Herbert Hopkins was born on 6 April 1882 at Midhurst, Sussex. He was one of five children of George and Emma Hopkins and before joining the Royal Navy he trained as a tailor.

He joined the Royal Navy on 11 July 1898 as a Boy 2nd Class, rising to 1st Class on 13 April 1899. He served on the China Station in the cruiser HMS WALLAROO, being rated Ordinary Seaman on 6 April 1900 and Able Seaman on 23 May 1901. On returning home he served in the cruiser HMS DRAKE and the battleships HMS POWERFUL and TERRIBLE, the Admiralty Yacht ENCHANTRESS and the battleship HMS DREADNOUGHT. He left the service when his engagement expired in April 1912 and became a porter on the London, Brighton and South East Railway Company the following year, working at Hackbridge station.

When war broke out in August 1914 he returned to the Royal Navy and volunteered immediately for submarines.

He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial and on the parish war memoial at Worth, Crawley, Sussex.