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

In Remembrance of
Cecil Henry Crouch

Cecil was born on 19th April 1909 in Stockbridge, Hampshire to William and Daisy Crouch.

Having started his working life as a labourer, he joined the Royal Navy on 10th October 1924 as a Boy 2nd Class. He received his initial training at H.M.S. Ganges. Leaving Ganges in late August 1925, he was drafted to the Battleship H.M.S Revenge, flagship of Vice-Admiral Henry Oliver, Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. Cecil would spend 20 months in Revenge before returning to Barracks in May 1927. His next draft was to the old Battle Cruiser H.M.S. Tiger, then serving as a sea-going gunnery training ship. In August 1928, he was rated Able Seaman.

Following his service in Tiger, from June to October 1929, Cecil undertook a course at H.M.S. Excellent, the Royal Navy's gunnery training school at Whale Island, Portsmouth, which qualified him as a Seaman Gunner. In November, 1929, whilst still in barracks at H.M.S. Victory, Portsmouth, he passed his proficiency test for the rating of Leading Seaman although the economic crises of the late 1920s and early 1930s would mean it would be a further five years before he would get the opportunity to serve in that rate.

In February 1931, after two and a half years ashore, came the opportunity to return to sea as Cecil was drafted to the cruiser H.M.S. Cornwall, part of the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China station. Cecil served in the far east until December 1933.

Returning to the U.K., he undertook a second course at H.M.S. Excellent which seems to have been a refresher or update as his non substantive rate remained Seaman Gunner.

October 1934 saw Cecil resuming his overseas service as he joined the destroyers of the Mediterranean Fleet. He served briefly in H.M.S. Dainty before joining H.M.S. Whitshed on New Year's Day 1935 - finally getting the opportunity to serve as an Acting Leading Seaman. 12 months later he was made substantive and lost no time in taking, and passing, on 9th January 1936, his proficiency test for Petty Officer.

When Whitshed returned to the U.K. Cecil returned to barracks to await his next draft. It was, perhaps, during his time in barracks, that Cecil decided on a change in direction. On 21st April 1937 he passed his proficiency test for Regulating Petty Officer. Unlike the five years he had waited for the opportunity to undertake the work of a Leading Seaman, a draft as an Acting Regulating Petty Officer came just three weeks after passing the test as he joined the cruiser Hawkins, Flagship of the Reserve Fleet. Eleven months later his rate as Regulating Petty Officer was made substantive. Leaving Hawkins in June 1938, Cecil joined her sister ship Effingham for two months before he returned to H.M.S. Victory in August of the same year. He was in barracks for only a month before he returned to the Reserve Fleet, joining the Aircraft Carrier H.M.S. Courageous in September 1938. This proved, again to be a short draft as in late December Cecil returned to barracks. In April 1939, he joined his final ship, the Battle Cruiser H.M.S. Hood. Hood was, at that time, refitting at Portsmouth. She recommissioned on 2nd June so Cecil would have had a month to get a feel for this ship before the crew for the new commission joined. He also used this brief period before recommissioning to position himself for further advancement, passing the proficiency test for Master at Arms on 11th May 1939. Sadly, he would never get that opportunity as he was killed, aged 32, when Hood was lost in action on 24th May, 1941.

Additional Photos

Cecil in the uniform of a Leading Seaman (probably early 1935)

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

Photos of the memorial

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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)





Cecil's name is in Column 1 of Panel 58.





Detail of Cecil's name.

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