The Sunderland sailor who got a perfect posting in the Second World War - in a hotel in his own town

Harry Thompson got in touch with the Sunderland Echo after reading our story on the last days of the Grand Hotel in Bridge Street.

It raised his interest as the hotel was where his father Harold Thompson was billeted as the war came to a close. It was the perfect posting as his dad was an East End lad.

Harry said: “He was a petty officer in the Royal Navy and was in Chatham shore base when he was drafted to Sunderland to take charge of disarming German warships and U-boats at the end of the war.”

When Harold heard that the draft was to his 'home town' he ‘readily jumped at the chance’, said Harry.

“Being an East end boy who had been brought up mainly in the sailors boys orphanage this was something special.”

It was in August 1974 that the Grand Hotel in Bridge Street faced its final days as the bulldozers moved in, five years after the hotel closed.

In its heyday, it hosted famous names such as Christopher Lee, Billy Fury, Adam Faith, Alistair Sim, Bob Monkhouse, Helen Shapiro, and Hughie Green.

And at the end of the war, Harold got to experience the same hotel experience.

He died in 1987 but his memories live on through his son who said Harold was one of 12 children and ‘went into the orphanage aged seven until he was 14’

He worked in Jolly’s garage in Sans Street until he joined the Royal Navy in 1936.

Harold ‘trained at Chatham and Whale Island gunnery school. After his training, he joined HMS Kent.

"He was on the China station aboard HMS Kent when war broke out in 1939. He served on board Kent at the same time as the Duke of Edinburgh who was a midshipman.

"He was at Harland and Wolf shipyard in Belfast for the commissioning of a American frigate Sarawak where he met my mother. He was an excellent footballer and represented the RN.

“After the war and a period in the Merchant Navy he served as a postman for 34 years until his death.”

Harry added: “Dad was from a naval family as his dad, granddad and great granddad all served in the Royal Navy.”

Harold left two sons who also served at sea.

Dad-of-three Harry, 74, is from High Barnes and married for 39 years to Kim.

He said: “I left Commercial Road school at 14 as my birthday is in August and started work as an apprentice welder/fabricator at South Dock iron works in Hendon.

"I had a few years in the Royal Navy as a mechanical engineer and have worked in the fabrication industry all my life until I retired at 69 from my last job at Caterpillar Peterlee.”

Do you have relatives who shared a piece of Sunderland history? Is there an interesting find in your family tree? We would love to hear from you.

Or maybe there is an event in Wearside’s past you would like us to spotlight.

Get in touch and tell us more by emailing [email protected]

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