Remembering Today 10/4/40 Lieut-Commander L.De Villiers, Royal Navy H.M.S. Hunter Awards:

DE VILLIERS, LINDSAY

Rank:

Lieut-Commander

Date of Death:

10/04/1940

Age:

35

Regiment/Service:

Royal Navy



H.M.S. Hunter

Awards:

Mentioned in Despatches

Panel Reference:

Panel 36, Column 1.

Memorial:

PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Additional Information:

Son of James Henry and Marie Josephine de Villiers; husband of Pamela Margaret de Villiers, of Durban, Natal, South Africa.http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2478222/DE%20VILLIERS,%20LINDSAY

 

Details of the above loss....

9 April 1940

During the first battle of Narvik, the destroyer HMS Hunter was hit by shellfire and set on fire, she was then torpedoed by the German destroyer Georg Thiele. Hunter was then rammed in the stern by HMS Hotspur and then sank, Hotspur was out of control after been hit by enemy shells.

 

good day cl1.yesterday.06:00am.remembering today.10/4/40.lieut-commander l.de villiers royal navy.H.M.S.HUNTER.awards mentioned in dispatches.may he rest in peace.regards bernard85

 

http://www.southafricawargraves.org/search/details.php?id=5427

 

My father Cyril Cope was a twenty-one year old Torpedoman on HMS Hardy. Prior to his death in 2003 he left me documents / audio tapes of his own experience in the Battle of Narvik. Subsequently, I have been on a six year quest to search for other crew members of the five ships of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, commanded by Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee.V.C. This has been a success, resulting in my first book "Attack At Dawn" being published on the 10th April 2015, the 75th Anniversary. (Available at 'Amazon'and all good book stores)

My second book to be published by the end of 2015 "Doomed Destroyer" (working title) is focussed on the many crew members accounts on board HMS Hunter. Out of an appoximate ships company of 150 only 45 survived the sinking in the cold waters of the Norwegian fjord. My story is about the survivors and how they faired when being rescued by the German destroyers, held as prisoners until their armed guard march to the neutral country of Sweden. Followed by their attempts, over the next five years as to how they were able to return to Britain. One of the survivors Marshal Soult explains in his account of his escape by air, train and sea when he finally arrived in South Africa. It was here that he met the parents of Lieutenant Commander Lindsay de Villiers.

I would be most grateful if anyone has contact with his family to make contact with me, so for historical purposes I can add to my ongoing manuscript. Thank you. Ron Cope (roncope@btinternet.com)