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HMS Hunter
HMS Hunter, an H class Destroyer, H35, was built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. at Wallsend-on-Tyne. She was launched on the 25 Feb, 1936. She saw action duirng the Second World War and was sunk with great loss of life on the 10th April 1940, during the First Battle of Narvik. The British fleet engaged destroyers of the German Navy in Ofotfjord, Norway, and was successful in torpedoing and sinking two, the Wilhelm Heidkamp and the Anton Schmitt. On their way down the fjord they came under attack from other German destoyers and the Hunter was hit by shellfire and set ablaze, then torpedoed, and sank.
On the 1st of March 2008 HMS Hunter was located by HNOMS Tyr of the Royal Norwegian Navy, after a 14-hour search of the fjord using some experimental equipment, whilst taking part in an exercise with ships of the Royal Navy. There will be a memorial service on Saturday 8th March in the waters above the wreck.
The next ship to bear the name HMS Hunter was an escort carrier. Built by Ingalls, Pascagoula, Miss. in the USA. She was launched on the 22nd of May 1942 a merchant ship named Mormacpenn She was acquired by the US Navy and renamed USS Block Island. She was transferred to the Royal Navy on the 9th January 1943 under the lend-lease scheme and commissioned as HMS Hunter (D80). She served through out the war, as a convoy escort and invasion support ship. She was returned to the US Navy 29th Dec 1945. The ship was sold into merchant service on the 17th Jan 1947 as Almdijk. She was scrapped in Spain in 1965.
23rd Mar 1940 Refuelling
25th Mar 1940 Guns Fired
26th Mar 1940 Rejoined
27th Mar 1940 Poor Weather
5th Apr 1940 Operations
6th Apr 1940 Orders
7th Apr 1940 Poor Conditions
8th Apr 1940 Attempt to head off enemy fleet
9th Apr 1940 Conditions Improving
9th Apr 1940 Engagement
9th Apr 1940 Poor Weather
10th April 1940 Enemy Forces
11th Apr 1940 Enemy Forces
8th Jun 1944 In Action
15th Aug 1944 Assault Launched
18th Aug 1944 Operations
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Those known to have sailed in HMS Hunter during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Armstrong John Luney. Able Sea. (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Bailey Albert Jack. Ldg.Sea. (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Blower Robert. Able Sea. (d.14th Apr 1940)
- Bowden Peter Raymond. Able Sea
- Clarke Joseph.
- Cook Stanley William James. AB.
- Dorward Fred Pattison . Able.Sea.
- Fisher Joseph George James. Ldg. Sea. (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Flannery Alfred Edward. Lt.Cmdr.
- Flannery Alfred Edward. Lt.Cdr.
- Flynn John Thomas. Able Sea (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Hague John. AB.
- Henson John C..
- Holehouse Cyril. Able Sea. (d.10th Apri 1940)
- Holt Alfred. Able Seaman (d.10th April 1940)
- Jones Thomas Donald . Able Sea.
- Kerswell Stanley William. P.O.
- Lamb Arthur William.
- Maddocks Frank. Sick Berth Attendant (d.10th April 1940)
- Maidlow Henry Richard Munden. Lt. (d.10th April 1940)
- Mann Samuel Henry. Able Sea. (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Mann Samuel Henry. Able Sea. (d.10th April 1940)
- McGeoch Boyd Reynolds.
- McGeoch Boyd Heath Reynolds.
- Mulhall Brendon. (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Mulligan Joseph . Canteen manger (d.10th APR 1940)
- Murphy Daniel Joseph.
- Norton Thomas.
- Payne Edward Christopher. L/Stkr. (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Radcliffe David. Able Seaman (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Reeve Walter.
- Renshaw James. AB.
- Rocks George Joseph. L/Sea.
- Rowe James Stanley. Leading Steward (d.10th April 1940)
- Smart Harold Joseph. Stoker II Class. (d.10th Apr 1940)
- Stevens Bertie Hale. 1st Stoker. (d.10th April 1940)
- Sweetlove Dennis.
- Thompson Peter Sidney. Able Sea
- Wallis William Herbert. Cook
- Wright Frank. Chief Petty Officer
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 Hunter from other sources.
