HUDDERSFIELD man Bill Wood took a leading role in the last fleet action by the Royal Navy in the Second World War.

It was fought on the night of May 15/16 1945 by a flotilla of five destroyers.

Their sinking of the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro in the Indian Ocean approaches to the Malacca Strait happened three months before nuclear bombs forced Japan’s surrender.

Mr Wood, who has died aged 88, was a young sub-lieutenant serving as gunnery control officer in one of those destroyers, HMS Verulam. The Haguro was picked up on radar at the then extreme range of 68,000 yards – so distant that the captain at first disbelieved the report by an able seaman operating the scanner.

Verulam, armed like the other destroyers with four 4.7 inch guns, could not match the fire power of the Haguro’s 10 eight-inch guns.

Mr Wood once said: “Her gunnery, however, wasn’t all that good. Our ships starred out – meaning that we got around the Haguro and came at her from different directions.

“She seemed to be taken by surprise and we scored several hits, but the night was pitch black and our flotilla shared the honours.”

They finished off the Haguro with torpedoes and were about to pick up survivors when the appearance of an aircraft made a Kamikaze attack seem imminent and they quickly withdrew.

A Japanese destroyer went out from Penang and rescued some 400 men from the sea.

Mr Wood completed his service as a lieutenant commander in the Royal New Zealand Navy, but never used his rank in civilian life, preferring to be known as Bill.

For 25 years he travelled England as a representative for Yorkshire Imperial Metals.

Born in Huddersfield and baptised Albert Edward (names he hated) he was educated at the former Almondbury Grammar School. Some of his classmates also went on to serve under either the white or red ensign.

He met his wife, Joan, in New Zealand and they married in 1958. She survives him with a son and two daughters, one of whom, Mrs Katie Reade, is a member of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich diocesan staff.

Bill and Joan lived in Wetheringsett, Suffolk, before moving to nearby Debenham, taking a lively interest in Church of England matters.

His ashes will be cast into the sea off Felixstowe and a thanksgiving service will take place in Debenham parish church on February 11.