大象传媒

In my opinion,there is no doubt about it, the hero of the whole chain of events after we lost our ship was Lieutenant George Hepple, DSO RN. He took complete charge when we were stranded and showed great determination,leadership and courage in adverse conditions. After the war he retired to a remote little spot, Penton Billy near Falmouth in Cornwall. I visited him a few years ago and we had a right old natter about the happenings of that fateful day, April 10th, 1940. Sadly he has now passed away.

Another Officer to receive the DSO was Paymaster Lieutenant G H Stanning. He took over the ship's wheel after the cox'n had been killed. He prevented the Hardy careering across the fjord out of control.Somewhere since the War ended I read an account by him telling how he was rescued from the water. He stated "Two ratings asisted me to reach the house" Yes two ratings alright - Able Seaman Joe Sweetland and Leading Seaman Fred Mason. I wonder if he ever realized how near he was to being left to struggle on his own!

It is well known that the Hardy's Captain, Captain Bernard Armitage Warbuton-Lee was posthumously awarded the Victoris Cross. I believe it was the first to be awarded in World War Two. It was certainly listed first in the London Gazette, Friday 7th June, 1940.

And finally the story of the dinghy that sailed away during the rescue of the Hardy's Navigator. A few years ago, I happened to notice an article in the Sunday newsaper,the Sunday Express, written by Sally Staples and headed- ""An Officers's sword comes drifting back". In it she had the gist of the story but it was not all correct. When I spoke to Commander Heppel about it he said he had given Sally the corect version but she would put it down her own way!

Unknown to me, when the little boat drifted away, it contained Heppel's cerimonial sword engraved with his name, and also a silver cigarete case of his. A Norwegian found the dinghy and kept the sword and case as souvenirs and it was only after he died that his son found them and decided to attempt to return them to their rightful owner. This was done through the Norwegian and British Admiralties.At our meeting Heppel showed me the sword and we had a good laugh about how it got lost in the first place!

Something else which I think is worth mentioning. When the Hunter was sunk in the fjord her First Lieutenant H A Stuart-Menteth suffered a broken leg and exposure in the icy water. He was rescued by a German Destroyer and taken ashore to the local hospital in Narvik. Three days later when the British captured the town, he was re-rescued and finally found himself in hospital in St Helens in Lancashire. In January 1942 he was in command of the Berkley, a Hunt Class Destroyer which was having a boiler clean. He was whisked away to take command of the Aldenham, another Hunt Destroyer, newly built and just commissioned. The folowing day she set sail for the Mediterranean. I served under Lieutenant Stuart-Menteth on the Aldenham for about twenty one months and a better Skipper one could not wish to have had.

The story of this gallant little ship and ship's company is to be found in the book-THE LAST DESTROYER written by myself and published April 1988 ( Robert Hale Ltd)

FA Mason 18th January 1989

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Olwen George on behalf of FA Mason and has ben added to the site with his permission. The author fully understood the site's terms. This was before his death in February 2005, aged 92 years."

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