-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
Stanley John Collett

Photo of
Date of birth: 14th June 1918
Place of birth: Surbiton, Surrey, England
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Able Seaman
Service Number: P/JX 143881
Joined Hood: April 1941
Left Hood: 24th May 1941 (loss of ship) (Able Seaman)
Click here to print memorial poster






Biographical Information:

Stanley was born on 14th June 1918 in Surbiton, Surrey. He joined the Navy as a Boy on 24th January 1935 and was subsequently trained at H.M.S. St Vincent, Gosport. He made Boy 1st Class on 26th October 1935.

His first sea assignment came in January 1936 when he was posted to the W& class destroyer H.M.S. Wallace for training. This was followed by a training post aboard the battleship H.M.S. Royal Sovereign in February 1936. From May 1936 to September 1937, Stanley was posted to the battlecruiser H.M.S. Repulse. At this point in time, Repulse was serving in the Mediterranean on Spanish Civil War patrol duties. Stanley was promoted twice during his time in Repulse- to Ordinary Seaman in June 1936 and Able Seaman in September 1937.

From September to November 1937, Stanley was assigned to H.M.S. Victory barracks in Portsmouth. This was followed by a gunnery training course at H.M.S Excellent, Whale Island, from November 1937 to February 1938. Following this course, he was posted briefly to the monitor Erebus under repair in Portsmouth dockyard.

From May 1938 to December 1940 Stanley served in the battleship H.M.S. Nelson. During this timeframe she was busy pursuing Scharnhorst and Gneisenau as well as supporting operations off Norway. He returned to Victory barracks in January 1941. This was followed soon after by another course at H.M.S. Excellent. Upon leaving Excellent, he was posted to battlecruiser H.M.S. Hood in April 1941.

Stanley was 22 years old at the time of his loss.




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)





Stanley's name is in Column 3 of Panel 47.





Detail of Stanley'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)
His nephew, Geoffrey King (photo & information, March 2004)