Leading Seaman Alexander Hunt – H.M.S. Hardy

Leading Seaman Alec Hunt – H.M.S. Hardy

The second Second World War casualty named on the Mumbles Methodist Church memorial is Alec Hunt.

Early Life

Birth and Family Background

Born Alexander Percival Hunt in 1916, he was the son of Thomas John Hunt and Gladys Annie Jenkins, who had married in 1900. The family suffered an early loss when Thomas died in 1918, leaving Gladys widowed with several young children.

Family in the 1921 Census

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the Hunt family were living at 32 Park Street, Mumbles. Gladys, aged 41, managed the household and cared for her children. Reginald (19) was out of work but had previously been employed as a labourer for the Phoenix Patent Fuel Works. Thomas George (17) was working for the London and North Western Railway in number taking within the Home Accident Department, while Annie May (15) was an apprentice tailor with Miss A. John, Costumier, of 46 Walter Road, Swansea. The younger children—Gwendoline Vera (13), Frederick John (8), and Alexander Percival (4)—attended school, while Theresa Margaret (3) was of preschool age.

Military Service and Death

H.M.S. Hardy

Alexander later joined the Royal Navy, serving as a Leading Seaman aboard H.M.S. Hardy.

H.M.S. Hardy’s Final Action – Narvik, 10^th April 1940

H.M.S. Hardy met her end during the Second Battle of Narvik in the early hours of 10 April 1940, one of the most dramatic naval actions of the Norwegian Campaign. Under the command of Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee, Hardy led a flotilla of British destroyers into Ofotfjord in a surprise attack on German naval forces occupying Narvik, a strategically vital port used for exporting Swedish iron ore. The fjords surrounding the town were narrow, steep-sided, and treacherous to navigate, with poor visibility and snow squalls sweeping across the water, yet Hardy pressed forward into the darkness. In the falling snow, the destroyers launched their assault, firing torpedoes and opening fire at close range, catching several German ships at anchor and causing significant damage and confusion. However, as the flotilla withdrew, five more German destroyers—larger and better armed—advanced to intercept them. In the confined waters of the fjord, Hardy, leading from the front, came under intense fire; shells struck the bridge and fatally wounded Captain Warburton-Lee, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. With the ship ablaze, steering disabled, and casualties mounting, Hardy could no longer continue the fight. Her remaining officers steered the burning ship toward the shore and beached her at Vidrek in a desperate attempt to save the crew. Parts of the vessel collapsed under the heat of the fire, and those who survived struggled ashore through freezing water, many suffering from burns, wounds, or exposure, though several were helped by local Norwegian villagers who risked their own safety to assist them. Among those who lost their lives in the action was Leading Seaman Alexander Percival Hunt. With no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, honouring those lost at sea. Despite the heavy losses, the British attack at Narvik disrupted German control and contributed to the temporary Allied recapture of the town in May 1940.

Commemoration

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Alexander Hunt
Plymouth Naval Memorial
credit - findagrave

Alexander is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours sailors who died at sea and have no known grave. His name is also recorded on the Mumbles Methodist Church memorial, where the local community continues to honour his sacrifice. In addition to these public memorials, Alexander’s details are preserved in the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, ensuring that his service and sacrifice are formally recognised in national historical archives. These records and memorials together help keep his memory alive for future generations.

Legacy

Although Alexander died at only 24 years of age, his service forms part of the wider story of the Norwegian Campaign and the fierce naval struggles of 1940. His courage, and the sacrifice made by his shipmates aboard H.M.S. Hardy, contributed to the early resistance against German expansion in northern Europe. For his family, his loss—like so many others in wartime—left a lasting absence, but his name endures in the records of both community and nation. Through the continued remembrance of his life and service, Alexander Percival Hunt remains a symbol of duty, bravery, and the profound human cost of the Second World War.