Ted Briggs

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Albert Edward Pryke Briggs MBE (born 1 March 1923), is a British seaman and the last survivor of the destruction of the battlecruiser HMS Hood during combat against the German battleship Bismarck.

On 7 March 1938, one week after his fifteenth birthday, Briggs joined the Royal Navy. Briggs was trained at HMS Ganges for 16 months. After his training he was delighted to be assigned to HMS Hood which he joined on 29 July 1939.

Soon thereafter World War II commenced and Hood was assigned to patrol and escort duty in the North Atlantic and also served as part of Force H in the Mediterranean Sea.

In May of 1941 Hood was dispatched to intercept the German battleship Bismarck in the Denmark Straits. Hood, with Ted Briggs aboard, encountered Bismarck and engaged her at long range. Bismarck returned fire and within minutes sent a volley of 15 inch (381 mm) shells crashing into Hood's bowels, setting off a massive explosion in her magazine, and breaking her in half.

Ted Briggs, on the compass platform near the bridge, recalls a huge sheet of flame followed by Hood listing rapidly. When the list reached 30 degrees Briggs realized that "she was not coming back". Briggs states that no order was given to abandon ship and that he found himself in the water about 50 yards (46 m) from Hood as her B-Turret went under. Briggs himself attempted to swim away from the vessel but was pulled under by her as she started toward the ocean bottom. Briggs remembers struggling, giving up hope, and then miraculously being propelled to the surface. This was probably the result of an underwater explosion.

Briggs was one of only three men aboard to survive the tragedy (1415 were confirmed lost) and as of 2004 is the only survivor still living.

After the loss of Hood he was assigned to HMS Mercury and also participated in the inquiry into the loss of Hood. He was then transferred to HMS Royal Arthur and then to the merchantman HMS Hilary. Hilary served as a Combined Operations Headquarters ship, at Sicily, Salerno and had the same role during the D-Day landings. Later he served aboard HMS Mercury as a Fleetwork Instructor. Briggs was promoted first to Leading Signalman in March 1942 and then Yeoman of Signals in March 1943.

Briggs remained in the Royal Navy after the end of the war and served until 1973 in a variety of capacities (see list below).

Briggs retired on 2 February 1973 and settled in the south of England. In June 1973 Briggs was made a MBE. In 1975 Briggs joined the HMS Hood Association as one of its youngest members and was elected as its first President. In 1995 Briggs again served as president of the organization.

Briggs has regularly told his story as a guest-speaker, lecturer, and subject of historical television and radio documentaries. In July 2001 Briggs visited the wreck site and released a plaque which memorializes the lost crew of the Hood.

[edit] Post-war service

October 1945 - HMS Brissenden - Palestine patrols
April 1948 - HMS Mercury as Fleetwork Instructor
February 1949 - HMS Maidstone - Second Submarine Squadron
October 1949- HMS Mercury - Cryptographic Instructor
February 1950 - HMS Ceylon - Korean War
July 1952 - HMS Mercury - Signal Instructors Course
January 1953 - rated as Chief Yeoman of Signals served at CinC Eastlant Comm Centre
November 1953 - HMS Indefatigable and HMS Theseus Training Squadron as Training Chief Yeoman
December 1955 - Commissioned officer. HMS Mercury - Commissioned Communication Officer Course
July 1956 - promoted to Commissioned Communication Officer
September 1956 - HMS Ceylon as a Signals Officer - Suez Canal operation
May 1958 - HMS Mercury
January 1959 - HMS Sea Eagle (Londonderry) as Assistant Base Communications Officer
December 1960 - HMS Mercury - New Entry Training Officer
April 1961 - promoted to Lieutenant
February 1963 - Assigned to HMS Loch Killisport as Communications Officer - 3rd Frigate Squadron
June 1964 - Whitehall Wireless Station as Rating Control Officer
October 1966 - HMS Ganges as Communications Officer
June 1969 - HMS Drake (Devonport) as Officer in Charge of the Signal Training Centre
January 1971 - HMS Excellent (Whale Island) as Officer in Charge of the Leading Rates Leadership School