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Seconds after the attack on BRITOMART the Typhoons descended on
HUSSAR. Her commander was Lieutenant‑Commander John Nash, MBE, RNR.
'The first thing we saw was BRITOMART being attacked and badly hit,
then it was our turn. On seeing they were RAF planes we tried to
fire the recognition signal but the Very pistol jammed. Rockets hit
us just forward of the wardroom and after end of the engine‑room and
we lost communication with the engine‑room.'
Then more Typhoons swept in, cannon fire raking the bridge and the
main deck. The navigating officer was killed instantly by a shell
through the chest as he stood alongside the bridge compass. Commander
Nash was wounded in both legs and severely in the right arm, the elbow
joint being blown off.
'We could not stop the engines and we could not steer. There was an
emergency engine stop lever in the cross alleyway forward of the
wardroom and a torpedo rating, wounded in one foot, left the bridge
to try to pull it over. He must have succeeded as we lost way and
came to a stop. The ship immediately started to list and men jumped
into the water.'
Leading‑Stoker Hal Booth and his shipmate 'Nobby' Clarke had been up
on deck sunbathing when the attack came:
'We were stretched out under the four‑inch gun forward, Port side. I
had dozed off but woke up suddenly at a strange noise and saw the
sweeper ahead of us (BRITOMART) surrounded by a mass of little
waterspouts with a plane diving on her. We jumped up and ran ‑ there
were men running on all sides. As we dashed down the ladder to the
messdeck the action bells sounded and I ran to my action station in
the engine room, but before I could get there the whole engine room
area was aflame after being hit by rockets and in the passage
outside a lot of washing hung up to dry was burning fiercely.
Grabbing an extinguisher I sprayed the washing and put out the
flames, then tried to get into the engine room. Inside all was utter
chaos with men lying dead and others terribly injured, one man with
both legs smashed. In the acrid fumes and a horrible stench I helped
to carry casualties to the messdeck.'
Coder Stan Timothy had also been sunbathing when the planes swooped.
'There was a roar and a loud crash. I jumped up and saw the after
deck smoking, then with a terrific roar one Typhoon after another
attacked from aft almost mast high. My telegraphist was hit in the
foot and I tried to bandage up the wound with my vest. I saw
Leading Seaman Tommy Merrigan run up to the bridge deck to try to
open up with an Oerlikon, but he was killed along with others. I got
down to the wireless cabin to report. The PO telegraphist made a
rapid signal that we were being attacked by friendly aircraft. Just
afterwards HUSSAR gave a tremendous shudder and started to heel over
to port. The degaussing and electrical systems were damaged and I
think we had now been hit by a magnetic mine. We ‑ the wireless
staff ‑ managed to get up to the upper deck which was now at an
angle of forty five degrees and as some of the upper superstructure
was breaking away I made for the starboard rail. Climbing up the
sloping deck I noticed that a hatch cover was moving and was able to
help those inside by loosening a spring wire which was fouling it. A
head appeared and a voice said, "About time too!" I slid down the
starboard side and swam away with others of the crew.'
After the explosion from the mine Stoker Booth left the carnage of the
engine‑room.
'Nobby
and I climbed the ladder on the port side and with difficulty went
up a swinging ladder to the four inch gun deck, from where Nobby
wanted to jump into the sea, but it was the side nearest the water
and I told him not to as the ship would capsize on top of him. We
ran up the sloping deck to the other side. The ship was listing so
far over that I was afraid we would hit the side instead of the sea,
but we had to do it and just made the water. I went down, down, then
swam back to the surface with lungs bursting, to find Nobby close to
me. Remembering all we had heard about the suction of sinking ships
we swam desperately away.'
Commander Nash was one of the last, if not the last, to leave the
doomed ship.
