On Portsmouth Naval Memorial is the name of P/KX 84406 Leading Stoker Moses Maughan Hudson serving on HMS Grimsby with the Royal Navy who died 25/05/1941.
The son of John Joseph and Florence Hudson, of Evenwood, Co. Durham.
In Evenwood Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:
In loving memory of
John Joseph
beloved husband of Florence Hudson
died Dec. 21st 1959, aged 70 years.
Also Moses Maughan Hudson
beloved son of the above
died May 25th 1941, aged 26 years.
Also the above Florence
died April 19th 1960,
aged 67 years.
Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
Moses Maughan Hudson was born on 7th January 1915, the son of John Joseph and Florence (nee Hodgson) Hudson and brother of Bill, Doris, Henry and Jean. The family lived at Alpine Terrace, Evenwood and Moses worked as a coal miner prior to enlisting.
Kevin Richardson has provided the following service information:
Moses Hudson joined the Royal Navy in 1934, aged 19. He trained at HMS Victory, a shore base at Portsmouth, HMS Dolphin, at Gosport and was stationed at St. Angelo, at Malta. His first ship was HMS Grimsby which he joined on 16th February 1939. HMS Grimsby was a sloop built in Devonport Dockyard and completed 17th May 1934. Just over 266 feet long her usual complement was 100 officers and ratings. The Grimsby class sloops normally carried 16 stokers, divided into 2 watches, Port and Starboard but during the war this was increased to between 20 and 30. All the stokers messed together. On 14th December 1940, Moses, nicknamed “Soapy”, after Hudson Soap, commonly used at that time, was promoted to Leading Stoker.
HMS Grimsby
At the outbreak of war, she was recalled from the East Indies to the UK to join the Rosyth Escort Group, protecting east coast convoys. HMS Grimsby then joined the Red Sea Force escorting ships between Suez and Aden. In March 1941, she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet, 7th Destroyer Flotilla. HMS Grimsby took part in Operation Lustre landing troops on Greece and Operation Demon, evacuating the same troops to Crete.
In May 1941, HMS Grimsby was detailed to the Tobruk Run, from Alexandria to Tobruk where as the navy was losing a ship each week it was called the “Suicide Run”. On 22nd May, HMS Grimsby made her first trip to Tobruk in the company of HMSAS “Southern Maid”, a converted South African whaler as escort to SS Helka carrying petrol, water and stores for the besieged Allied garrison. The convoy arrived at Tobruk on the night of the 24th, Helka and Southern Maid headed for the port and Grimsby steamed out to sea. Unloading needed to take place in darkness for fear of enemy air attack. There was not sufficient time for Helka to unload all of her cargo so she had to leave before first light and was ordered to return the next evening to complete the unloading of her cargo.
On 25th May, just after midday, the 3 ships were attacked by 6 Ju-88 bombers of the Fliegerkorps X. Fortunately, none were hit but later, a group of 27 dive bombers of the 102nd Group of the Italian Air Force attacked. Helka was their primary target and the second aircraft to attack hit her amidships with 2 bombs and the ship almost broke in two. The aircraft then concentrated on HMS Grimsby and she was hit at about 16.10 by 2 bombs, one of which exploded in the engine room and the other further aft, near the wardroom. The second bomb ripped out the bottom of the ship. The attack lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. Grimsby’s gunners shot down 2 of the attacking aircraft and Southern Maid accounted for a third success. Severely damaged and sinking, Grimsby had to be abandoned and survivors from both ships were taken aboard Southern Maid, a total of 160 survivors. Southern Maid originally headed for Alexandria but was ordered to land at Mersa Matruh, about half way between Tobruk and Alexandria. At about 10.30 on the 26th, Southern Maid arrived at Mersa Matruh and the survivors disembarked to be taken by ambulances to an Army Medical Sick Quarters. Two days later, those fit enough were taken to Alexandria by train.
HMS Grimsby lost 10 men and 11 were wounded, 4 seriously. Leading Stoker Hudson was in the engine room when the attack occurred and he did not survive, his body was never recovered.
Moses Maughan Hudson is remembered at Evenwood on E69.01 and E69.04 and on our List of Ships’ Crews.
