Ted Briggs, last survivor of the HMS Hood, dies at 85
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Ted Briggs, last survivor of the HMS Hood, dies at 85
The last survivor of Royal Navy battlecruiser sunk by the Bismarck in Atlantic in 1941 has died.
Ted Briggs, 85, was one of only three of 1,418 crew that survived the sinking during the Battle of the Denmark Strait.
Mr Briggs, from Fareham in Hampshire, passed away at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth on Saturday night.
He was boy signalman aged 18 when the fifth salvo from the Bismarck hit the ship's magazine resulting in a catastrophic explosion. It tore the ship in half and it sank in less than three minutes.
The flagship of the fleet was part of a force ordered to engage the Bismarck and her escort cruiser Prinz Eugen off Greenland.
Mr Briggs was near the bridge when the warship began to roll and he was sucked under by the sinking ship before being propelled back up.
He was soon joined by the only two other survivors; midshipman William Dundass, who died in 1965 and able seaman Bob Tilburn who died in 1995.
The trio spent three hours on the freezing sea before they were picked up by the destroyer HMS Electra close to death.
Briggs, who was president of the HMS Hood Association, described what he saw in the aftermath:
"When I came to the surface I was on her (the Hood's) port side...I turned and swam as best I could in water 4" thick with oil and managed to get on one of the small rafts she carried, of which there were a large number floating around.
"When I turned again she had gone and there was a fire on the water where her bows had been. Over on the other side I saw Dundas and Tilburn on similar rafts. There was not another soul to be seen.
"We hand-paddled towards each other and held on to one another's rafts until our hands became too numb to do so."
In the days after the sinking, Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the Bismarck found and sunk.
On May 27, the battleship was finally sunk after several days of attacks by Royal Navy ships and the Royal Air Force.
Peter Heys, chairman of the HMS Hood Association said: "He was a humorous man but he did not like to be reminded of the sinking as he had to pulled out of the freezing water."
Mr Briggs left the navy in 1973 at the rank of lieutenant and he then became a manager of an estate agents in Fareham. He was awarded the MBE in 1973.
The wreck of HMS Hood was discovered in 2001 and Mr Briggs lay a bronze plaque naming all those who died.
Ted Briggs, last survivor of the HMS Hood, dies at 85
The last survivor of Royal Navy battlecruiser sunk by the Bismarck in Atlantic in 1941 has died.
Ted Briggs, 85, was one of only three of 1,418 crew that survived the sinking during the Battle of the Denmark Strait.
Mr Briggs, from Fareham in Hampshire, passed away at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth on Saturday night.
He was boy signalman aged 18 when the fifth salvo from the Bismarck hit the ship's magazine resulting in a catastrophic explosion. It tore the ship in half and it sank in less than three minutes.
The flagship of the fleet was part of a force ordered to engage the Bismarck and her escort cruiser Prinz Eugen off Greenland.
Mr Briggs was near the bridge when the warship began to roll and he was sucked under by the sinking ship before being propelled back up.
He was soon joined by the only two other survivors; midshipman William Dundass, who died in 1965 and able seaman Bob Tilburn who died in 1995.
The trio spent three hours on the freezing sea before they were picked up by the destroyer HMS Electra close to death.
Briggs, who was president of the HMS Hood Association, described what he saw in the aftermath:
"When I came to the surface I was on her (the Hood's) port side...I turned and swam as best I could in water 4" thick with oil and managed to get on one of the small rafts she carried, of which there were a large number floating around.
"When I turned again she had gone and there was a fire on the water where her bows had been. Over on the other side I saw Dundas and Tilburn on similar rafts. There was not another soul to be seen.
"We hand-paddled towards each other and held on to one another's rafts until our hands became too numb to do so."
In the days after the sinking, Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the Bismarck found and sunk.
On May 27, the battleship was finally sunk after several days of attacks by Royal Navy ships and the Royal Air Force.
Peter Heys, chairman of the HMS Hood Association said: "He was a humorous man but he did not like to be reminded of the sinking as he had to pulled out of the freezing water."
Mr Briggs left the navy in 1973 at the rank of lieutenant and he then became a manager of an estate agents in Fareham. He was awarded the MBE in 1973.
The wreck of HMS Hood was discovered in 2001 and Mr Briggs lay a bronze plaque naming all those who died.
A sad loss. A rare and extraordinary feat of survival and a true standard bearer for both HOOD and the RN. I had the privilege of meeting him a few years ago and he was on top form, spinning 'dits' and keeping everyone enthralled.
I bet there's a rare old ship's company reunion going on at the moment!
RIP
I bet there's a rare old ship's company reunion going on at the moment!
RIP
Olf said:
The Beeb called the Hood a gunship. FFS how disrespectful can you be.
Did they really? Means one of two things. Either a. (being charitable) they are stupid. Or, b. it is a calculated snub to the servicemen of the Royal Navy by referring to a great battle cruiser by using a perjorative term.
A couple of years ago I was on HMS Belfast, when I noticed an old boy covered in medals. He walked up to the forward gun turret and gave it an affectionate pat. I asked him what the story was and he told me that Belfast had been sailing out of the Firth Of Forth, during WW11, when she hit a mine. He had been part of the gun turret crew and saw the whole turret thrown off it's rails. HMS Belfast returned to dock and the old boy was told to stay with her to help with repairs. Vast majority of his ship mates were transfered to another vessel, he was upset as he wanted to go to sea, with his mates. But he found out which ship they had gone to, after it was sunk. Yes they all perished on the Hood. So he had reason to thank the forward turret of HMS Belfast.
