On the 18th February 1940 HMS Daring (Cdr. Sydney Alan Cooper, RN) was torpedoed and sunk about 40 nautical miles east of the Pentland Firth in position 58º40'N, 01º35'W by the German U Boat U-23 commanded by Fregattenkapitän Otto Kretschmer.
HMS Daring was escorting convoy HN-12 from Bergen to Methil. On the 18th, HMS Daring was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-23. HMS Thistle sights the sinking destroyer and directs the other destroyers to the rescue. HMS Inglefield picked up one officer and three ratings from a Carley float and HMS Ilex another rating from wreckage, they are the only survivors. 156 of the crew are lost. HMS Ilex also hunted the U-boat without success. There were only 5 survivors.
George William Armstrong is remembered at West Pelton in W112.03 and on our List of Ships’ crews
