Sick Berth Attendant D/SBR/X 7523 Frank MADDOCKS.
Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve H.M.S. Hunter (H35).
10 Apr 1940 aged 30.
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 44, Column 2.
Frank was the eldest son of Thomas Maddocks and Elizabeth Ann Burgon who were married at Heaton Norris, Christ Church, He married Annie Elliott at the Hanover Chapel in Heaton Norris in 1934 and had a daughter.
H.M.S. Hunter (Lieutenant Commander Lindsay De Villiers) was part of the 2nd. Destroyer Flotilla in the 1st Battle of Narvik, with H.M.S. Hardy, H.M.S. Havock, H.M.S. Hostile and H.M.S. Hotspur. They carried out a successful attack on German destroyers in the harbour at Narvik. Two of these German destroyers, Anton Schmitt and Wilhelm Heidkamp were sunk along with several merchant ships.
On withdrawing to sea the flotilla met further German destroyers and in a brief action H.M.S. Hardy was was badly hit from gunfire from the German destroyer Georg Thiele, her bridge, wheelhouse and forward guns being knocked out. Out of control, she drove ashore on the southern side of the fjord. H.M.S. Hunter was also badly damaged by gunfire from the German destroyers and a stern collision with the out of control H.M.S. Hotspur did the rest. H.M.S. Hunter sank in the centre of the fjord, with 107 crew killed and another five died of their wounds. The German destroyers rescued 46 men, who were released into Sweden on 13 April.
H.M.S.Hunter (photo from wikipedia)