'Because of my wounds I was not feeling too good. When the planes
attacked I was not wearing a lifebelt, so now I took a
self‑inflatable one from a dead officer and when the bridge rail was
level with the sea, stepped into it, but at that very moment HUSSAR
decided to turn turtle and part of the rigging caught me across the
back and took me down with it. Luckily, somehow or other I got free
and kicked my way to the surface. My lifebelt failed to inflate
itself but I managed to keep afloat.'
Petty
Officer Dennis (Red) Morriss...
...
was one of the survivors of the Hussar after the friendly fire
incident. He had previously served on HMS Onslow and was on board
during the 'Hipper' attack. He didn't speak about the horror of the
war much - and my mother is adamant he had been sunk once before being
on Hussar (which he never told me about) though I have not been able
to check out the details of which ship. He served mainly on the
Atlantic and Russian convoys after joining up in 1941 aged 18.
After the Hussar was sunk I do know that he held up his best friend in
the water for a long time only to find out that he had been killed by
the shrapnel when the rescue boat arrived. He himself suffered all
the rest of his life from cramps caused by shrapnel in his legs. Like
the other survivors he was told to shut up and was quickly transferred
to Australia travelling there on HMS Ranee, one of the MAC carriers.
He spend the rest of the war there, was offered a commission in the
RAN but turned it down and returned home. (Source:
Richard K Morriss - son)
Don Rogers
I was on watch
in the wireless office when we were attacked. Without any warning we
heard gunfire, and shells (rockets) hitting the ship. We could not
communicate with the bridge, which was a shambles and the Skipper
badly wounded. Within minutes we began listing and our Chief E.R.A.
burst into the office telling us to get out, "the bastard's going
down.”
I scrambled up
to boat deck, saw I was on the wrong side (the side she was listing
to) and jumped over the side and swam like hell to get clear of the
mast and rigging. We had no orders to abandon ship.
I saw the
trawler Colsay, stationary, about half a mileaway. Being a reasonably
strong swimmer I was able to reach her. I then discovered why she was
not under way. In taking evasive action, she had wrapped her sweeps
around her rudder. The crew were cutting away the sweeps, but had
enough sense to broach a cask of rum.
During this
operation, the German shore batteries opened up. They had left us
alone during the previous days sweeping. Fortunately, they scored no
hits. We were landed on Mulberry harbour at Arromanches and taken to a
Royal Marine camp in an army truck. While passing through the village
we had abuse shouted at us by the locals. They thought we were German
survivors. (Source: Letter
from Don Rogers April 1993).
HUSSAR sank by the stern with her bows remaining above water. It had
all happened in twelve minutes.
Sketch made by divers of
HUSSAR on the sea bed in 2002
Position 49°40’ 857
N, 00°05'960 W
www.grieme.org
HMS HUSSAR
56 Officers and men
killed on 27th August 1944 (39 wounded)
|
LAST NAME |
FIRST NAMES |
RANK |
SERVICE NUMBER |
AGE |
FAMILY DETAILS |
ANTHONY |
Raymond Joseph |
Stoker 1st Class DSM |
D/KX 133001 |
32 |
|
BUTCHER |
Roland |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 527071 |
18 |
Son of Harry Butcher, and of Ada Butcher, of Highcliffe,
Christchurch, Hampshire |
CAWKER |
Robert Richard |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 524390 |
|
|
CHALMERS |
