-H.M.S. Hood Crew Information-
H.M.S. Crew List

It is estimated that as many as 18,000 men served aboard the 'Mighty Hood' during the operational portion of her 21 year career. Unfortunately, there is no surviving official single listing of ALL men who served in her. Here you will find our attempt at creating such a listing. We are using the few, fragmentary crew lists known to exist, Navy Lists, various official reports, public records, and most importantly of all, inputs from the families of former crew.

Chainbar divider


Jerome Kelleher

Photo of
Date of birth: 28th April 1890
Place of birth: Glandore, County Cork, Ireland
Previous occupation: Fishing
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Petty Officer
Service Number: J215
Joined Hood: 22nd June 1922 (Petty Officer)
Left Hood: 5th January 1925 (Petty Officer)







Biographical Information:

Jerome was born in Glandore, County Cork, Ireland on 28th April 1890. Having periously worked in the fishing industry, he joined the Royal Navy on 23rd January 1908 as a Boy Seaman. He served his full 22 years, reaching the rate of Petty Officer before his retirement.

Jerome held a qualification as a Seaman Gunner from 1911 before later becoming a gunlayer. His character was assessed as "Very Good" throughout his served and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in February 1926.

He served in Hood from June 1922 to January 1925 and would certainly have seen the world whilst in her undertaking not only the Empire Cruise of 1923/24 but also the cruise to Brazil and the West Indies of August to November 1922.

Jerome returned to the service on the outbreak of World War 2 and served thoughout that conflict.





History of ships served in and ratings held:


Date FromDate toShipRatingSource
23rd January 190823rd April 1908Ganges IIBoy 2nd ClassADM188/647
24th April 190830th June 1908Ganges IIBoy 1st ClassADM188/647
1st July 190822nd July 1908AgamemnonBoy 1st ClassADM188/647
23rd July 190815th December 1908AgamemnonOrdinary SeamanADM188/647
16th December 190814th April 1910HiberniaOrdinary SeamanADM188/647
15th April 191011th January 1911HiberniaAble SeamanADM188/647
12th January 19117th October 1911Vivid IAble SeamanADM188/647
8th October 19113rd March 1912IndusAble SeamanADM188/647
4th March 191211th April 1912EuropaAble SeamanADM188/647
12th April 19121st January 1914MonmouthAble SeamanADM188/647
2nd January 19142nd April 1914Vivid IAble SeamanADM188/647
3rd April 191425th June 1915NottinghamAble SeamanADM188/647
26th June 191523rd November 1915NottinghamLeading SeamanADM188/647
24th November 191516th June 1916Vivid ILeading SeamanADM188/647
17th June 191621st January 1919Halcyon P18Leading SeamanADM188/647
22nd January 191915th October 1919Vivid ILeading SeamanADM188/647
16th October 19192nd March 1920Columbine (Sardonyx)Leading SeamanADM188/647
3rd March 192028th October 1920Vivid ILeading SeamanADM188/647
29th October 19206th March 1921Woolwich (Scimitar)Leading SeamanADM188/647
7th March 192126th July 1921Woolwich (Scimitar)Petty OfficerADM188/647
27th July 192121st June 1922Vivid IPetty OfficerADM188/647
22nd June 19225th January 1925HoodPetty OfficerADM188/647
6th January 19253rd June 1925Vivid IPetty OfficerADM188/647
4th June 192530th June 1925Woolwich (Seafire)Petty OfficerADM188/647
1st July 192530th September 1925Woolwich (Tactician)Petty OfficerADM188/647
1st October 192531st May 1926Wollwich (Seabear)Petty OfficerADM188/647
16th January 192621st March 1926Vivid II (Serene)Petty OfficerADM188/647
22nd March 192628th April 1926Vivid IPetty OfficerADM188/647
29th April 192630th June 1928Egmont II (Wren)Petty OfficerADM188/647
1st June 192615th January 1926Vivid I (Seabear)Petty OfficerADM188/647
1st July 192820th August 1928Vivid II (Wren)Petty OfficerADM188/647
21st August 192830th September 1928Vivid IPetty OfficerADM188/647
1st October 192831st January 1929Carysfort (Erebus)Petty OfficerADM188/647
1st February 192911th February 1930Pegasus (Erebus)Petty OfficerADM363/416
12th February 193026th April 1930Carysfort (Erebus)Petty OfficerADM363/416
27th April 19303rd September 1939Discharged Shore (Pensioned)Petty OfficerADM363/416
4th September 193924th September 1939Drake IPetty OfficerADM363/416
25th September 193930th September 1940Royal ArthurPetty OfficerADM363/416
1st October 194014th November 1944GlendowerPetty OfficerADM363/416
15th November 1944Drake I - Indefinite releasePetty OfficerADM363/416


Additional Photos



A photo of Jerome taken around 1926.




A later photo of Jerome.




Jerome's Medals. Left to right: Long Service and Good Conduct medal (awarded 1926), Victory Medal (WW1), War Medal (WW1), WW1 Star, War Medal (WW2) and Defence Medal (WW2)



Memorials
No known memorials


Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
'Register of Deaths of Naval Ratings' (data extracted by Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, 2009)
The Empire Cruise by VC Scott O'Connor
Andy Murray - service details and photographs (January 2021)