Fred Porter  was born 2 January 1878 at Brickewell, Monmouthshire, the son of Benjamin Edward and Ellen Elizabeth Porter. He joined the Royal Navy in 1893 at HMS IMPREGNABLE at Devonport, before which he had worked as a plate boy. He was awarded the DSM on 12 May 1916 in recognition of services rendered during the Dardanelles campaign, for which had earlier been Mentioned in Despatches. In 1901 he married Rose Smith who bore him a daughter, Ethel, and two sons, Fred and George; they lived in Plymouth.

He is buried in Faslane Cemetery.