William Wilson |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 559243 |
|
|
CLARKE |
James Frederick |
Able Seaman |
D/SSX 27247 |
23 |
Son of Frederick and Elsie Clarke, of Manchester; nephew of Miss A
Maguire, of Manchester |
COATES |
Robert |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 607673 |
37 |
Son of Robert and Norah Coates; husband of Evelyn Coates, of
Marton, Blackpool, Lancashire |
CONEY |
William Harold |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 179080 |
19 |
Son of Albert and Betsy Ann Coney, of Southport, Lancashire |
CONWAY |
Cornelius |
Stoker 2nd Class |
D/KX 663962 |
19 |
Son of Michael and
Sarah Conway of Liverpool |
COUNSELL |
Stanley Seward |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 421782 |
18 |
Son of Seward Stanley Counsell and Alice M Counsell, of
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset |
CROSS |
Hedley |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 707881 |
18 |
Son of Edward Cross, and of Olive A E Cross, of Withernsea,
Yorkshire |
CULLETON |
William Charles |
Ordinary Signalman |
D/JX 612079 |
19 |
Son of Elizabeth Culleton, of Liverpool |
CUSHION |
Patrick |
Steward |
D/LX 576162 |
18 |
Son of Patrick and Mary Ann Cushion, of Liverpool |
DARE |
Kenneth Stanley |
Leading Supply Assistant |
D/MX 64714 |
27 |
Son of Robert John and Mabel Dare; husband of Doris Vera Dare, of
Brucefield Dunfermline, Fife |
DAVIES |
Trevor James |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 107333 |
|
|
DENHAM |
Douglas James |
Steward |
D/LX 24988 |
27 |
|
DIXON |
Arthur Edward |
Stoker 2nd Class |
D/KX 598449 |
33 |
|
DIXON |
Geoffrey Francis |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 419894 |
19 |
Son of Harold and Renee Nancy Dixon, of Sheffield |
DODWELL |
Thomas |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 649965 |
29 |
Son of William John and Jane Dodwell; husband of Margaret
Elizabeth Dodwell (nee Pollard), of Bomere Heath, Shropshire |
EATON |
Leslie |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 649587 |
18 |
Son of Lillian Eaton, of Harpurhey, Lancashire |
EDWARDS |
Arthur |
Petty Officer Stoker |
D/KX 77218 |
36 |
Son of Robert and Elizabeth Edwards; husband of Ann Allan Edwards,
of Rosyth, Fife |
EDWARDS |
George |
Leading Stoker |
D/KX 96319 |
29 |
|
GREY |
Oliver |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 165535 |
38 |
Son of George and Olive Grey |
GRIFFITHS |
Daniel |
Assistant Steward |
D/LX 614673 |
|
|
HAGGER |
Howard Brian |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 649583 |
17 |
Son of Arthur Frederick and May Beatrice Hagger, of Broughton,
Salford, Lancashire |
HAND |
Frederick Leonard |
Petty Officer Mentioned in Despatches |
D/JX 187648 |
23 |
Son of Mr and Mrs Herbert Leonard Hand; husband of B Anne Hand, of
Acomb, Yorkshire |
HIBBERT |
Roy |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 553951 |
19 |
Son of Herbert Hibbert, and of Martha Hibbert, of Harpurhey,
Lancashire |
HILLS |
Charles |
Stoker 2nd Class |
D/KX 598469 |
19 |
Son of Alfred and Ada Hills, of Brasted, Kent |
HOWARD |
Joseph Leslie |
Able Seaman Mentioned in Despatches |
D/JX 256404 |
33 |
Son of Joseph Howard, and of Olive Gertrude Howard, of Grimsby,
Lincolnshire |
JOLLIFFE |
George Henry |
Leading Stoker |
D/KX 93520 |
29 |
Son of Thomas Henry and Annie Jolliffe; husband of Winifred
Jolliffe, of Heavitree, Exeter |
KENNEDY |
John |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 649525 |
19 |
Son of George and Robina Kennedy, of Troqueer, Kirkcudbrightshire |
LATHAM |
