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Albert Edward Pryke "Ted" Briggs MBE (1 March 1923 – 4 October 2008〔(Biography of Ted Briggs for the HMS ''Hood'' Association )〕) was a British seaman and the last survivor of the destruction of the battlecruiser . He remained in the Royal Navy after the Second World War and was later commissioned. ==Biography== Born on 1 March 1923 in Redcar, North Riding of Yorkshire, Briggs first saw ''Hood'' at anchor off the River Tees when he was 12, and volunteered to join the Royal Navy the following day.〔(Obituary—Ted Briggs—Last survivor of the sinking of HMS Hood ), Dan van der Vat, ''The Guardian'', 7 October 2008. Retrieved on 7 October 2008.〕 He was told he would have to wait until he was 15,〔 so it was on 7 March 1938, one week after his 15th birthday, that he finally joined the navy. Briggs was trained at HMS ''Ganges'' for 16 months. After his training he was delighted to be assigned to HMS ''Hood'' which he joined on 29 July 1939. He initially served as an officers' messenger.〔 Soon after the Second World War began, ''Hood'' was assigned to patrol and escort duty in the North Atlantic and also served as part of Force H in the Mediterranean Sea. In May 1941 ''Hood'' was dispatched with HMS ''Prince of Wales'' to intercept the German battleship ''Bismarck'' in the Denmark Straits. ''Hood'', with Ted Briggs aboard, encountered ''Bismarck'' and engaged her at long range. ''Bismarck'' returned fire and within minutes sent a volley of 38 cm (15-inch) shells crashing into ''Hood'' Ted Briggs, on the compass platform near the bridge, recalls a huge sheet of flame followed by ''Hood'' listing rapidly. When the list reached 30 degrees Briggs realized that "she was not coming back". Briggs states that no order was given to abandon ship and that he found himself in the water about from ''Hood'' as her B-Turret went under after he made it only halfway down the ladder leading to the bridge. He also could remember how the compass master had stood on the platform "tall and fearless" as the water pulled him down. Briggs himself attempted to swim away from the vessel but was pulled under by her as she started toward the ocean bottom. Briggs remembers struggling to stay afloat, giving up hope, and then miraculously being propelled to the surface. This was probably the result of air escaping from the ship, possibly the bridge windows collapsing and releasing trapped air. He remembered that "When I reached the surface, 50 yards away I saw her bows, vertical out of the water. That image would haunt me in nightmares for the next 40 years. When I swam clear of the ship, seconds later I turned back, she was gone." After the ''Hood'' sank, Briggs got aboard a raft from the ship and saw only 2 other survivors, who boarded some rafts as well. Briggs paddled his raft to the other two survivors and stayed by their sides, holding their hands and singing popular British songs to keep them conscious. After 3 hours, and about to pass out from hypothermia, the 3 survivors were rescued by HMS ''Electra''.〔 Briggs was one of only three men aboard to survive the tragedy (1,415 were confirmed lost). In both publications and recorded interviews, he refers to the sacrifice made by the squadron's navigating officer Commander John Warrand, who stood aside and allowed him to exit the compass platform first. Briggs also confirms that the squadron commanding officer, Vice-Admiral Lancelot Holland, was last seen still sitting in his admiral's chair and making no attempt to escape the ship as she sank.〔Hood and Bismarck by David Mearns and Rob White〕 After the loss of ''Hood'' he was assigned to HMS ''Mercury'' and also participated in the inquiry into the loss of ''Hood''. He was then transferred to HMS ''Royal Arthur'' and then to the requisitioned merchantman HMS ''Hilary''. ''Hilary'' served as a Combined Operations Headquarters ship, at Salerno and had the same role during the D-Day landings. Later he served aboard HMS ''Mercury'' as a Fleetwork Instructor. Briggs was promoted first to Leading Signalman in March 1942 and then Yeoman of Signals in March 1943. Briggs remained in the Royal Navy after the end of the war, became an officer, and served until 1973 in a variety of capacities (see #Military service). Briggs retired on 2 February 1973 with the rank of lieutenant, settled in the south of England and worked in Fareham as a furnished lettings manager.〔The Times (Obituaries), 2008-10-07, page 59.〕 In the year he retired, at the Queen's Birthday Honours he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). In 1975 Briggs joined the HMS ''Hood'' Association as one of its youngest members and was elected as its first President. In 1995, Briggs again served as president of the organisation. Briggs regularly told his story as a guest-speaker, lecturer, and subject of historical television and radio documentaries. In July 2001 Briggs visited the wreck site and released a plaque which commemorates the lost crew of the ''Hood''. He was co-author of a book on the subject, titled ''Flagship "Hood": The Fate of Britain's Mightiest Warship''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ted Briggs」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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