Does anyone know of a Bob Wilson (fivelamps) or know where I can contact him? I am currently looking into the history of the HMS Hurworth originating from Stockton and found that in 2016 he left a comment regarding the ship and seemed to have excellent knowledge of it.
Thank you – Peter Smith (son of William Smith who served on the HMS Hurworth in 1942-43)
Bob Wilson has put comments on this site during the last week, one on Barnard street, the other on Pete’s snack bar. Scroll down to the list of posts at the bottom of the page and you should be able to get in touch by replying to one of his posts.
My Nana Shalks used to have a stall here selling haberdashery and then in the 60’s Toys. My Aunty Leila and Family also had a stall selling fashion jewellery, I remember getting sweets, My fav at the time, old fashioned cough candy, a sort of brown coloured sugar solid favoured with cloves. and also some fish patties which are a delight. Sadly I can’t get them anymore as I now live in Spain.
Just been browsing through the pictures and came across the picture of Stockton market it used to be the biggest market in the country in its heyday. The decline started in the early seventies when they knocked down the wrong side of the high street. I was born and bred in Stockton and everyone I know says the same.
It was Warship Week in Stockton in March 1942. It was a market day and I stood on a platform under the Town Hall Clock and read to the crowd that had gathered the total amounts that had been purchased in the National Savings War Bonds campaign. The Escort Destroyer HMS Hurworth was then adopted by Stockton. I was 14 years of age and chosen from the William Newton School to announce the totals. My name was Dorothy Garbutt then. A proud moment I will always remember.
HMS Hurworth, HM King George 6th. War ship adopted by the citizens of Stockton on Tees 1942.
HMS Hurworth was a WW2 Type II escort destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She spent most of her career in the Mediterranean. HMS Hurworth was ordered with 15 others of the same type as part of the War Emergency Programme. The ship was laid down by Vickers-Armstrongs on the River Tyne at Wallsend on 10 April 1940, Hurworth, Admiralty Job No. J4207, was launched on 16 April 1941, and commissioned on 5 November 1941. She eventually left the Tyne for Scapa Flow, calling at Rosyth where she was commissioned; and arrived at the ‘Flow’ on the 8th. HMS Hurworth’s first operation involved taking Crown Prince Olaf of Norway from Scapa Flow to Scrabster in northern mainland Scotland. She then escorted the troopship Rangitata to Gibraltar. They were joined by another destroyer, Brilliant on 18 December and arrived in Cape Town in time for Christmas. Having carried out more escort work between Freetown and Cape Town, Hurworth then sailed to Alexandria to provide convoy escort and invasion support.
Hurworth was kept busy throughout the year escorting merchant ships to Tobruk and Malta against stiff enemy aerial opposition. In May 1943 Hurworth was involved in Operation Retribution, the prevention of enemy troops escaping from Tunisia and Algeria to Sicily and Italy. The plan seemed to have worked; Axis forces surrendered in North Africa on 13 May; with many prisoners taken. The convoy escort jobs continued; Hurworth left Alexandria on 21 October 1943 as part of the supply force in the Dodecanese islands. The following day, with the ships just off the neutral Turkish coast prior to the ‘dash’ to Leros port, the Greek destroyer Adrias struck a mine and was damaged. Hurworth, on going to investigate, suffered the same fate, this explosion split the ship in two. Both halves sank within 15 minutes. 113 men died, there were 85 survivors. HMs Hurworth lies in 102 metres (335 ft) of water at 36.59N 27.06E in Greek territorial waters; she is a British War Grave. An anecdote: A Donald Haskell was reported missing, presumed killed or drowned whilst serving on HMS Hurworth when it struck this mine, his widow was informed of his death. Later a telegram arrived from the Admiralty stating he had been discovered alive on a nearby Island awaiting rescue, when his son age 4 was told he said “Does that mean I cannot go to the orphans Xmas Party.”
Bob Wilson / information derived from www-sources.
Thank you Bob for the history about the HMS Hurworth. I didn’t realize that the ship hit a mine and was destroyed and so many souls lost. My brother Sydney Garbutt was on the Destroyer HMS Ashanti and we lived in fear everyday that harm would come to him and his ship mates. My heart goes out to all of those who payed the ultimate sacrifice.
