Trafford

He attended the Navigation Rd School and was a member of the Boys Brigade
and Cheshire Cadet Corps.   He volunteered for the RN in August 1940.

An article about Able Seaman Chrimes appeared in the 27/06/41 (aged 18 then
- 19 in July) edition of the local paper about his experiences aboard the
Prince of Wales battleship when they attacked the Bismark.  He was only
about 400 yards away from the Hood when it went down with the loss of so
much life.

H.M.S. Prince of Wales was attacked and sunk between 11.44hrs & 13.20hrs on
the 10/12/41 east of Malaya, in position 03.34N 104.26E by the Japanese
Naval Air Force torpedo aircraft.  Together with the Repulse and 4
destroyers (Force Z) sailed from Singapore to intercept Japanese troop
reinforcements and bombard enemy landings.  Some 80 Japanese bombers and
torpedo aircraft attacked - there was no allied air cover.  It was sunk
together with the battlecruiser Repulse and of the joint complement of
nearly 3,000 personnel 2,081 were rescued by the destroyers.  H.M.S. Prince
of Wales was one of 5 'King George V' class battleships.  They had a
displacement of 36,700 tons and a complement of 1,560 personnel.

See 27/06/1941, 12/12/41 & 26/12/41 editions of the local newspaper with
photo.