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Want to know more about HMS Hunter? There are:17 items tagged HMS Hunter 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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Able Sea. Robert Blower HMS Hunter (d.14th Apr 1940) Robert Blower died shortly after the Battle of Narvik, in which HMS Hunter was sunk. He was taken ashore and died 4 days later, possibly of his wounds or due to exposure.
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Ldg.Sea. Albert Jack Bailey H.M.S. Hunter (d.10th Apr 1940) Albert Bailey was the son of Robert James Bailey and Elizabeth Margaret Bailey, nee Swinnock, born 16th of November 1908 at Weymouth.
His father, Robert James, also served in the Royal Navy and was a Chief Petty Officer serving on H.M.S. Tipperary at the Battle of Jutland, where Robert was killed.
Albert enlisted in the Royal Navy on 20th of May and was serving on the H Class destroyer HMS Hunter when the ship was lost during the first Battle of Narvik.
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Able Sea. Thomas Donald Jones HMS Hunter Don Jones served on HMS Hunter from 1939 until she embarked on the Narvik campaign. He was playing rugby in Northern Ireland and was exempted. He later went on to serve on HMS Albrighton until the end of the war.
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L/Sea. George Joseph Rocks RMS Lancastria   My father is George Rocks, occupation greaser on many Royal Navy ships during his seven years of service. On 17th of June 1940, he was reassigned from greaser, given a pair of binoculars, and assigned to the bow of the RMS Lancastria on submarine watch. It should be noted that he never did learn how to swim. The Lancastria was anchored three miles off-shore at St. Nazaire, France and spent the day taking on military personnel and civilians escaping the German advance into France. At about 3:30 p.m. a German airplane dropped several bombs that struck home, sinking the Lancastria within 20 minutes. The loss of life was staggering. The estimates are from 4,500 to 8,500 dead. This heavy toll was due to filling every available space on Lancastria with fleeing British and French military and civilian personnel. Winston Churchill, fearing the effect this loss of life would have on morale, declared a non-disclosure of the facts and sealed the records relating to this tragedy for 100 years. My father was so affected by the tremendous loss of friends and the sheer magnitude of the disaster that his brothers and sisters have since stated that it had negatively affected him as he no longer saw the beauty and wonder of this world. He was discouraged also by the fact that no one was officially notified about the disaster taking place. About 10 years ago, The Lancastria Society of Scotland pressured their politicians to strike a medal in commemoration of the sinking of the Lancastria. I applied for, and received my father's medal. Unfortunately, he died ten years too soon and never had the opportunity to hear someone tell him that they know what he went through and appreciate the sacrifices he made for his king and country. When I looked at my father's Continuous Certificate of Discharge book I realized that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was unknown back then. My father's Continuous Certificate of Discharge book shows that he was allowed the time to wipe the oil and salt off his face, get new uniforms, and get on the next available ship. His book documents him next serving on the MV Carnarvon Castle, followed by HMS Mersey, HMS Trailer, HMS Hunter, HMS Asbury, HMS Imgadine, HMS Chaser, and HMS Golden Hind before being discharged on 15th of June 1946. (I am sorry if I've misspelled the name of one or two of the ships some of the inked entries in his Discharge book have been negatively affected by time.) On the lighter side, my dad told me that he was leery about purchasing hard liquor when he visited the ports in the Pacific as he was burned on an occasion or two. The sellers would put tea water in bottles to match the color of the liquor being offered. Then, where the paper band wraps around the neck of the bottle, the seller would insert wax, followed by a measure of genuine liquor. That way the seller can remove the sealed cap and pour a small amount of the liquor for the unsuspecting sailor to sample before parting with his money.
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L/Stkr. Edward Christopher Payne H.M.S. Hunter (d.10th Apr 1940) I've only recently found out my biological grandfather, Edward Christopher Payne served on the Hunter.
I served in the RAAF and am so proud to have had my grand father served. I'm still looking for more information about him.
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Able Sea Peter Raymond "Lofty" Bowden HMS Hunter Peter Bowden known as Lofty joined the Navy in 1943 and joined HMS Hunter in 1944.