Hello Bob,
I came across your comments on HMS Hurworth which I found very interesting. My dad, William (Bill) Smith served on HMS Hurworth for two years, based in Alexandria on Malta convoys and submarine opperations. Bill enlisted for the Royal Navy and went to Chatham Dockyard to finish his engineering apprenticeship. He became a young E. R. A. Petty Officer. Bill left Hurworth shortly after operation Husky (invasion of Sicily) and went to HM Dockyard Simonstown (SA) and worked on HMS Woolwich which was a destroyer repair ship. Bill got a draft from there and joined HMS London (cruiser) in early 1944 and joined the Eastern Pacific Fleet based in Trincomalee (Ceylon) fighting the Japanese.
I am visiting Newton Aycliffe on Tuesday 18th October 2022 to show the historian there my albums of Bill’s service in WW2 and his photo album (which he left to me) of his naval service time. Hurworth – on-Tees only mention on their website that HMS Hurworth L28 was a destroyer during WW2 and was sunk in 1943; no history of what she achieved. HMS Hurworth minesweeper of today has visited the village (during 2015) and presented the council with a German Iron Cross which was given to a Luftwaffe pilot, who was shot down by HMS Hurworth L28.
I have a question for you, do you know why it wasn’t presented to Stockton as Stockton has adopted the Hurworth? As you seem to be very much informed about the Hurworth, I wonder too if you think Stockton Council would be interested in viewing my research on the subject?
Kind regards Peter Smith
A lovely shot. I lived in the flat on the top floor of the Midland Bank building, clearly shown in this picture, from 1947 to 1949. We then we moved to a new council house at Newham Grange. This was the first ‘house’ my parents had lived in since getting married in 1925. My father died of a heart attack in 1951. I left Stockton ten years later in 1961 but this photo brings back many memories of where I grew up.
A wonderful market in it’s day!! My mother used to go every Wednesday and Saturday. I loved it as a kid, sweets and a toffee apple!! Even got roast chestnuts from the high street in the winter months. Happy days.
Now that’s the market i remember!! Used to buy some sweet fishes from the sweet stall on the left, mother would get coconut mushrooms and toffee teacakes too…
Market Day on Stockton High Street c1970s.
Picture Stockton Archive 
Does anyone know of a Bob Wilson (fivelamps) or know where I can contact him? I am currently looking into the history of the HMS Hurworth originating from Stockton and found that in 2016 he left a comment regarding the ship and seemed to have excellent knowledge of it.
Thank you – Peter Smith (son of William Smith who served on the HMS Hurworth in 1942-43)
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You can ask for his details from the Picture Stockton team. At the Stockton library.
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Bob Wilson has put comments on this site during the last week, one on Barnard street, the other on Pete’s snack bar. Scroll down to the list of posts at the bottom of the page and you should be able to get in touch by replying to one of his posts.
LikeLike
My Nana Shalks used to have a stall here selling haberdashery and then in the 60’s Toys. My Aunty Leila and Family also had a stall selling fashion jewellery, I remember getting sweets, My fav at the time, old fashioned cough candy, a sort of brown coloured sugar solid favoured with cloves. and also some fish patties which are a delight. Sadly I can’t get them anymore as I now live in Spain.
LikeLike
Just been browsing through the pictures and came across the picture of Stockton market it used to be the biggest market in the country in its heyday. The decline started in the early seventies when they knocked down the wrong side of the high street. I was born and bred in Stockton and everyone I know says the same.
LikeLike
It was Warship Week in Stockton in March 1942. It was a market day and I stood on a platform under the Town Hall Clock and read to the crowd that had gathered the total amounts that had been purchased in the National Savings War Bonds campaign. The Escort Destroyer HMS Hurworth was then adopted by Stockton. I was 14 years of age and chosen from the William Newton School to announce the totals. My name was Dorothy Garbutt then. A proud moment I will always remember.
LikeLike
HMS Hurworth, HM King George 6th. War ship adopted by the citizens of Stockton on Tees 1942.
HMS Hurworth was a WW2 Type II escort destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She spent most of her career in the Mediterranean. HMS Hurworth was ordered with 15 others of the same type as part of the War Emergency Programme. The ship was laid down by Vickers-Armstrongs on the River Tyne at Wallsend on 10 April 1940, Hurworth, Admiralty Job No. J4207, was launched on 16 April 1941, and commissioned on 5 November 1941. She eventually left the Tyne for Scapa Flow, calling at Rosyth where she was commissioned; and arrived at the ‘Flow’ on the 8th. HMS Hurworth’s first operation involved taking Crown Prince Olaf of Norway from Scapa Flow to Scrabster in northern mainland Scotland. She then escorted the troopship Rangitata to Gibraltar. They were joined by another destroyer, Brilliant on 18 December and arrived in Cape Town in time for Christmas. Having carried out more escort work between Freetown and Cape Town, Hurworth then sailed to Alexandria to provide convoy escort and invasion support.
