On the Portsmouth Naval Memorial is the name of P/MX 67850 Writer Frank Snowden Potts, serving on H.M.S. Hood with the Royal Navy, who died 24/05/1941.
The son of Albert and Dorothy Potts, of West Hartlepool, Co. Durham.
In Wallsend Church Bank Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:
In loving memory of
Frank Snowdon Potts Writer R.N.
dearly loved son of Albert and Dorothy Potts
died in action on H.M.S. Hood
24th May 1941 aged 24 years.
Also Esther Kathleen, dear child of
Albert and Dorothy Potts
who fell asleep 5th June 1918 aged 19 months
Also the above Dorothy Potts
died 23rd Dec. 1949 aged 66 years.
(N.B. The headstone spells his middle name as “Snowdon” but the CWGC entry gives “Snowden”).
Frank Snowdon Potts was born on the 18th January 1918, the only son of Albert and Dorothy Potts, 33 Colwyn Road, West Hartlepool. He was educated at the West Hartlepool Secondary School, where he became Head Boy.
He joined the Borough Treasurers Department of the old West Hartlepool Council.
Frank was a keen sportsman and was active in both swimming and rowing. Frank was also secretary of the Secondary Old Boys School for which he played rugby.
He joined the Royal Navy shortly after the start of World War 2, whilst awaiting to be called up, he enlisted into the Home Guard.
Dennis Lendrem has submitted the following:-
Frank Snowdon Potts was the only son of Albert Potts a foreman at the steelworks and Dorothy Snowdon of Colwyn Road, West Hartlepool and was born in 1918. On the outbreak of war Frank joined the navy and was assigned duties as a Writer (an HR administrator) to HMS Hood. Frank was one of the 1418 men aboard when HMS Hood was struck by shells from the Bismarck in the Straits of Denmark on 29th May 1941. The aft magazine was penetrated by a shell, exploded and the ship sank stern first into the Atlantic. There were just three survivors.
The Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail 27/05/1941 reports:-
POTTS. Missing, presumed killed on war service. Frank Snowdon Potts, aged 21 years, dearly loved only son of Albert and Dorothy Potts, 33 Colwyn Road, West Hartlepool.
For now we see through glass darkly, but then face to face.
The Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail 29/05/1941 reports:-
MISSING FROM THE HOOD News has been received that Frank Snowdon Potts. Writer. R.N., of H.M.S. Hood, is missing, presumed killed. The only son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Potts, of Colwvn Road. West Hartlepool, he was educated at West Hartlepool Secondary School and was head boy when he left to join the staff of the Borough’s Treasurer’s department of West Hartlepool Corporation. Keenly interested in sport, he played Rugby for the Secondary School Old Boys, and was also a member of swimming and rowing clubs. He was secretary Secondary School Old ‘Boys’ Association. Soon after war began he volunteered for the Navy, but was not called up for some time, and in the interval he joined the Home Guard.
Frank Snowdon Potts is remembered at Hartlepool on H115.16, at West Hartlepool on W111.002 and W111.055, in the 1939-1945 Military and Civilian names beginning with P and Q and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
