Cecil joined the Royal Navy on 21 June 1912 at the age of 15 and entered on a 12 year engagement on his 18th birthday, 25 March 1915.
He served in the following ships and shore establishments: HMS Ganges, 21 June 1912-9 November 1912 (Boy 2nd Class), Ganges II, 30 November 1912-10 February 1913 (Boy 1st Class, 10 February 1913); HMS Hawke, 11 February 1913-20 May 1913; Vivid I, 21 May 1913-6 June 1913; HMS Magnificent, 7 June 1913-30 June 1913; HMS Exmouth, 1 July 1913-22 August 1913; HMS Defence , 23 August 1913-31 May 1916 (Ordinary Seamen 25 March 1915, Able Seaman 25 January 1916). Service record annotated ‘NP 4141/1916. DD [discharged dead] 31st May, 1916. Killed in action.’
The armed cruiser HMS Defence was the flagship of the First Cruiser Squadron (Rear Admiral Sir Robert Arbuthnot) comprising HMS Defence, HMS Warrior, HMS Duke of Edinburgh and HMS Black Prince. HMS Defence was engaged by the German battleship Friedrich Der Grosse, the German Battle Fleet flagship (Vice Admiral Reinhard Scheer) at the Battle of Jutland. HMS Defence exploded and sank at 6.15pm with the loss of all of her 893 crew. HMS Black Prince was also lost and HMS Warrior was disabled and had to be abandoned by her crew.
Cecil's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon.
A description of the loss of HMS Defence was given by an officer onboard HMS Obedient, 12th Destroyer Flotilla: "There was one incident at ‘Windy Corner’ which, alas, was more prominent than any other. From ahead, out of the mist there appeared the ill-fated 1st Cruiser Squadron led by the Defence. At first, the Defence did not seem to be damaged, but she was being heavily engaged, and salvoes were dropping all around her. When she was on our bow, three quick salvoes reached her, the first one ‘over’, the next one ‘short’ and the third all hit. The shells of the last salvo could clearly be seen to hit her just abaft the after turret, and after a second, a big red flame flashed up, but died away again at once. The ship heeled to the blow but quickly righted herself and steamed on again. Then almost immediately followed three more salvoes. Again the first was ‘over’, the second one ‘short’ and the third a hit, and again the shell of the hitting salvo could be clearly seen to strike, this time between the forecastle turret and the foremost funnel. At once, the ship was lost to sight in an enormous black cloud, which rose to a height of some hundred feet, and from which some dark object, possibly a boat or a funnel was hurled into space, twirling like some gigantic Catherine-wheel. The smoke quickly clearing, we could see no sign of a ship at all - Defence had gone. Mercifully this death, by which the 900 or so officers and men of the Defence perished was an instantaneous one, causing them probably no suffering." (www.devonheritage.org/Places/DevonCounty/JutlandHMSDefence)