-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.

Frederick Charles Brazill

Frederick was born on 3rd July, 1884 at Greenwich to parents Frederick - a painter and decorator - and Cecilia. The family lived initially in Broad Street, later moving to King George Street. Frederick had two older brothers - William and Walter.

Frederick was married three times: firstly in about 1909 to Emma Maynard. When she died in 1921, he remarried to Sarah Wond. At the time of his death he is recorded as being married to Amelia Hunt.

His naval service took him to the west country and the 1911 census shows he living in Station Road, Devonport with his them wife Emma and a stepdaughter - presumably from Emma's previous marriage. By the time of his death, on 5th April, 1959 Frederick was living in Colchester.

Entering the Royal Navy as a Boy in February 1900, Frederick served for 24 years until his retirement in September 1924. Having progressed as far as Leading Seaman by 1907 he chose, in 1911, to transfer to the Regulating Branch serving as a Ship's Corporal 2nd and 1st Class until his advancement in February 1918 to Master at Arms. Frederick's war time service included action in the cruiser H.M.S. Carnarvon at the Battle of the Falklands in December 1914.

Frederick served in Hood from June 1921 to May 1923. This would, no doubt, have been an interesting period in the ship for a Master at Arms given the reputation as strict disciplinarians held by Rear Admiral Walter Cowan and Hood's captain, Geoffrey Mackworth. As well as the usual time spent in Scottish waters and the Mediterranean spring cruises, the period August to November 1922 saw Hood undertake an extensive cruise to Brazil for their centenary celebrations. The outbound leg of the voyage included the usual Crossing the Line Ceremony at which Frederick played the role of one of two attendants at the Court of King Neptune. The homeward leg included visits to the West Indies.

The final 12 months of Frederick's service were spent at H.M.S. Britannia which no doubt afforded the opportunity to regale the cadets with tales of a long naval career.

Additional Photos

King Neptune's Court for the Crossing of the Line Ceremony includes Frederick's name as an "Assistant".

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