Chick Henderson: HMS Victory's world-famous singer who served during WWII
To this day, HMS Victory remains a commissioned warship in the Royal Navy.
But did you know she once hosted a music superstar?
Chick Henderson enjoyed success in the 1930s as the only British singer to sell a million copies of a single record in the whole decade - Begin the Beguine.
Nowadays he has almost been forgotten.
But once wildly popular, the star singer, whose real name was Henderson Rowntree, served in the Merchant Navy when war broke out, later transferring to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
In June 1944, Henderson was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on board HMS Victory.
One day, he found himself serving on board the ship in Southsea when an air raid siren went off.
He and his comrades hurried to the nearest air raid shelter, but just as he was making his way down the stairs to safety, he collapsed.
He had been hit in his side by a fragment of a shell fired from a British 3.7-inch anti-aircraft gun that went off prematurely.
He was carried by his friends to the Royal Beach Hotel, but could not be saved.
Being assigned to HMS Victory might well have meant he served on the famous vessel.
But the designation "HMS Victory" was applied to up to 10 shore establishments - not all of which were in Portsmouth.
Many sailors and officers were assigned to HMS Victory while they awaited their next role.
Sadly, in Henderson's case there would not be another.
The once-famous singer was laid to rest in the Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery in Gosport, having died at the age of 31.
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