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HMS Dorsetshire
H.M.S Dorsetshire, a County Class Cruiser was launched at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1929 by the Countess of Shaftesbury.She was serving with the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China Station in 1939.
The ship was part of the fleet that sunk the German battleship Bismark in the Atlantic in 1941.
The Dorsetshire was sunk on the 5th April 1942, by a Japanese carrier aircraft, three hundred miles west of Colombo, Ceylon. 227 lives were lost.
11th Feb 1941 On the Move
12th Feb 1941 On the Move
21st Feb 1941 On the Move
28th Feb 1941 Convoy
2nd Mar 1941 Convoy
4th Mar 1941 Escort Duty
31st Jan 1941 On the Move
1st Apr 1942 Search
2nd April 1942 Return to Ceylon
4th April 1942 Rejoin Force A
5th April 1942 Dorsetshire sunk
6th April 1942 Sailors rescued
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Those known to have sailed in HMS Dorsetshire during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Angear John Cecil. Shpwrt.
- Armstrong Edwin Francis. Telegraphist (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Austin Joseph. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Austin Joseph. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Ball Fred Charles Arthur.
- Beedham Ernest William. AB.
- Beggs Alistair Duncan.
- Bell Douglas Stewart. Stkr 1st Cl. (d.5th April 1942)
- Bellis Arthur. Ldg. Stkr. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Bennett George Eric. CPO.
- Benny Cyril John.
- Benny Cyril John. PO.
- Bodman Edward Stanley. Sig.
- Bradley John. AB. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Branagan Charles Stanley. ERA 3rd Class (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Brill Vernon Richard. Able Sea.
- Cambridge William Richard. CPO.
- Concanon Harold Bernard. Surgeon Lieut. (D) (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Concanon Harold Bernard. Surgeon Lt. (D) (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Deeley John. Nav.Officer.
- Dorrington Albert J..
- Doyle Sidney Richard.
- Duncan Hugh William.
- Eades William Walter. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Eriksen Edward Anders. Ord.Sea. (d.5th April 1942)
- Farley Albert Walter. (d.5th April 1942)
- Ferris Douglas Alan. Ord.Tel.
- George Henry. PO.
- Gordon G Douglas. Mjr.
- Gubb Allan Geoffrey. Tel. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Halfacre Norman George Ryder.
- Herbert Robert Francis Joseph. Sgt.
- Higgins Stanley Augustus. Stokr.
- Jenkin Frederick. Stokr.
- Johnson Francis Douglas Lloyd. AB
- Laborde Denzil. Chaplain (d.5th Apr 1942 )
- Lines Alfred Edward. Sub/Lt.
- Meadows Alfred Ernest.
- Milner Ronald M.. Cpl.
- Mowat John Alexander. ERA4.
- Nicklin Robert.
- Nicklin Robert.
- Nicklin Robert.
- O'Hara DSO. Leo Noel. Maj.
- Pitt William. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Price Albert Ernest. P.O. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Robinson Leslie Benjamin. Stkr1.
- Rowbotham Markham Cyril. stoker first class (d.4th April 1942)
- Rule Albert Henry. Stkr. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Sheldon Charles. (d.5th April 1942)
- Sheldon Charles. (d.5th April 1942)
- Spriddle Bruce Sydney George. CPO.
- Stothard Samuel. Canteen Assnt. (d.5th Apr 1942)
- Trebilcock Edwin.
- Vivian Albert. PO.
- Wade Charles.
- Williams Godfrey. Stkr.
- Williams John. Stkr. (d.5th April 1942)
- Wills Lesley George.
- Wills Lesley George.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of HMS Dorsetshire from other sources.
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Want to know more about HMS Dorsetshire? There are:13 items tagged HMS Dorsetshire available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Stkr. Albert Henry Rule HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th Apr 1942) Firstly I would like to congratulate you on such a well researched and
interesting site. It brings home how much we owe to so many, one of the many being my father, Albert Henry Rule, Stoker 1st class. He was serving on HMS Dorsetshire and went down with the ship on Easter Sunday 1942. He was 24 yrs of age and left a widow of 21yrs and 2 children my brother and myself.
He only saw me once when he came home on leave when I was 6 or 7 months
old so I do not remember him. My Mother sadly died recently and I now have a photo of him with a couple of his crew mates.
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Chaplain Denzil Laborde HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th Apr 1942 ) Denzil Laborde was ship's Chaplain on board HMS Dorsetshire for most of the war and was lost when the ship sank. His young wife had two small girls, the youngest never saw her father, and was only 5 months old when he died. Close to the end of the war, my father, a close university friend of Denzil Laborde, married his young widow. I grew up hearing about the tragedy from both my half-sisters and well remember the small blue book all about this famous ship, which I believe my elder sister still has.
