-H.M.S. Hood Crew Information-
H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour
Memorials to Men Lost in the sinking

We will remember them
Chainbar divider

In Remembrance of
Sydney James Choules

Photo of
Date of birth: 21st May 1903
Place of birth: Reading, Berkshire, England
Previous occupation: Servant (Domestic)
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Chief Petty Officer
Service Number: P/J 94291
Joined Hood: 8th September 1936
Left Hood: 24th May 1941 (loss of ship) (Chief Petty Officer)
Click here to print memorial poster





Biographical Information:

Sydney was born on 21st May 1903 in Reading, Berkshire. He joined the Royal Navy on 30th January 1919, at the age of fifteen, at HMS Impregnable.

When he joined Hood in 1936 he was a Petty Officer, but a string of successive 'Superior' annual professional assessments, in Hood and before, led to his promotion to Chief Petty Officer on 23rd August 1940.

It is clear that CPO Choules was a highly respected leader. He was fondly remembered in the Portsmouth Evening News in May 1941 as "a tower of strength, nothing daunted him and he had that happy knack of always thinking ahead of the clock. He was an inspiring example to the young seamen in the ship and to the service to which he belonged."

Sydney was 38 years old at the time of his loss.






History of ships served in and ratings held:


Date FromDate toShipRatingSource
20th January 191924th October 1919ImpregnableBoy 2nd ClassADM188/835
25th October 191928th November 1919ImpregnableBoy 1st ClassADM188/835
29th November 191922nd December 1919GangesBoy 1st ClassADM188/835
23rd December 19193rd February 1920Victory IBoy 1st ClassADM188/835
4th February 192023rd January 1921TemeraireBoy 1st ClassADM188/835
24th January 19218th March 1921OrionBoy 1st ClassADM188/835
9th March 192120th May 1921Iron DukeBoy 1st ClassADM188/835
21st May 192130th November 1921Iron DukeOrdinary SeamanADM188/835
1st December 192123rd October 1923Iron DukeAble SeamanADM188/835
24th October 192324th April 1924ExcellentAble SeamanADM188/835
25th April 192423rd June 1924Osprey (P31)Able SeamanADM188/835
24th June 192430th June 1924Dido (Trusty)Able SeamanADM188/835
1st July 192430th September 1924Dido (Saladin)Able SeamanADM188/835
1st October 192413th January 1925Dido (Trojan)Able SeamanADM188/835
14th January 192531st March 1925Dido (Tilbury)Able SeamanADM188/835
1st April 192530th June 1925Dido (Trusty)Able SeamanADM188/835
1st July 192530th September 1925Dido (Saladin)Able SeamanADM188/835
1st October 192511th November 1925Dido (Trojan)Able SeamanADM188/835
12th November 192511th June 1928BarhamAble SeamanADM188/835
12th June 192822nd June 1928Victory IAble SeamanADM188/835
23rd June 192831st December 1929ExcellentAble SeamanADM188/835
1st January 193031st August 1932NelsonAble SeamanADM363/323
1st September 193212th November 1932DolphinAble SeamanADM363/323
13th November 19327th December 1932DolphinActing Leading SeamanADM363/323
8th December 19322nd March 1933EffinghamActing Leading SeamanADM363/323
3rd March 193323rd April 1933VindictiveActing Leading SeamanADM363/323
24th April 193312th November 1933Tamar II (Wishart)Acting Leading SeamanADM363/323
13th November 193316th December 1934Tamar II (Wishart)Leading SeamanADM363/323
17th December 193428th January 1935Tamar II (Daring)Leading SeamanADM363/323
29th January 193510th December 1935Tamar II (Daring)Acting Petty OfficerADM363/323
11th December 193528th January 1936Victory IActing Petty OfficerADM363/323
29th January 193628th February 1936Victory IPetty OfficerADM363/323
29th February 193621st May 1936ExcellentPetty OfficerADM363/323
22nd May 19367th September 1936Victory IPetty OfficerADM363/323
8th September 193622nd August 1940HoodPetty OfficerADM363/323
23rd August 194024th May 1941HoodChief Petty OfficerADM363/323


Additional Photographs
None at this time.






Hood Chapel, Church of St. John the Baptist, Boldre, Hampshire, England

Photos of the memorial











Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea, Hampshire, England

Photos of the memorial



The part of the memorial in which the Hood casualty names can be found.
(Panels 45 to 61)





Sydney's name is in Column 1 of Panel 46.





Detail of Sydney's name.






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 National Archives (ADM 188/835)
Portsmouth Evening News, May 1941
Chris & Linda Herbert (photo, April 2006)