The navy commander nominated for

Via the neutral organisation of the Red Cross, the captain of the German heavy cruiser KM Hipper recommended Lt Cdr Gerard Broadmead Roope, who is honoured on Weymouth seafront’s war memorial, as being worthy of the highest military award.

Somerset-born Gerard Roope served as a naval cadet in 1920 and rose through the ranks to become a Lieutenant in the preSecond World War Navy. On the outbreak of the Second World War, he was based at Harwich with the first destroyer flotilla in command of the destroyer HMS Glowworm. He was living with his wife, son, and daughter, who was born while he was living in Weymouth.

Some of HMS Glowworm’s company also came from Weymouth and Portland, among them the Harris twins from Wyke Regis and a Petty Officer Townsley from Portland.

In a congenial act by Lt Cdr Roope, he drove the trio to Harwich in Essex after one weekend’s leave.

By April 1940, Hitler’s troops had invaded Norway. At the same time, Great Britain also mounted a force to prevent Norway being

To convey these troops, a large operation was to be undertaken.

The naval forces involved were the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, also the battlecruiser HMS Renown and her destroyer escorts, one of which was HMS Glowworm.

On April 7, HMS Glowworm lost a seaman overboard, through the rough, windswept North Sea. Signalling the flagship HMS Renown, Roope asked by signal lamp if he could detach from the group, to search for this missing member of the ship’s company.

After permission was given, a sweep was made of the area where the sailor had disappeared overboard, apparently to no avail.

Early the next morning, as HMS Glowworm, aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, and other vessels arrived at the Norwegian coast, another destroyer came into view. After challenging it with the code of the day (NNJ) the unknown ship replied with a signal saying she was Swedish, but a signalman aboard the Glowworm had suspicions, which he raised with Lt Cdr Roope.

The suspicions must have been given credence because the Glowworm opened fire on the lead ship, scoring a hit on what turned out to be the KM Bernd Von Arnim, loaded with invasion troops.

Another German destroyer, the KM Paul Jakobi, appeared and Glowworm’s fight against the odds had begun.

The German vessels turned tail and ran into a rain squall, leading Lt Cdr Roope to guess they were trying to lead him into their main force.

Roope gave chase in an attempt to discover the enemy fleet’s size and position and report it to the Admiralty.

After emerging on the other side of the squall, the

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