Harry William Robert Hook

A Petty Officer Stoker with H.M.S. Gossamer, Harry died on 29th of May 1940 aged 33.

Harry was born at Lowestoft on 20 October 1907, a son of William Robert and Florence Mary Hook. In 1911 his family lived at 32 Laundry Lane, and by 1921 their home was at 177 Rotterdam Road, and later they lived at 117 Rotterdam Road.

Harry was working as a wood sawyer when he joined the Royal Navy on 2 February 1926. 

On 24 October 1931 Harry married Alice Ellen Mary Ann Brown at Sint Peter’s Church, Kirkley. At the time Harry was a Leading Stoker, based at Chatham, and Alice lived at Kirkley. In 1939 Alice lived with her parents at 98 Beaconsfield Road. Alice remarried in 1955. 

By April 1938 Harry was serving on the minesweeper H.M.S. Gossamer. From 28 May 1940 the Gossamer was involved with the Dunkirk evacuation. What precisely happened to Harry is not known, but he is presumed to have drowned on 29 May 1940. During the night of 28/29 May the Gossamer had lowered three whalers and a skiff to pick up survivors from the destroyer Wakeful that had been torpedoed: it is possible that Harry was lost during this rescue attempt. In total the Gossamer's crew rescued 3214 men during the Dunkirk evacuation.