Tom Hartley

Tom joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 21 August 1913 on a Short Service Engagement (5+7 years RFR) which he extended. He served in the following ships and shore establishments between 1913 and 1918: Victory, 21 August 1913-16 December 1913 (Stoker 2nd Class); Albermarle, 17 December 1913-19 September 1916 (Stoker 1st Class 21 August 1916?); Victory II, 20 September 1916; Hecla (Scourge) 1 October 1917-14 May 1918; Apollo, 15 May 1918-29 June 1918; Vivid II, 29 June 1918-29 August 1918.

He transferred on 30 August 1918 to Stoker 1st Class (K) vice K53394 and re-enlisted (late SS114521). Acting Leading Stoker 1 October 1918 and advanced to Leading Stoker March 1919. In 1921 he was serving in the destroyer HMS Tumult which at the time of the census was in Silma Harbour, Malta.

He was recalled to the service on 22 August 1939 and drafted to HMS Dunedin (D93), complement 486.

In the early part of the war HMS Dunedin was involved in the hunt for the German battleships, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, before being tasked to the Caribbean (American and West Indies Station). The ship returned to the Clyde in September 1940 then left England on 8 April the following year for the South Atlantic Station where she joined the carrier HMS Eagle and destroyer HMS Velox in the search for German raiders and supply vessels. On 15 June 1941 HMS Dunedin captured the German tanker Lothringen which carried an Enigma Cipher machine and Enigma material.

On 24 November 1941 HMS Dunedin was operating off the coast of Brazi, tasked to intercept the German supply ship Python and U-124. However, Dunedin was identified and at 1326GMT was attacked by U-124 which fired several torpedoes at a distance of 4,000 yards. The torpedoes hit five minutes later, one striking amidships and the other further aft. HMS Dunedin sank within 17 minutes. It was estimated that there were about 250 survivors but only 72 were still alive when they were rescued on 27 November by the US Merchant ship Nishmaha en-route from Takoradi to Philadelphia; five survivors died before the ship reached Trinidad.

U-124 (Johann Mohr, 8 Sept 1941-2 April 1943) was sunk on 2 April 1943 in the North Atlantic by depth charges from HMS Stonecrop and HMS Black Swan. Lost with all hands (53). Sucessess 46 ships and 2 warships sunk, and 4 ships damaged.

CWGC Additional information: 'Son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hartley; husband of Kate Hartley, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.'

Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser: 19/12/1941:
'Also reported to be missing in his 25th year of service in the Royal Navy is Stoker Petty Officerr Tom Hartley whose wife lives at 18 Bentinck Street, Mansfield. He retired on a pension after 22 years of service but was recalled after 5 years of civil life. He is a native of Warsop and his father passed awat recently.'

Two other men from Mansfield died on the Dunedin, William Douglas Commons and Cyril Candy.