Ted Briggs passed away October 4, 2008 at age 85. In 1941 he was one of over 1,400 British Seamen serving aboard H.M.S. Hood, one of the most celebrated ships in the Royal Navy. The Hood and HMS Prince of Wales were dispatched to intercept the German Battleship Bismarck. Bismarck's massive guns fired, and HMS Hood exploded, splitting in half and sinking. Ted Briggs was one of only three sailors who survived. Since 1995 he had been the last of these three survivors.
Living through such a nightmare is unimaginable. Not surprisingly, he couldn't ever shake the memories of that day. I managed to write to him through a fellow seaman who had served on the Hood before the War, and Ted gave me a gracious response. I really think he enjoyed the picture that he kept- he didn't seem to mind complying with my request. The true heroes are the ones who didn't come back, but we are only able to convey our thanks to those who did. I'm glad I got to thank him just 8 months before he passed away.
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