Parade held to mark the 85th anniversary of HMS Hood's sinking in World War Two

A parade has been held at Battlecruiser HMS Hood South East London Memorial Group in Bellingham, London, to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Hood during the Second World War.

Rear Admiral Sir Chris Parry, Captain Gelhausen, the German navy attaché in London, trainee sailors from HMS Collingwood, cadets, and veterans, attended the event in the capital. 

HMS Hood, an Admiral-class battlecruiser, was sunk in the Battle of the Denmark Strait in 1941, causing the deaths of 1,415 personnel and leaving only three survivors, Ordinary Signalman Ted Briggs, Able Seaman Robert Tilburn and Midshipman William John Dundas. 

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The vessel's demise has continued to be debated, with various theories being suggested as to how the ship was ultimately sunk by the German ship Bismarck. 

The sinking remains the Royal Navy's biggest loss of life on a single ship in conflict. 

The HMS Hood Association, which was set up in 1975 by a group of former crew members, including a couple of the survivors, organised the parade, which included personnel from HMS Collingwood.  

Battlecruiser HMS Hood South East London Memorial Group is based out of the Bellingham Ex-Servicemen's Club in south-east London.