Stanley Herbert Charles |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 182621 |
26 |
Son of Henry George and Rebecca Florence Latham, of Stratford,
Essex |
LIND |
William Fenny Hird |
Shipwright 2nd Class |
D/MX 54511 |
31 |
Son of John and Jane Lind; husband of Irene Hilda Gertrude Lind,
of Hull |
LOWDEN |
Alfred Reginald |
Petty Officer Stoker |
D/KX 85165 |
28 |
Husband of Dorothy May Lowden, of Ivybridge, Devon |
MADDEN |
Dominic |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 525986 |
41 |
Son of John and Kate Madden; husband of Jessie Madden, of Sowerby
Bridge, Yorkshire |
MASSEY-MOBBERLEY |
Jack |
Petty Officer Motor Mechanic |
P/M 99019 |
21 |
Son of George and Hannah Massey-Mobberley, of Brereton,
Staffordshire |
MERRIGAN |
William Joseph |
Leading Seaman |
D/JX 285658 |
|
|
MOORE |
Horace |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 525369 |
19 |
Son of Alfred and Elizabeth Moore, of Great Wyrley, Staffordshire |
MORRIS |
Frank |
Petty Officer Stoker |
D/KX 89560 |
36 |
Son of William and Margaret Ann Morris; husband of Rose Irene
Morris, of Ernesettle, Plymouth |
MURPHY |
Thomas Patrick |
Stoker 1st Class |
D/KX 161119 |
|
|
O'BRIEN |
Jeremiah |
Chief Stoker DSM |
D/K 65710 |
37 |
Son of James and Mary O'Brien; husband of Anne O'Brien, of Heston,
Middlesex |
OLIVER |
Robert Nutter |
Stoker 2nd Class |
D/KX 564600 |
20 |
Son of John George and Jane Oliver, of Meadowfield, Co.Durham |
PALMER |
Andrew |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 284770 |
|
|
PATEY |
Sydney Tuckerman |
Petty Officer Stoker |
D/KX 88010 |
27 |
Son of John and Rosetta Patey; husband of Lillian Violet Patey, of
Enfield, Middlesex |
PLUMBLEY |
Ronald |
Leading Cook (S) |
D/MX 94262 |
|
|
RAMSEY |
James Carrie |
Leading Wireman |
C/KX 97991 |
|
Son of James Carrie and Margaret Ramsey; husband of Irene Dorothy
Ramsey |
RENTELL |
Donald Alec James |
Leading Steward |
D/LX 24228 |
24 |
Son of Frederick Charles and Bertha Rentell, of Walworth, London |
ROBERTS |
Harold |
Lieutenant |
|
41 |
Son of J B Roberts, and of Elizabeth Roberts, of Withington,
Manchester. B.Sc. |
SANDELL |
William George Frederick |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 207129 |
42 |
Son of William George and Agnes Melita Sandell; husband of Helen
Lydia Sandell, of Dagenham, Essex |
SPEIGHT |
William |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 565496 |
26 |
Son of William and Florence Speight, of Swinton, Yorkshire |
TALBOT |
Jack |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 671790 |
18 |
Son of Edith Talbot, of Radcliffe, Lancashire |
VOWDEN |
Gerald Bertram |
Ordinary Signalman |
D/JX 424271 |
19 |
Son of Joseph William and Alice May Vowden, of Shirley,
Southampton |
WALKER |
Frank
(Mick) |
Ordinary Seaman |
D/JX 570763 |
19 |
Son of Arnold and Edith Walker, of Rotherham, Yorkshire |
WOOD |
Albert John Edward |
Petty Officer Stoker Mentioned in Despatches |
D/KX 79665 |
35 |
Son of Albert and Frances Alice Wood; husband of Dorothy Freda
Wood, of Ipplepen, Devon |
WYND |
David Lornie |
Able Seaman |
D/JX 395374 |
20 |
Son of John and Agnes Lornie Wynd, of Auchenblae, Kincardineshire |
BEECHING |
Norman Matthew |
Lieutenant (E) |
|
40 |
Son of Capt. John William Beeching and Jane Isabella Beeching;
husband of Catherine Alderdice Beeching of Woolton, Liverpool.
|
COX |
Robert Arthur Neville |
Lieutenant DSC |
|
27 |
Son of Dr. Arthur Neville Cox M.D. and Winifred Alice Neville Cox
of Brighton, Sussex. Awarded the King's Gold Medal, H.M.S.
Worcester 1935. |
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