Richard John Dolley

Date of birth: 12 March 1897
Place of birth: St Germans, by Saltash, East Cornwall, Cornwall
Previous occupation: Farm labourer
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service Number: K29564
Joined Hood: 22nd November 1923 (Stoker 1st Class)
Left Hood: 15th December 1925 (Stoker 1st Class)







Biographical Information: Richard John Dolley was born in the small village of St Germans, near Saltash in East Cornwall. His naval record gives his date of birth as 12 March 1897 but, intriguingly, his birth does not appear to have been registered until the second quarter of 1898. He joined the Royal Navy, as a Stoker 2nd Class, at HMS VIVID II on 2 December 1915, in the second year of World War I. Since his declared age at that time was 18 years and 8 months, he immediately began an engagement of 12 years’ “man’s time.” Richard joined HMS Hood on 22 November 1923 and served on board until 15 December 1925. This meant that, as a Stoker 1st class, he travelled the world as part of the “Empire Cruise” of 1923-4 – and it was through the “Scott O’Connor” records of this trip that his Hood service was first discovered and this page created. Richard appears to have left the RN briefly at the end of his “12”, but re-entered not long afterwards, in 1931. He left on pensionable terms in 1937, but re-entered a second time the following year, and served throughout World War II before being invalided out in October 1945. Despite a string of “Superior” professional assessments, he was not advanced beyond Stoker 1st Class. It is known that Richard was married. As a civilian, he remained in his native Saltash, and he passed away in 1982. The photo shows him late in life, playing a prominent role in Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

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