-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.

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William Thomas Durance

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Date of birth: 18 November 1890
Place of birth: Mhow, India, India
Previous occupation: Clerk
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Chief Petty Officer Writer
Service Number: M4540
Joined Hood: 1st January 1926
Left Hood: 3rd September 1928







Biographical Information: William Thomas Durance was born in India to an Army Barrack Warden (also called William Thomas) and his wife Mary. Brought up with his many siblings in Devonport, William was 21 when he entered the Royal Navy as a writer - or administrative clerk - in Devonport on 10 June 1912 - old for a new entrant. His previous experience as a clerk in civilian life appears to have stood him in good stead: unusually, he began to earn 'Superior' annual professional assessments from the start, and was occasionally assessed as 'Exceptional' - a rare accolade. His abilities quickly moved him up through the ranks, so that by the time he joined Hood in 1926 he was already a CPO Writer. He served two years eight months onboard, during which time he was awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

William was married to Blanche and they had a family. He was discharged to pension on 9 June 1934 after 22 years' service. Family sources tell us that William lived his later years in Weymouth, Dorset, where he died in 1964.


Additional Photographs
None at this time.


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)
Online service recorded forwarded by relative Ross Durance rossdurance@msn.com