2026. Jane had sailed with David on the Botany Bay in the early 1980s and they had remained in touch ever since.
Captain David Dornom was an 'Old Worcester', or OW, having been educated in 1951 at the Thames Nautical Training College on board HMS Worcester at the age of 15. David was a cadet with Ellerman & Bucknell Steamship Company before joining P&O.
A few years back David wrote a very interesting article about his time as Second Officer on the passenger ship ss Canberra for the Association of Old Worcesters newsletter. The article is titled "A Defining Moment in the Life of a Great Lady", and it tells the story of the switchboard fire that occurred on board the company flagship in January 1963.
Captain Dornom served in the Royal Navy Reserve, reaching the rank of Commander and receiving the Reserve Decoration. He was a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners,and a Freeman of the City of London. David was also a long-term supporter of seafaring charities, including the Mission to Seafarers and the RNLI.
David was also an 'Old Whitgiftian', having attended Whitgift School in Croydon before his time on HMS Worcester.
In 1958 David married Paddy, and their story was told in an article in the Crediton Courier, published in 2018 to mark their diamond wedding anniversary. David was master of the Flinders Bay for ten years, and Paddy accompanied him on his last voyage before retirement.
David's funeral took place on 18 June at the Church of the Holy Cross in Crediton, Devon.
Our deepest sympathies go to Captain Dornom's family and friends.
07/09/2026
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