Clement Richard Dane was born on 18 September 1883 at Simla, India as the oldest son of Sir Louis William Dane and his wife Edith. Sir Louis was a senior administrator in India from 1876 until he retired in 1913.

Clement returned to the UK when quite young to live with his grandparents and to enable schooling in England.

On leaving school on 15 May 1900 he joined the Royal Navy as a Midshipman, becoming a Lieutenant in 1905.

His first command was in 1907 of Torpedo Boat 067 and served with several Torpedo boats until 1910 when he was posted to the Battleship HMS Brittania where he served for two years until 1912 when he was given command of HMS Locust which was a destroyer.

By 1914 he had been promoted to Lt Commander and was given command of another destroyer, HMS Lennox.

Shortly after the start of the war, HMS Lennox was one of several Destroyers that sunk four German torpedo boats bringing on 17 October 1914 an official commendation and a letter on vellum and shortly after promotion to the rank of Commander.

Appointment as Wing Commander to the newly formed Royal Naval Air Service in December 1915 was the next step and after obtaining his aviators certificate at the Central Flying School Dane  was given command of the Kingsnorth Airship Station. A year later he was moved to command of the airfield at Chingford where he seems to have clashed with a more senior officer as six months later he reverted to naval sea duties.

During this period of aviation, in January 1917 he married Bessie Albinia Coombe at Hoo in Kent with who he was to have three children and  on 11 August 1917 he was awarded the Order of St Maurice & St Lazurus by the Italian Government.

On 17 November 1917 , he returned to sea with the command of another destroyer, HMS Lance and served the remainder of the war in this ship.

After the end of the war he was to command other destroyers, HMS Nizam and HMS Tempest until he retired from active service in 1924 to live in Hampshire although that was no bar to him being promoted to Captain on the retired list in 1928.

In 1939. At the age of 56, he volunteers to rejoin the Navy and is given command of armed merchant Cruiser HMS Majola.

On 12 June 1940 with invasion by the Germans likely, Dane was given command of the defences around Burnham on Crouch which soon after was named HMS St Mathew, He made his personal living area and his HQ at the Royal Burnham Yacht Club with additional use made of thr Roayal Corinthian Yacht Club nearby to organise the defence of the Crouch which was considers a potential invasion site given its capacity for German Landing Craft of smaller naval vessels.

Once the likelihood of an invasion receded and the allies began to plan their own offensive his command was extended to take in Creeksea Place as a base for Royal Marine Commandos to train for the invasion.

By 10 February 1946 his job was done and he was able to once again join the retired list having done his duty to King and Country in both World Wars.

He  retired to live in South West London and he died on 25 August 1963 at St Stephens Hospital, Chelsea.