Ordinary Seaman Thomas Morley Johnson, RN (P/SSX 25867)

  • Batt -
  • Unit - Royal Navy - Hms Royal Oak
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  • Date of Birth -
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Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Thomas Morley Johnson was one of the crew of HMS Royal Oak, when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat on the 14/10/1939. He died aged 17 years.

At 0116 hours on 14 October 1939 the German submarine U-47 fired a spread of three torpedoes at HMS Royal Oak and the British seaplane tender HMS Pegasus lying at anchor in the harbour of Scapa Flow, then turned around and fired a stern torpedo at 0121 hours. Prien claimed a hit on the seaplane tender, misidentified as HMS Repulse, but one of the torpedoes apparently hit the starboard anchor chain of HMS Royal Oak and both targets were undamaged.
At 0123 hours, the U-boat fired a second spread of three torpedoes of which two hit HMS Royal Oak on the starboard side and caused a magazine to blow up. The battleship rolled over and sank in 19 minutes. 833 of the crew were killed. 386 of the 420 survivors, including the Commanding Officer, were rescued by the drifter HMS Daisy II which had been alongside as tender (uboat.net)
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Submitted by J. Parrott, 2018

Leicestershire Project Findings
  • Conflict - World War II

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