“Hood-Winked” My Most Illusive Grandad From England on HMS Hood to Australia

Walter Richard GIBSON was born Friday 11 October 1901 Wandsworth, Surrey, England. He arrived in Australia at the age of 23 and later changed his name to Walter James RICHARDS.

It was most difficult researching the ancestry of my Grandad Walter James RICHARDS, as I was to later find out his name with the past he told simply did not exist. Birth certificates purchased using his name proved incorrect. We began to think his name was an alias.

My brother David a collector of military memorabilia suggested we contact our Uncle Mervyn Richards who has Grandad’s WW1 service medals to see if there were any clues on the medals. The inscription on both service medals read “J92792 W R GIBSON Boy”. None of us knew that name was there. We reasoned that ‘W’ still stood for Walter so we sent for his service records.

Royal Navy Service: On 20 September 1918 he joined the Royal Navy as ‘Boy’ his occupation at the time was a Railway Porter. He trained on the HMS Impregnable, served twice at Vivid 1 (Devonport Barracks), joined HMS Iron Duke, HMS Lucia (Submarine Depot Ship) and from Vivid joined HMS Hood. He served as an Abel Seaman during his time in the Royal Navy.

Deserted ship: He deserted ship whist serving on the HMS Hood anchored in Sydney 10 April 1924 during the World Empire Cruise. I guess my Grandad took advantage of all the fanfare of the many festivities and ‘ran’ to start his new life in Australia under a different name. He left behind his family & all ties with mother England.

His birth certificate identified his parents as James George GIBSON a general labourer & Edith E COUSINS Servant and revealed he was the youngest of 5 children. They were Edith Maud born 1889, Beatrice Mary born 1893, James Charles born 1897 & Herbert George born 1899. His address noted on his birth certificate: 3 Belgrave Terrace, Replingham Road, Wandsworth, Surrey. I later found a sister Lucy D Gibson aged 6 in 1911 census.

My Grandad did not deliberately set out to deceive us, much of what he told us was true eg: he sailed on a ship that sunk and there were only 3 survivors, the ship he described was Hood however his connection was 17 years prior to the sinking. I guess after years of having to protect his identity Grandad basically had to live a lie. We were Hoodwinked but I believe “Hoodwinked with kindness”…. I often wonder whether he planned to leave the ship in Sydney or was it a spur of the moment thing. The Naval Discipline Act states 'Every person subject to this Act who deserts shall be liable to imprisonment for any term or any less punishment authorised by the Act 'He will also forfeit all pay, bounty, salvage and allowance earned by him, all annuities, pensions and gratuities granted to him and all clothes and effects left by him on board his ship or at his place of duty'. In wartime desertion was punishable by death!

Grandad disappeared in Sydney and later emerged as Walter James RICHARDS eventually to live most of his life in Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia. He married Ethel Mary MILLER daughter of Anthony Jacob MILLER & Alma Constance KERSHAW. They had two children May & Mervyn.

Grandad died 29 March 1974 at Stanthorpe and is buried in the Stanthorpe Cemetery. He was the proud Grandfather of 7 – May’s children Julie, David, Glenn & Maree SALATA – Mervyn’s children Andrew, Wendy & Leah RICHARDS.

Grandad was a beautiful kind man who loved his family dearly and it must have been hard for him to leave his English family behind.

Grandad’s Royal Navy Service Record and hisBritish Victory Medal & British War Medal

Birth Certificate (above) Walter Richard GIBSON Birth: 11 October 1901 Parents: James George & Edith E GIBSON (Pictured left)

Grandad as a member of the 11th Light Horse Regiment Darling Downs Mounted Infantry (QMI) Stanthorpe 1940

Walter & Ethel RICHARDS & daughter May 1939

Below: Walter & son Mervyn 1942