Petty Officer Leading Stoker D/KX 80466 HMS Glorious
Went down with his ship HMS Exeter During the 2nd World War 1928 Built in Devonport,England 1928 – 1940: 1931 Frank on board 1933 Frank on Board 1939 Outbreak of WW2 1939 The Battle of the River Plate, HMS Exeter (68) was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931. She fought against the German pocket battleship GRAF SPEE at the 1939 Battle of the River Plate, suffering extensive damage that caused a long refit. The Battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle in the Second World War and the only episode of the war to take place in South America. The German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September 1939. One of the hunting groups sent by the British Admiralty to search for Graf Spee, comprising three Royal Navy (RN) cruisers, HMS Exeter, Ajax and Achilles (the last of the New Zealand Division), found and engaged their quarry off the estuary of the River Plate off the coast of Argentina and Uruguay in South America. In the ensuing battle, Exeter was severely damaged and forced to retire; Ajax and Achilles suffered moderate damage. The damage to Graf Spee, although not extensive, was critical; her fuel system was crippled. Ajax and Achilles shadowed the German ship until it entered the port of Montevideo, the capital city of neutral Uruguay, to effect urgent repairs. After Graf Spee's captain Hans Langsdorff was told that his stay could not be extended beyond 72 hours, he scuttled his damaged ship rather than face the overwhelmingly superior force that the British had led him to believe was awaiting his departure.[2] Having been rebuilt, she was sent to the East Indies where she was sunk by the Japanese in 1942. 1940 The Far East 1942 Torpedoed and Sunk in the Java Sea 2008 HMS Exeter Wreck Found 40th Anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate, (in which the heavy cruiser bearing the name HMS Exeter played a significant part in 1939). HMS EXETER: TWO IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARIES Long before the astonishing news of the finding of the wreck of HMS Exeter, I was planning to mark the 70th anniversary of the battle of the River Plate in 2009. For me, this ship, above all others, holds a very special place in my heart and if for no other reason, it seemed obligatory to find an appropriate way of marking this important anniversary. This is perhaps the last opportunity to do so whilst survivors of this great ship are still with us. It so happened that events were to dictate that this plan be brought forward. I was in contact with a photojournalist with historical interest, an Australian called Kevin Denlay. He confided in me in spring 2008 that, together with a small dedicated group of associates, the wreck of the great ship had been discovered. This electrifying information inspired me to think about not only the 70th anniversary of the River Plate, 13th December 1939/2009, but also the 70th anniversary of her sinking, the 1st March 1942 /2012. Thus, anticipating the successful conclusion of identifying, charting and photographing the wreck site, I brought forward my plans and set up this special page dedicated to the memory of this famous ship, and all those who served in her, and to those who lie entombed in her great steel coffin. I also want us never to forget all those who perished in the notorious POW camps, and finally to honour the ever dwindling band of survivors. December 13th 2009 will mark the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate. HMS Exeter in consort with two light cruisers RNZN Achilles and HMS Ajax encountered the German battleship, the Admiral Graf Spee off the River Plate. March 1st 2012 will mark the 70th Anniversary of the sinking of HMS Exeter in the Java Sea. To mark these two significant anniversaries, two paintings are planned. 1)"Her finest hour" December 13th 1939 2)"Ever faithful" March 1st 1942
HMS Glorious was sunk 76 years ago In June 1940 My Mum was 27 years old when her "passing Fancy" died at sea. His name was Francis James Stuart
Fannie served in the Royal Navy as a Petty Officer Stoker.and was one of the 1,207 men who lost their lives on board the HMS Glorious when she was sunk on the 8th of June 1940 by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
Her escorts,the two Destroyers, The Ardent and the Acasta were also sunk.Over 1500 men lost their lives
The Royal Navy knew nothing about the sinking until it was announced on German radio
Francis James A STUART |
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