Ron's reveals tale of heroism of a doomed ship

Ron's late father Cyril Cope served on HMS Hardy which was lost in the Battle of Narvik and, with the help of transcriptions of his father's tape-recorded memories, Ron wrote "Attack At Dawn" in 2015.

And now he has completed a follow-up book called "Doomed Destroyer" which centres on another destroyer sunk in the engagement, HMS Hunter.

"My main aim has always been to get the books out into as wide an audience as possible," said Ron, who lives in Horsehay.

"It is a story in the early stages of World War Two which to a large degree was lost in the 'mist of time'.

"Although in the end the books had to be self-published at a personal financial cost, I have still been able to send donations to the Royal Navy and Royal Marine charity."

The Battle of Narvik on April 10, 1940, was a ferocious engagement between British and German destroyers during the German invasion of Norway.

HMS Hardy was heavily hit and beached, and Ron's father and other survivors swam to shore in freezing temperatures and were brought back to Britain a few days later.

HMS Hunter was also lost and just 48 of the 159 on board survived in the cold waters of the fjord. They were taken prisoner and eventually forced to march in freezing conditions over the mountains into internment in neutral Sweden, where they plotted their escape.

The destroyer had had an eventful career even in peacetime, being badly damaged by a mine while patrolling off Spain in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.

Ron, who has described his research as a labour of love, has dug out many first hand accounts of those epic events in Norway which were soon to be overshadowed by the great German offensive which led to Dunkirk and the Fall of France.

And he has delved into the stories of the Norwegians who had a rather uncomfortable grandstand position as the Battle of Narvik and its aftermath unfolded.

His efforts have had the seal of approval from no less a person than the Duke of Edinburgh - himself a wartime officer in the Royal Navy - to whom Ron had sent a copy of "Attack At Dawn" recently.

Prince Philip's private secretary, Brigadier Archie Miller-Bakewell, wrote back from Buckingham Palace to describe it as wonderful and detailed tribute to his father, adding: "The book is a splendid addition to His Royal Highness's library."

And Lieutenant Percy Danby, a survivor from HMS Hotspur, one of the other destroyers in the action, wrote from Ottawa to say: “Without dedicated men like Ron Cope, the testimony and the stories of the men who were there – whether they were lost, wounded, or survived – what became of them, their families, might otherwise be lost to future generations.”

As for HMS Hunter survivors, the sun may have now set forever.

"There were two alive when I started the book, but to the best of my knowledge there are none alive now, which is a shame," said Ron, who is himself ex-Royal Navy.

He joined the service in 1964, in the radio and radar maintenance branch, and served on ships including the guided missile destroyer HMS Devonshire and the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle.

After leaving the navy in 1986, he spent over 20 years working in the probation service, specifically with young offenders.

He is now retired.

Doomed Destroyer is being published by Clink Street Publishing in April - 78 years after the Narvik battle - and is available from online retailers like Amazon, on Kindle, and also from bookstores.