-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 Alfred Patrick Pearce

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Place of birth: St Columb, Cornwall, England
Previous occupation: Baker's assistant.
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Cook
Service Number: M38136
Joined Hood: 18th April 1925 (Assistant Cook)
Left Hood: 30th April 1928 (Cook)








Biographical Information: William Pearce was born in St Columb, Cornwall, so it is not surprising that his base port was Devonport, in the neighbouring county of Devon.

He was a relatively late entrant to the Royal Navy, joining the Service at the age of 22, having spent some years in the bakery trade. He put his civilian skills to good use, joining the Cook branch.

Just ten months later he joined HMS Hood, at that stage of her career a Devonport ship. Hood was his first sea draft, and he spent a full three years on board, during which time he was 'rated up' to Cook. He was still serving in the Royal Navy, as a Leading Cook, during World War II, including in the cruiser HMS Kenya in 1940.

William Pearce died in 1952.


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)
His granddaughter, Pat Ovenden. Information August 2021.