Gill Holt Wrote:
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> I am researching the History of My Family & my
> Uncle lost his life on the HMS Hecla. He was a
> Leading Sick Birth Attendant called William Brian
> Coulson Shaw (known as Brian)He died before I was
> born & would love to hear anything about him, the
> torpedoing & the disaster in November.
> Gill


Gill,

I have been sent scans of letters from the parents of Brian Shaw sent to a family in South Africa he stayed with after HECLA detonated a mine and was under repair at Simonstown. If you get in touch I can forward these to you and help you tell his story on my website about the Sick Berth attendants in HECLA.

This November will the 75th anniversary of the loss of HMS HECLA and a new hardback edition of a HARD FOUGHT SHIP will be published on the 9th May containing the most detailed account of what happened on the 11th November 1942 when HMS HECLA was torpedoed and 500 men were rescued by HMS VENOMOUS.

If you lost a family member in this naval disaster or if your father or grandfather was one of those rescued and you want to find out more about what happened during that long night then this is the book for you.

See: [www.holywellhousepublishing.co.uk]

"Venomous" Bill