Bernard Warburton-Lee
| Bernard Armitage Warburton Warburton-Lee | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
13 September 1895 Broad Oak, Wrexham, Wales |
| Died | 10 April 1940 (aged 44) Narvik, Norway |
| Buried at | Ballangen New Cemetery, Norway |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1908–1940 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held |
HMS Tuscan (1924–25) HMS Walpole (1926–27) HMS Vanessa (1928–30) HMS Bryony (1933–34) HMS Witch (1934–36) Flag Captain, HMS Effingham (1938–39) HMS Hardy (1939–40) 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (1939–40) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Victoria Cross Mentioned in Despatches War Cross (Norway) |
Captain Bernard Armitage Warburton Warburton-Lee VC (13 September 1895 – 10 April 1940) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
In 1936 due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and because there was fear of social unrest in the naval station, the Foreign Office in London organized a ship to repatriate the remaining British citizens and on 22 July 1936 HMS Witch, captained by B.A. Warburton-Lee, departed from Ferrol in northwestern Spain for Britain.
Warburton-Lee was 44 years old and a captain in the Royal Navy when the following action took place during the Second World War, for which he was awarded the VC..
On 10 April 1940 in Ofotfjord, Narvik, Norway, in the First Battle of Narvik Captain Warburton-Lee of HMS Hardy commanded the British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, consisting of five destroyers (HMS Hardy, Havock, Hostile, Hotspur and Hunter), in a surprise attack on German destroyers and merchant ships in a blinding snowstorm. This attack was successful, but was almost immediately followed by an engagement with five more German destroyers, during which Captain Warburton-Lee was mortally wounded by a shell which hit Hardy's bridge. For his exploits in this engagement he was posthumously awarded Britain's highest decoration for valour in combat, the Victoria Cross. During the Second World War, only 23 Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of the Royal Navy and Royal Naval Reserve, of whom only approximately 11 survived. In 1942 he was also awarded the Norwegian War Cross.
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