December 19, 1941

Ordinary Seaman BERNARD BISBY
Service Number: P/JX 264850
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Navy H.M.S. Neptune

Date of Death Died 19 December 1941
Age 29 years old

Buried or commemorated at PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Panel 50, Column 1.

Additional Info
Son of George and Lily Bisby; husband of Hilda Bisby, of Mexborough, Yorkshire

The loss of 837 men from HM Ships
NEPTUNE and KANDAHAR in 1941

More than 70 years ago on the night of 19 December 1941, there occurred one of the most extensive but least known naval disasters of the Second World War. The Cruiser HMS Neptune ran into an uncharted minefield in the Mediterranean off Tripoli, and sank with the loss of 764 officers and men. Just one man was rescued by an Italian torpedo boat, after 5 days in the water.

HMS Neptune at Simonstown

HMS Neptune, commanded by Captain Rory O’Conor, was leading ‘Force K’, a Cruiser raiding squadron. Their task was to destroy German and Italian convoys carrying troops and supplies to Libya, in support of Rommel’s army in North Africa. On the afternoon of December 18th the squadron was despatched from Malta to intercept an important enemy convoy bound for Tripoli. The three cruisers of ‘Force K’, the Neptune, Aurora and Penelope, supported by the destroyers Kandahar, Lance, Lively and Havock, were steaming south, in single line ahead on a dark, stormy night when at 0106 am, the Neptune struck a mine.

The Aurora her next astern, hauled out to starboard but only a minute later she too exploded a mine; two minutes later an explosion buffeted Penelope’s port side abreast the bridge. The Neptune going full astern hit another mine, which wrecked her steering gear and propellers and brought her to a standstill. The cruiser force had run into a minefield in a depth of water and at a distance from land which made it utterly unexpected.