Able Seaman Joseph Wood

Able Seaman Joseph Wood, Royal Navy He was lost at sea on H.M.S. “Surprise” on 23rd December 1917 and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. H.M.S. “Surprise” was an M Class destroyer, captained by Wilfred Thompson and was lost in a German minefield near the Maas Light Vessel off the coast of Holland. She had only been launched in 1916. The ship had been picking up survivors from H.M.S. “Torrent” ( another casualty of the same minefield ) when it detonated two mines and sank in three minutes with 54 dead. 49 survivors were picked up by H.M.S. “Radiant” after over two hours in the water.

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