DWP said:
A couple of years ago I was on HMS Belfast, when I noticed an old boy covered in medals. He walked up to the forward gun turret and gave it an affectionate pat. I asked him what the story was and he told me that Belfast had been sailing out of the Firth Of Forth, during WW11, when she hit a mine. He had been part of the gun turret crew and saw the whole turret thrown off it's rails. HMS Belfast returned to dock and the old boy was told to stay with her to help with repairs. Vast majority of his ship mates were transfered to another vessel, he was upset as he wanted to go to sea, with his mates. But he found out which ship they had gone to, after it was sunk. Yes they all perished on the Hood. So he had reason to thank the forward turret of HMS Belfast.
Good story.JVaughan said:
A sad day.
With Remembrance day just around the corner .. so few WW2 Vets left .. Just wonder how many youth of today actually realise their sacrifice.
Far too few sadly. My Great Grandfather was an aircraft fitter on Lancaster’s during WWII. I was part of the air training corps for 5 years, and I always did the Remembrance Day parades, and I always make a point of remininding those who forget (shame on them).With Remembrance day just around the corner .. so few WW2 Vets left .. Just wonder how many youth of today actually realise their sacrifice.
When you look at the sacrifices made, it humbles you, Remembrance Day is one of the few events that really stirs my emotions. It makes me truly sad to think of what they gave for their country and to look now at what a festering s
t hole this country has become in recent years.Matt
Edited by matmoxon on Sunday 5th October 23:26
matmoxon said:
JVaughan said:
A sad day.
With Remembrance day just around the corner .. so few WW2 Vets left .. Just wonder how many youth of today actually realise their sacrifice.
Far too few sadly. My Great Grandfather was an aircraft fitter on Lancaster’s during WWII. I was part of the air training corps for 5 years, and I always did the Remembrance Day parades, and I always make a point of remininding those who forget (shame on them).With Remembrance day just around the corner .. so few WW2 Vets left .. Just wonder how many youth of today actually realise their sacrifice.
When you look at the sacrifices made, it humbles you, Remembrance Day is one of the few events that really stirs my emotions. It makes me truly sad to think of what they gave for their country and to look now at what a festering s
t hole this country has become in recent years.Matt
Edited by matmoxon on Sunday 5th October 23:26
We heard the line of if it wasn't fot those brave men we would all be speaking German today. Well that may be so, but i would rather be speaking German than Urdu.
welshbikerduck said:
matmoxon said:
JVaughan said:
A sad day.
With Remembrance day just around the corner .. so few WW2 Vets left .. Just wonder how many youth of today actually realise their sacrifice.
Far too few sadly. My Great Grandfather was an aircraft fitter on Lancaster’s during WWII. I was part of the air training corps for 5 years, and I always did the Remembrance Day parades, and I always make a point of remininding those who forget (shame on them).With Remembrance day just around the corner .. so few WW2 Vets left .. Just wonder how many youth of today actually realise their sacrifice.
When you look at the sacrifices made, it humbles you, Remembrance Day is one of the few events that really stirs my emotions. It makes me truly sad to think of what they gave for their country and to look now at what a festering s
t hole this country has become in recent years.Matt
Edited by matmoxon on Sunday 5th October 23:26
We heard the line of if it wasn't fot those brave men we would all be speaking German today. Well that may be so, but i would rather be speaking German than Urdu.
hal-finch said:
Yes, it was really worth dying for this country wasn't it?
Poor brainwashed souls.
Those that died for your country did so for a cause which was appreciated by most. It seems that just recently a breed of people have changed that. So no, the "poor souls" who sacraficed aren't the victims, the victims are people that let the current "breed" make the sacrafice meaningless.Poor brainwashed souls.
I almost forgot; you are an idiot.
Edited by Jimbeaux on Monday 6th October 03:56
My father kept a photograph of the HMS Hood in his wallet, he was transfered from the Hood to the HMS Duke of York a matter on weeks before the Hood was sunk, he lost many friends. He was involved in some action (the sinking of the Scharnhorst being one)and many north atlantic convoys, but when he spoke of the war it was the Hood he had most feelings for.
hal-finch said:
Yes, it was really worth dying for this country wasn't it?
Poor brainwashed souls.
That is deeply insulting to the survivors of WW2 action and the memory of those lostPoor brainwashed souls.
You sir, are a t
t of the highest order and should be made to polish their gravestones every day until you dieEdited by AngryApples on Monday 6th October 06:25
Mr grandfather, now 88, served win the merchant navy. he saw the Hood go through the Panama Canal with only feet to spare each side.
he owes his life to the Battleship and Frigate escorts that protected the North Atlantic convoys.
Still with us, but memory failing fast
we take each year at a time. He has outlived ALL that he crewed with during the war. He is the last of all his friends
he owes his life to the Battleship and Frigate escorts that protected the North Atlantic convoys.
Still with us, but memory failing fast
we take each year at a time. He has outlived ALL that he crewed with during the war. He is the last of all his friendsGassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff