-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


Samuel Leonard Gray

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Date of birth: 10th January 1914
Place of birth: Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Wife: Joan Gray
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service Number: KX85556
Joined Hood: 30th August 1935 (Stoker 2nd Class)
Left Hood: 23rd November 1937 (Stoker 1st Class)







Biographical Information:

Samuel Gray was born on 10 January 1914 in Aldershot, Hampshire. He is known to have worked as a fitter prior to joining the Navy. He volunteered for 12 year term in the Royal Navy in December 1934, but did not enter the Navy until 22 January 1935.

Samuel was joined the Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service number was KX85556. He was trained at Victory 2 from January to Aug 1935. After completing training he joined the crew of H.M.S. Hood on 30 August 1935.

During his time in Hood, the ship was stationed in the Mediterranean. He was promoted to Stoker 1st Class during this timeframe. He remained with Hood until 23 November 1937, when he returned to Victory 2. He remained there until March 1938 when he joined Enterprise. He would be assigned to both the Enterprise and Effingham for the remainder of the year.

Samuel returned to Victory 2 in February 1939. The remainder of that year saw him serve in/at Excellent (Frobisher) and return again to Victory 2. He was promoted to Acting Leading Stoker during this timeframe.

In January 1940, Samuel joined Cochrane 2 (Vega). He remained there until December 1940. In the meantime, he had been promoted to Leading Stoker. He spent the rest of the month in Pembroke 4 (Athelstone) and joined Victory 3 in mid January 1941. He served at Victory 2 in April and May 1941. The remainder of the year saw him serve in Aurora.

He joined the St Angelo (Talbot) in January 1942. Shortly thereafter he was appointed Acting Stoker Petty Officer (Ty). He returned to Victory 2 in July 1942 and remained there until July 1944. During this timeframe he was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer (Ty). From July to November 1944 he served at Drake 4 (Wivern). He then served in Cochrane 2 until June 1945.

Samuel served at Victory 2 from June to December 1945. He was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer during this timeframe. He then served at Enterprise until January 1946. The remainder of the year was spent in/at Ranpura with a short time at Victory 2.

1947 saw him leave Ranpura and serve in/at Victory 2, Mercury, Victory, Resource, Victory and St Angelo (Fort). He was promoted to Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic that same year. 1948 saw him leave St Angelo and serve in/at Forth. He remained at Forth until January 1950. The remainder of 1950 saw him serve at/in Kamarata Barracks and Victory. He became a Chief Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic during this time frame.

He served most of 1951 in Implacable. He left the ship in late October to join the crew of Vanguard. He remained with Vanguard until May 1954. He then transferred to Bellerophon where he remained until December 1956. He had been promoted to Chief Mechanician (E) during that timeframe.

Samuel's next assignment was a two month assignment to Victory. He then joined the Newcastle where he remained until October 1958. He was then posted to Sultan until March 1960. The rest of that year was spent at Phoenicia and Victory. He left Victory in August 1961 and joined Bellerophone. He rejoined Victory in December 1961 and spent his final month of service there.

Samuel retired and was pensioned on 21 January 1962.

During his naval service, he received the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star (with France & Germany clasp), Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45 and the Royal Navy Long Service & Good Conduct Medal . Sometime after the war he and his wife Joan emigrated to Australia, where he spent the remainder of his life.

You can learn more about Samuel here.





History of ships served in and ratings held:


Date FromDate toShipRatingSource
25th January 193529th August 1935Victory IIStoker 2nd ClassService Record
30th August 19354th December 1935HoodStoker 2nd ClassService Record
5th December 193523rd November 1937HoodStoker 1st ClassService Record
24th November 193718th March 1938Victory IIStoker 1st ClassService Record
19th March 193824th August 1938EnterpriseStoker 1st ClassService Record
25th August 193830th September 1938Effingham (Enterprise)Stoker 1st ClassService Record
1st October 193827th October 1938EnterpriseStoker 1st ClassService Record
28th October 193824th February 1939Effingham (Enterprise)Stoker 1st ClassService Record
25th February 19392nd June 1939Victory IIStoker 1st ClassService Record
3rd June 19391st September 1939Excellent (Frobisher)Stoker 1st ClassService Record
2nd September 193914th October 1939Victory IIStoker 1st ClassService Record
15th October 193923rd January 1940Victory IIActing Leading StokerService Record
24th January 194014th October 1940Cochrane II (Vega)Acting Leading StokerService Record
15th October 19404th December 1940Cochrane II (Vega)Leading StokerService Record
5th December 194016th January 1941Pembroke (Athelstone)Leading StokerService Record
17th January 19417th April 1941Victory IIILeading StokerService Record
8th April 194126th May 1941Victory IILeading StokerService Record
27th May 19415th January 1942AuroraLeading StokerService Record
6th January 19426th February 1942St. Angelo (Talbot)Leading StokerService Record
7th February 194230th June 1942St. Angelo (Talbot)Acting Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary)Service Record
1st July 19426th February 1943Victory IIActing Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary)Service Record
7th February 19436th July 1944Victory IIStoker Petty Officer (Temporary)Service Record
7th July 194431st October 1944Drake IV (Wivern)Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary)Service Record
1st November 194427th June 1945Cochrane II (Wivern)Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary)Service Record
28th June 194520th October 1945Victory IIStoker Petty Officer (Temporary)Service Record
21st October 19455th December 1945Victory IIStoker Petty OfficerService Record
6th December 194525th January 1946EnterpriseStoker Petty OfficerService Record
26th January 194611th October 1946RanpuraStoker Petty OfficerService Record
12th October 194628th November 1946Victory IIStoker Petty OfficerService Record
29th November 194620th January 1947RanpuraStoker Petty OfficerService Record
21st January 19474th March 1947Victory IIStoker Petty OfficerService Record
5th March 19472nd May 1947MercuryStoker Petty OfficerService Record
3rd May 19478th July 1947VictoryPetty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
9th July 194731st March 1948St. AngeloPetty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
1st April 194828th January 1950ForthPetty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
29th January 19506th February 1950Camarata Bar (Phoencia)Petty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
7th February 195022nd June 1950VictoryPetty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
23rd June 19506th October 1950Keltwood (Victory)Petty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
7th October 195018th February 1951Keltwood (Victory)Chief Petty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
19th February 195130th October 1951ImplacableChief Petty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
31st October 19512nd May 1954VanguardChief Petty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
3rd May 195416th March 1955BellerophonChief Petty Officer Stoker MechanicService Record
17th March 195517th December 1956BellerophonChief Mechanician (E)Service Record
18th December 195610th February 1957VictoryChief Mechanician (E)Service Record
11th February 195726th October 1958NewcastleChief Mechanician (E)Service Record
27th October 19587th March 1960SultanChief Mechanician (E)Service Record
8th March 196027th July 1961PhoeniciaChief Mechanician (E)Service Record
28th July 196130th August 1961VictoryChief Mechanician (E)Service Record
31st August 196114th December 1961BellerophonChief Mechanician (E)Service Record
15th December 1961VictoryChief Mechanician (E)Service Record



Additional Photos



Samuel on the forecastle of H.M.S. Hood.









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)
Craig Radcliff (certificate of service)