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Dennis Sweetlove HMS Arthur My grandfather Dennis Sweetlove served in the Royal Navy during WW2 training at HMS Arthur and serving on HMS Hunter.
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Able Sea. Cyril Holehouse HMS Hunter (d.10th Apri 1940) Cyril Holehouse died on 10th April 1940 and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. I am trying to find information as he was my mother-in-law's older brother, who was on HMS Hunter for the Battle of Narvik. We believe he would have been around 20 years old in 1940. We know nothing of what happened to him on the day of the battle and would love to hear from anyone who has information, no matter how small.
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Joseph Clarke Fleet Air Arm 808 Sqdn My dad served on many escort carriers during WW2, including HMS Hunter, HMS Khedive, HMS Battler and others, with 808 Squadron. I was wondering if any of his old shipmates or their family members have any stories or remember him.
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John C. Henson HMS Hunter I served on HMS Hunter.
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Lt.Cdr. Alfred Edward "Alfie" Flannery HMS Hunter   My father, Surgeon Captain Alfred Edward Flannery OBE RN, served on HMS Hunter at different times (I believe). He was the Medical Doctor and was on board when H.M.S. Hunter was mined off the coast of Spain in May 1937 - In the Admiralty letter to my Father (Retirement letter) it was mentioned "…. My Lords recall that early in your Service, whilst a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean reported that you behaved with great coolness and efficiency under most trying circumstances on the occasion of the mining of H.M.S. Hunter off the coast of Spain in May, 1937..."
My Father was not on board when H.M.S. Hunter was sunk off Narvik. He received the Haakon award whilst in Skegness in helping Norwegian patients. One story that I know of: My mother was an American (Elizabeth Flannery nee Duffy) and she left the USA (NYC) to marry my father in Malta on 16th. November 1937. One of the things she brought with her was her deep freeze (I did say she was an American:) Well, somehow, my father managed to convince my mother to let him take it on board (H.M.S. Hunter) for the purpose of keeping medications cold. My mother was very happy when my father survived the sinking of H.M.S. Hunter but never let him forget that her deep freeze was now at the bottom of a Fjiord. I heard that story very often.
After the sinking of H.M.S. Hunter, my father was in Norway for a while and whilst there he was awarded the Haakon VI Liberty medal for services rendered.
I am including a photo of H.M.S. Hunter (taken in Malta, I believe) after the mining off the coast of Spain. Also included is a photo of my parents' wedding - it includes other Naval Officers that may be recognized - At the time of the wedding my father was serving on H.M.S. Active.
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Lt.Cmdr. Alfred Edward Flannery HMS Hunter  My Father, Alfred Flannery, served on HMS Hunter at different times (I believe). He was the Medical Doctor and was on board when HMS Hunter was mined off the coast of Spain in May 1937 - In the Admiralty letter to my Father (Retirement letter) it was mentioned "…. My Lords recall that early in your Service, whilst a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean reported that you behaved with great coolness and efficiency under most trying circumstances on the occasion of the mining of H.M.S. Hunter off the coast of Spain in May, 1937. …."
My Father was not on board when H.M.S. Hunter was sunk off Narvik. he was in Skegness where he helped many Norwegians and for that effort he receiver the Haakon award. One story that I know of: My mother was an American (Elizabeth Flannery nee Duffy) and she left the USA (NYC) to marry my father in Malta on 16th. November 1937. One of the things she brought with her was her deep freeze (I did say she was an American). Well, somehow, my father managed to convince my mother to let him take it on board (H.M.S. Hunter) for the purpose of keeping medications cold. My mother was very happy when my father survived the sinking of H.M.S. Hunter but never let him forget that her deep freeze was now at the bottom of a Fjiord. I heard that story very often.
After the sinking of H.M.S. Hunter, my father was in Norway for a while and whilst there he was awarded the Haakon VI Liberty medal for services rendered.
The photo is of my parents' wedding - it includes other Naval Officers that may be recognized - At the time of the wedding my father was serving on H.M.S. Active.
Thank you for maintaining this website.
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