 Complete the following phrase:  Francis joined the training ship in 1936 and joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1939. During World War II, Francis served in the Royal Navy on HMS Manchester, which was in the Mediterranean in July 1941 when she was hit by the first aerial torpedo used in combat by the Germans. He then served on . Following promotion to sub-lieutet, he served on , which was involved in the escorting of 