Remembrance Sunday

[10ClarionSt]

On Sunday 13th November 2005, I'll be taking part in the Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Our association will be there to remember all those who died in war, but particularly for us, all those lost on HM Ships, Glorious, Ardent and Acasta on June 8th 1940 in the Norwegian Sea off Narvik.

This was the largest loss of life suffered by the Royal Navy in any single incident of WW2 when 1530 men died, yet it is one of the least known battles of the war.

This is because the government of the day placed a 100 year ban on the publication of any papers relating to the battle, when normally it would only be 30 years.

The Glorious was the fastest ship in the British navy and a valuable aircraft carrier. It is still a mystery why she only had two destroyers to protect her, the Ardent and Acasta.

All three ships were lost when they were attacked by the German battlecruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The two destroyers put up the most brave defence of the carrier that it is posible to imagine. This fact is verified by former German crew of the Scharnhorst, who at their annual re-union always remember and salute the bravery of the crews of the two destroyers.

But why was the Glorious not protected by a larger force when the main British fleet was steaming away from them only 100 miles to the south?

Why did the main fleet not return to pick up survivors? The captain of the largest British ship, HMS Devonshire was under strict orders not to break radio silence. Devonshires' telegraphist said he received a distress call from Glorious and informed the captain. The captain said the messages were unclear. Over 900 men died in the freezing Norwegian Sea.

Continued below.................................

[Chessman]

Sorry '10', read your second post first, but what I said about Churchill still stands.