80th Anniversary - Sinking of HMS Dorsetshire

 

HMS Dorsetshire 

Following piece is an extract from an article, Reader's Wartime Recollection, published in The Bay Magazine, March 2017.   This blog is marking the 80th Anniversary of the sinking of HMS Dorsetshire, 5th April 1942. 

One of those also affected by the bombing during those awful three nights was Mrs Patricia Doyle nee Robinson, who was living with her mother at 14 Kynaston Place. On the night of the bombing they had been sheltering in the communal shelter, located in the present Tesco car park. As they walked home they called into her grandmother’s house, at no. 1 Kynaston Place, as they looked along they saw that their house was a blaze. They were evacuated up to the Penygroes/Blaenau/Llandybie area.

Leading stoker Leslie Benjamin Robinson.

with kind permission Mrs. Patricia Doyle

Whilst Swansea was being bombed, Patricia’s father, Leslie Benjamin Robinson was serving with the Royal Navy. He was ‘on board’ H.M.N.B. Drake, Naval Establishment, Plymouth. Leading Stoker Robinson first served on board the H.M.S. Dorsetshire which was bombed and sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft on the 5th April 1942, with the loss of 215. Also on board, who lost his life, was Sketty man, Herbert Vincent Thorne, (29). He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. Secondly, Robinson served along with his cousin George White and two other Swansea men, Frederick Clifford and John Thomas on the H.M.S. Hecla, which was sunk by the German U boat U-515 off the coast of Gibraltar, on 12th November 1942. Stoker 1st Class, George White (24) lost his life. He is also commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

HMS Hecla

Augustus Agar VC

At the time of the sinking of HMS Dorsetshire, Augustus Agar was the captain.  Agar was awarded the Victoria Cross, during the Russian Civil War, 1919.

Agar died 1968, and buried at Alton Cemetery.