RIP: Ted Briggs MBE

Albert Edward Pryke Briggs MBE
1 Mar 1923 - 4 Oct 2008

ZUI this article from the BBC:

The last remaining survivor of the sinking of WWII battle cruiser HMS Hood in May 1941 has died at the age of 85, his naval association has said.

Ted Briggs, from Hampshire, was one of just three survivors out of more than 1,400 crew after an exchange of fire with the German battleship Bismarck.

When asked about the sinking he said: "I was not a hero, I just survived."

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When Bismarck was spotted in the Denmark Strait in May 1941, HMS Hood was sent in pursuit.

During the Battle of Denmark Strait it was bombarded with shells, one of which caused a huge explosion that ripped through the ship, sinking it in less than three minutes.

In 2001, the wreck of HMS Hood was found 3,000m below the surface of the sea between Greenland and Iceland.

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Mr Briggs is survived by his wife Clare.

Midshipman William Dundas, who died in 1965, and able seaman Bob Tilburn, who died in 1995, were the other survivors of the sinking.

More information on Mr Briggs can be found here. Detailed information about HMS Hood can be found here. Further information about Bismarck, Rheinübung (Rhine Exercise) and the Battle of Denmark Strait can be found here.

HMS Hood