Hurworth was kept busy throughout the year escorting merchant ships to Tobruk and Malta against stiff enemy aerial opposition. In May 1943 Hurworth was involved in Operation Retribution, the prevention of enemy troops escaping from Tunisia and Algeria to Sicily and Italy. The plan seemed to have worked; Axis forces surrendered in North Africa on 13 May; with many prisoners taken. The convoy escort jobs continued; Hurworth left Alexandria on 21 October 1943 as part of the supply force in the Dodecanese islands. The following day, with the ships just off the neutral Turkish coast prior to the ‘dash’ to Leros port, the Greek destroyer Adrias struck a mine and was damaged. Hurworth, on going to investigate, suffered the same fate, this explosion split the ship in two. Both halves sank within 15 minutes. 113 men died, there were 85 survivors. HMs Hurworth lies in 102 metres (335 ft) of water at 36.59N 27.06E in Greek territorial waters; she is a British War Grave. An anecdote: A Donald Haskell was reported missing, presumed killed or drowned whilst serving on HMS Hurworth when it struck this mine, his widow was informed of his death. Later a telegram arrived from the Admiralty stating he had been discovered alive on a nearby Island awaiting rescue, when his son age 4 was told he said “Does that mean I cannot go to the orphans Xmas Party.”
Bob Wilson / information derived from www-sources.
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Thank you Bob for the history about the HMS Hurworth. I didn’t realize that the ship hit a mine and was destroyed and so many souls lost. My brother Sydney Garbutt was on the Destroyer HMS Ashanti and we lived in fear everyday that harm would come to him and his ship mates. My heart goes out to all of those who payed the ultimate sacrifice.
LikeLike
Hello Bob,
I came across your comments on HMS Hurworth which I found very interesting. My dad, William (Bill) Smith served on HMS Hurworth for two years, based in Alexandria on Malta convoys and submarine opperations. Bill enlisted for the Royal Navy and went to Chatham Dockyard to finish his engineering apprenticeship. He became a young E. R. A. Petty Officer. Bill left Hurworth shortly after operation Husky (invasion of Sicily) and went to HM Dockyard Simonstown (SA) and worked on HMS Woolwich which was a destroyer repair ship. Bill got a draft from there and joined HMS London (cruiser) in early 1944 and joined the Eastern Pacific Fleet based in Trincomalee (Ceylon) fighting the Japanese.
I am visiting Newton Aycliffe on Tuesday 18th October 2022 to show the historian there my albums of Bill’s service in WW2 and his photo album (which he left to me) of his naval service time. Hurworth – on-Tees only mention on their website that HMS Hurworth L28 was a destroyer during WW2 and was sunk in 1943; no history of what she achieved. HMS Hurworth minesweeper of today has visited the village (during 2015) and presented the council with a German Iron Cross which was given to a Luftwaffe pilot, who was shot down by HMS Hurworth L28.
I have a question for you, do you know why it wasn’t presented to Stockton as Stockton has adopted the Hurworth? As you seem to be very much informed about the Hurworth, I wonder too if you think Stockton Council would be interested in viewing my research on the subject?
Kind regards Peter Smith
LikeLike
A lovely shot. I lived in the flat on the top floor of the Midland Bank building, clearly shown in this picture, from 1947 to 1949. We then we moved to a new council house at Newham Grange. This was the first ‘house’ my parents had lived in since getting married in 1925. My father died of a heart attack in 1951. I left Stockton ten years later in 1961 but this photo brings back many memories of where I grew up.
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A wonderful market in it’s day!! My mother used to go every Wednesday and Saturday. I loved it as a kid, sweets and a toffee apple!! Even got roast chestnuts from the high street in the winter months. Happy days.
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Stockton Market at its best before the sad decline.
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Now that’s the market i remember!! Used to buy some sweet fishes from the sweet stall on the left, mother would get coconut mushrooms and toffee teacakes too…
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I used to half inch mine Ian.
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