On the Portsmouth Naval Memorial is the name of P/JX 131360 Leading Signalman Richard Applegarth, serving on H.M.S. Hood with the Royal Navy, who died 24/05/1941.

He was the son of Richard John and Mary Applegarth

Richard Applegarth was the son of Richard and Mary Applegarth formerly Lancaster, nee Michelwaite, born on 2nd June 1911 at East Boldon. In 1921, The family were living at 11 Ferndale Avenue.

Richard joined the Royal Navy on 2 February 1928. His first ship was HMS Ganges. Richard was a Leading Signalman in the Royal Navy and a crew member on the H.M.S. Hood, a battlecruiser that was the first of the planned four Admiral-class ships to be built during the First World War. It’s not known when Richard joined HMS Hood.

In May 1941, Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales were ordered to intercept the German Battleship Bismarck and the Heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. On May 24 1941, early in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Hood was struck by several German shells, exploded and sank with the loss of all but 3 of her crew.

They are commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Richard’s name is listed in column 1 of panel 52 and in the Hood Memorial Chapel at Boldre in Hampshire, Richard was 29 years old.

Richard still has family living in Boldon.

Richard Applegarth is remembered at East Boldon on E46.01, at West Boldon on W99.07 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.

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