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Surgeon Lt. (D) Harold Bernard Concanon Volunteer Reserve (d.5th Apr 1942) Harold Bernard Concanon, my mother's first husband, was killed when HMS Dorsetshire was sunk during WWII. He was a South African who had trained as a dentist at Liverpool University. While he was at Liverpool University I understand he was President of the Students Guild. His dental practice was at 60 Rodney Street, Liverpool and my mother lived there during the war. He was a commissioned officer and was the ships dentist.
I know that my mother still thought of him until the day she died, although she happily re-married and had me. 'Uncle Bernard', as she referred to him when she talked of him to me, would not consider having a family whilst the
war was on, so he has no direct descendants. I suspect that his
nephews know little about him as his brother died at an early age as
well.
There must be very few survivors still living now, but, I am glad
that the internet helps to keep alive the memory of those brave men and
women who battled to keep us free.
Update: Harold Bernard Concanon is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 76 Column 3 according to CWGC.
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Robert Nicklin HMS Dorsetshire My most vivid memory of WW2 out of dozens of action's that I participated in was the sinking of Hitlers pride of the german navy the Bismark, my ship had raced through gales to take part in the action H.M.S. Dorsetshire was a County class cruiser eight 8" guns when we arrived on the scene the action had just started and in the next two hour's we fired 240 eight inch shells at the Bismark and I could see our's and another ships shells smashing into her superstructure and when she was nothing more than a burning wreck we were ordered to finish her off,and as we fired three torpedoe's into her I could see hundreds of men jumping into the very rough sea,we lay off and watched her turn over and bottom up with scores of men standing on her steel plates as she slowly sank beneath the waves' the pride of the german navy was no more and H.M.S.Hood had been avenged. We then started the dangerous task of picking up the survivors being stopped in the water for this task we were sitting ducks for any Uboat but we managed to pick up some eighty odd men and were still hauling men over the side when a lookout spotted what he thought was a periscope and as I have already pointed out to a question from a German 'would the skipper of that Uboat let us carry on picking up survivors?' I think not! so off we went.
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William Walter Eades HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th Apr 1942) My Grandfather served on HMS Dorsetshire as CPO William Walter Eades, unfortunately he went down with the ship, so I never met him.
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Joseph Austin HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th Apr 1942) My grandfather's uncle, Joseph Austin, served on the Dorsetshire, and went down with her on April 5th 1942. Many thanks for producing such a wonderful website.
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William Pitt HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th Apr 1942) While researching my Family Tree it seems my Dad has a Step Brother who he knew nothing about. His name is William Pitt & he was lost at Sea when the Dorsetshire was sunk but his body was never recovered & from Family Stories seems my Grandmother, William's Mother saw a Medium many times & was told he was still alive. Obviously he will be long gone now but any information however little would be greatly appreciated.
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ERA 3rd Class Charles Stanley Branagan HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th Apr 1942) Charles Stanley Branagan, Engine Room Artificer 3rd class was killed 5th April 1942 aboard HMS Dorsetshire. He was the son of Thomas and Nellie Branagan of New Moston, Manchester, and husband of D. Branagan.
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Telegraphist Edwin Francis Armstrong HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th Apr 1942) Edwin Francis Armstong; RN Telegraphist, died on 5 April 1942 aboard the HMS Dorsetshire. He is remembered by the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 68, Column 2. He is also remembered on the CWGC website
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Charles Sheldon HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th April 1942) Marine Charles Sheldon served and died on the HMS Dorsetshire.
He was my wife’s uncle.
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Charles Sheldon HMS Dorsetshire (d.5th April 1942) Marine Charles Sheldon served and died on the HMS Dorsetshire.
He was my wife’s uncle.
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Robert Nicklin HMS Dorsetshire I am a ww2 Navy veteran, I volunteered at 17 and a few months served on the cruiser HMS Dorsetshire in the action against the Bismark. She had the distinction of finishing her off with torpedoes and picking up most of the survivors.
Served on a Destroyer in the landings at Madagascar, numerous actions in the Mediterranean including three Malta convoys and, in company with
another Destroyer, sank eleven enemy ships in a three hour night action. I finished my sea duty on another Cruiser at the Normandy landings.
I kept a diary of my time in the Med and looking back now at my age I realise how lucky I was as I lost a lot of great pals and comradeship the likes of which I have never seen again.
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Lesley George Wills HMS Dorsetshire My grandfather served on HMS Dorsetshire. He was called Lesley George Wills, and was on her when she was sunk. He was picked up and taken to South Africa - our family are still in contact with the family who looked after him there.
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Charles Wade HMS Dorsetshire Does anybody remember my grandad, Charles Wade? He served with the Royal Navy with HMS Dorsetshire. He never spoke much about his time with the navy, but once a year he would recall how he got sunk and how he lost some good friends. Sadly he passed away about 12 years ago. I would be grateful for any info about my grandad.
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Lesley George Wills HMS Dorsetshire My grandfather, Lesley George Wills, served on HMS Dorsetshire. He
was on her when she was sunk. He was picked up and taken to South Africa; our family is still in contact with the family who looked after him there.
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