History of the H.M.S. Hood Association
The H.M.S. Hood Association was established in 1975 by a group of several former Hood crew members, including two of the three survivors of her sinking. The Association has been going strong since that time. Our ranks are currently made up of the veteran sailors, their families, members of the bereaved families as well as enthusiasts interested in perpetuating the memory of the Mighty Hood and her crew. All members, regardless of veteran crew, families or enthusiasts, are considered full members. The Association is administered by a body of six key elected members known as the Association Committee. They meet on an as-needed basis and all Association activity is handled through them.
Our members assemble each May for an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and reunion dinner. These are followed by our official memorial service at St George's Church, Portsmouth. Members usually also attend the public memorial service at the Church of St John the Baptist in Boldre, New Forest, Hampshire. In addition to occasional special appearances and functions, members of the Association also gather annually at the Southsea memorial in Portsmouth at 1100 hours on Remembrance Day, 11 November, to honour Hood's lost. You can learn more about our activities and events by viewing our online Association Archives.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS OUR ONLINE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVES
How to Join the H.M.S. Hood Association
Anyone may join. Though the majority of our members are either former crew or family members of crew, we welcome ALL - regardless of age, sex, nationality, etc. - who are truly serious about keeping the memory of the Mighty Hood and her crew alive. Although the vast majority of members live in the United Kingdom, we do have many members located in other countries literally around the world.
As a member you will receive quarterly newsletters. These, in concert with this website, will keep you well informed of Association activities. Membership also entitles you to attend the Annual General Meeting and Reunion (though there is a separate cost for attending the reunion dinner). Lastly, members can also purchase a number of Hood Asociation articles at reasonable prices through the "Slop Shop". Note- The Slop Shop is currently in need of an Association member to oversee it. If we cannot get a volunteer, than we may be forced to close it down permanently. If you are a member and are interested in running the Slop Shop, please contact the website staff.
Annual membership subscriptions are £5 for members residing in the British Isles and £10 for members residing in foreign countries (the increased amount is to cover high international postage rates). Membership renewals are done by 01 May every year and must be in British Pounds Sterling only. No exceptions. Our Membership Secretary can accept payment in cash or by cheque/money order/banker's draft (made out to the H.M.S. Hood Association - do NOT make them out to the Membership Secretary personally).
To become a member, please print out our Membership Application Form (accessed through the link below) fill-it-out in pen or pencil, then mail it and your payment to our Membership Secretary at the address indicated on the form. You should receive your membership card shortly thereafter (depending on the workload). Important: Due to budgetary constraints, the Association has minimal funds to dedicate towards costly postage. Therefore, don't mail anything to the Membership Secretary unless you are actually joining the Association, renewing a subscription or ordering items from the Slop Shop.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE H.M.S. HOOD ASSOCIATION / CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SLOP SHOP (Offline until further notice)
We receive many private requests for photos of Hood as well as for autographs and contact details of Hood crewmen. Please be advised that we do not sell photos of the ship. We also do not sell autographs nor do we put people in touch with the veterans (this especially applies to Hood survivor Ted Briggs). So, if you want an autograph, you need to join the Association then come to one of our functions. The veterans, Hood survivor Ted Briggs included, are generally very happy to pose for a photo or give an autograph, but only at these events. Otherwise, we must ask everyone to respect their private lives at all other times. Of course, some professional compensated contacts are possible. See the link below for more on this.
CLICK HERE FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION & EXCEPTIONS IN CONTACTING TED BRIGGS