This was a shameful incident in which our aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, with 1,245 men, was allowed to leave Norway escorted only by two destroyers, HMS Acaster and HMS Ardent.
At sea, they encountered two battlecruisers, Scharnorst and Gneisenau, each with 11ins guns, compared to the 4.7ins on Glorious and there could be little doubt about the outcome.


The Glorious had no lookout, or incredibly in view of all its aircraft, a spotter plane. The much bigger Germans were able to open fire from long range.
The destroyers headed straight toward the enemy but were both sunk, although one managed to damage the Scharnorst. Within two hours all three British ships were sunk, leaving more than 900 men swimming, or clinging to rafts in the bitterly cold sea.


A wireless operator managed to send an appeal for help, received by the British cruiser, HMS Devonshire, less than 100 miles away, but since it had the King of Norway on board, that ship sailed on leaving the men to their fate. Three days later a Norwegian fishing boat picked up the 46 who were miraculously still alive.


My interest in the incident came about when tracing the fate of 20-year-old boy Thomas Cole, of Darnley, who attended St Austin's Church for a book I am writing on the lost boys of the church. I fear he suffered the same fate as poor Ronald Holland.


NORMAN J HAZELL MBE
Woolgreaves Drive
Wakefield