Wrexham Telegraph 1939-40 incorporating the Flintshire Post

Editorial Commander of H.M.S. Hardy

On September 3rd 1939 Britain declared COMANDER H.M.S. HARDY war on Germany in response to the German invasion of Poland. In spring Killed in action 1940 the Germans invaded France, the Low Countries, Denmark and . Lladdwyd ym Mrwydr Narvik Following the withdrawal of British forces from Dunkirk in June 1940, aptain Bernard Warburton-Lee, of H.M.S. Hardy, who was killed while gallantly leading the the Royal Air Force fought against the Cattack on German at Narvik on April 10th was the son of the late J.H. Warburton- Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain and so Lee of Broad Oak, Whitewell, Whitchurch. Giving a report on the naval action in the House of prevented the planned German invasion. Commons, Mr Winston Churchill said “From what we heard at the Admiralty late on Tuesday H.M.S. Hardy. Courtesy of the W.A.Williams night we thought the operations so hazardous that at 1 o’clock in the morning we told the captain Collection & John Warburton-Lee. Golygyddol of the flotilla that he must be the sole judge of whether to attack or not and we would support him H.M.S. Hardy. Trwy garedigrwydd Casgliad whatever he did and whatever happened. In these circumstances, Captain Warburton-Lee entered W.A.Williams a John Warburton-Lee. Ar 3ydd Medi 1939 cyhoeddodd Prydain with five destroyers and attacked the enemy destroyers and such guns as they could have landed.” ryfel ar yr Almaen mewn ymateb i ymosodiad yr Almaenwyr ar Wlad Pwyl. oedd y Capten Bernard Warburton-Lee, H.M.S. Hardy, a laddwyd wrth arwain yn ddewr yr Yng ngwanwyn 1940 goresgynnwyd ymosodiad ar longau distryw Almaenig yn Narvik ar 10fed Ebrill, yn fab i’r diweddar Ffrainc, yr Iseldiroedd, Denmarc a R J.H. Warburton-Lee o Broad Oak, Whitewell, Whitchurch. Wrth gyflwyno adroddiad ar y frwydr fôr Norwy gan lluoedd yr Almaen. Yn hwyr yn Nhˆy’r Cyffredin, dywedodd Mr Winston Churchill: “O’r hyn a glywsom yn y Morlys yn hwyr nos yn haf 1940 ymladdodd y Llu Awyr Fawrth roeddem yn meddwl bod yr ymgyrchoedd mor beryglus ein bod wedi dweud wrth gapten Brenhinol yn erbyn y Luftwaffe (llu awyr y llynges fach am 1 o’r gloch y bore mai ef yn unig fyddai’n gorfod barnu a fyddai’n ymosod yr Almaen) yn y Frwydr dros Brydain neu beidio, ac y byddem yn ei gefnogi beth bynnag a wnâi a beth bynnag ddigwyddai. Dan yr gan atal ymosodiad arfaethedig yr amgylchiadau hyn, aeth Capten Warburton-Lee i mewn gyda phum llong ddistryw ac ymosododd Almaenwyr. ar longau distryw’r gelyn ac unrhyw ynnau a laniwyd ganddynt.” April 19th 1940 / Ebrill 19eg 1940

London Gazette announces first V.C. of the war London Gazette yn cyhoeddi V.C. gyntaf y rhyfel The late Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee Y diweddar Gapten Bernard Warburton-Lee

he Victoria Cross has been awarded to the late Captain Warburton-Lee, R.N., Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee, V.C. Courtesy of the Tof H.M.S. Hardy, for his gallantry and daring in command of the British naval forces W.A.Williams Collection & John Warburton-Lee. at the first battle of Narvik on April 10th this year, in which he lost his life. Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee, V.C. Trwy garedigrwydd Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler, c.1936. Casgliad W.A.Williams a John Warburton-Lee. WCBM 85.73.15. yfarnwyd Croes Fictoria i’r diweddar Gapten Warburton-Lee, R.N., H.M.S. Hardy, am Adolf Hitler a Heinrich Himmler, tua 1936. Dei ddewrder a’i fenter yn ben ar y lluoedd morol Prydeinig ym mrwydr gyntaf Narvik WCBM 85.73.15. ar 10fed Ebrill eleni, lle collodd ei fywyd. June 14th 1940 / Mehefin 14eg 1940 Wrexham honours Pictures of German H.M.S. Exeter hero troop carrying planes “Hell on earth” – “UFFERN AR Y DDAEAR” Wrecsam yn anrhydeddu Darluniau o awyrennau cludo milwyr Almaenaidd Wrexham man’s description of Dunkirk scenes arwr H.M.S. Exeter Disgrifiad dyn o Wrecsam o olygfeydd Dunkirk A civic welcome was afforded on Saturday evening to Wrexham sailor, ack from Flanders, having experienced what he called ‘hell on earth’ is Pte. G.O. Lewis. The Petty Officer Archie Edwards, who took night of Monday June 3rd was spent on the sand dunes at Dunkirk. On Tuesday he and his B part in the memorable naval engagement companions marched down to the beach where they stayed all day in pouring rain returning to the dunes at night. Returning to the beach on Wednesday, he joined a queue of thousands to take with the German pocket battleship Graf his turn for boarding a boat. All the while he was at Dunkirk enemy planes were bombing and Spee, which resulted finally in the enemy machine gunning the troops unmercifully. After waiting on the beach for 26 hours, with very ship being scuttled. little to eat or drink, Lewis boarded a small trawler which transferred him to a two miles from land. Lewis paid a high tribute to the men of the and Merchant Service Nos Sadwrn rhoddwyd croeso dinesig i who brought the troops back to this country. forwr o Wrecsam, yr Is-swyddog Archie Edwards, a fu’n rhan o frwydr fôr n ei ôl o Fflandrys mae Pte. G.O. Lewis, wedi dioddef yr hyn a alwodd yn ‘uffern ar y ddaear’. fythgofiadwy yn erbyn llong ryfel fechan Treuliwyd nos Lun 3ydd Mehefin ar y twyni tywod yn Dunkirk. Ar y dydd Mawrth martsiodd For the guidance of Local Defence Volunteers Y Almaenaidd, Graf Spee, a arweiniodd yn and all civilians, the War Office asks us to ef a’i gymdeithion i lawr i’r traeth lle bu’n tywallt y glaw tra buont yn aros drwy’r dydd cyn y diwedd at suddo llong y gelyn. publish these silhouettes of German troop- dychwelyd i’r twyni liw nos. Wrth ddychwelyd i’r traeth ar y dydd Mercher, ymunodd â chynffon o carrying planes. filoedd i aros ei dro i fyrddio cwch. Trwy’r adeg yr oedd yn Dunkirk roedd awyrennau’r gelyn yn March 8th 1940 / Mawrth 8fed 1940 bomio ac yn saethu’r milwyr yn ddidrugaredd. Ar ôl aros ar y traeth am 26 awr, gydag ychydig Er cyfarwyddyd Gwirfoddolwyr Amddiffyn Lleol iawn i fwyta nac yfed, byrddiodd Lewis long dreillio fechan a’i trosglwyddodd i long ddistryw a holl sifiliaid, mae’r Swyddfa Ryfel yn gofyn ddwy filltir o’r tir. Talodd Lewis deyrnged fawr i wˆyr y Llynges Frenhinol a’r Llongau Masnach a i ni gyhoeddi’r amlinellau hyn o awyrennau ddaeth â’r milwyr yn ôl adref. cludo milwyr Almaenaidd. June 14th 1940 / Mehefin 14eg 1940