William Alfred (Fred) Arnold

Rank:Petty Officer/StokerNumber:P/KX80686
Ship/Rgn/Sqn No:Royal Navy
Name of Rgt or Ship:H.M.S. Hood
Died:24/05/1941Age:29
How Died:Killed at Sea
Country of burial:Lost at SeaGrave Photo:Yes
Cemetery or Memorial:Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Town Memorial:Not Listed
Extra Information:
Christened at St. George's Church, Altrincham.   Attended Navigation Rd
School.

Member of the Altrincham branch of the Cyclists' Touring Club.

Volunteered for the RN in November 1939 and served on the armed merchant
cruiser, Transylvania.    The Transylvania captured the German cargo ship
Bianca on 20/10/39 - which then became the Empire Warrior.    On the
22/10/39, along with the Scotstown, she intercepted the German cargo liner
Poseidon, which was scuttled to avoid capture.   On 21/11/39 she captured
the German cargo liner Teneriffe.   On the 10/08/40 her luck ran out and
she was torpedoed by U-56 and sank whilst in tow with the loss of 45 crew
members, 275 crew survived.   He was a Petty Officer Stoker.

Being one of those 275 survivors, he came home on leave and on 03/12/40
married a Davyhulme girl.   On his return from leave, he was posted to
serve on the H.M.S. "Hood".   His wife remained with her parents at 1
Laburnum Rd, Davyhulme.

H.M.S. Hood was sunk at 0600hrs on the 24/05/41 in the Denmark Straight in
position 63.25N 31.55W, by the 15" guns of the German battleship "Bismark"
- there were only 3 survivors.   It was a battlecruiser, built between 1918
& 1920, it had a displacement of 42,100 tons and a complement of 1,350
personnel.

Death reported in the 30/05/1941 edition of the Sale & Stretford Guardian. 
 Photo in the 06/06/41 edition.

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