This page was written by Simeon’s nephew and is reproduced here with his kind permission. If you would like to get in touch with Simeon’s family to discuss common links and interests, please contact me and I shall attempt to put you in touch.
Here my contact tells some of the tale of his Uncle, Simeon H.H. Warder:
“Simeon Henry Harris Warder was born at Cwm Soar Farm, Jerusalem Lane, Glascoed, on 9th September 1910 and was what we would nowadays call a professional sailor in the Royal Navy.
His story is partly as told to me by my mother, Myra, Sim’s youngest sister, but this is now clarified and augmented after obtaining his Royal Navy service record. This has made for very interesting reading after further cross reference research was carried out on the ships’ war diaries. It always helps to know where to look for the detail.
Simeon joined the Royal Navy at the tender age of 14 years and six months as a Boy Sailor on 25th April 1925 during the inter world war years and finished his service on 2nd November 1945 as a Leading Seaman (Corporal equivalent).
Prior to the Second World War, in particular Sim served on HMS Malaya, an ex WW1 battleship with 15” guns, which is known to have visited Weston Super Mare in the 1930 to 1933 period. My mother then aged between about 2 and 5 years old, with her mother and elder sister caught a P&A Campbell paddle steamship from the Newport (Welsh) side of the Bristol Channel to go across to Weston and visit Sim. A shipmate of Sim’s (known as “Lofty” for his 6ft 2in stature) took a shine to my mother and carried her all around the ship on his shoulders during their visit. My mother has a pink small scarf, or large handkerchief, with the ship’s silhouette image and “HMS Malaya” stitched across one corner.
My mother also has got a memento of Sim’s visit, whilst posted to HMS Exeter a heavy cruiser with 8” guns, to the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. It is a blue bordered print silk scarf depicting HMS Exeter and a corner diagonal black overprint marking their visit to the fair; and a commemorative envelope which I now have.
Sim was an Able Seaman when he was on HMS Exeter. At the time of the Battle of the River Plate, 13th December 1939, he was posted to one of Exeter’s turrets. During the battle his forward turret was disabled and he was consequently ordered to go aft to the last turret left firing and unfortunately whilst proceeding to his new post he witnessed a shipmate being struck by an enemy shell.
After the action, whilst helping clear up the battle damage, he tripped over an open hatch and twisted his knee. This resulted in Sim missing the ship’s parade in London, when Exeter got back to the UK, where the ship was granted the freedom of the City of London and the luncheon given to the crew in the Guild Hall in honour of their brave action. Sim meanwhile was sent to Scotland to have his knee operated on and it was here that he met his future wife, Frances.
An interesting footnote is that Sim was presented with a gold wrist watch by his fellow villagers, from the area around Undy, for his part in the battle and this was reported in the local press.
It would appear that there was some ship’s controversy as to the lack of proper credit afforded to Captain Bell (after the action), who started the Exeter’s attack on the Graf Spee alone. Subsequently the Exeter took a hammering while Ajax and Achilles caught up and manoeuvred to the other flank of the Graf Spee. It should be remembered that the Graff Spee had bigger, therefore longer range and more powerful guns, which seriously disadvantaged the British cruisers. The German enemy’s fire had to be somehow split – the rest is history as they say.
In my Mum’s autograph book there is a poem which was written in Sim’s own hand and runs like this (verbatim):-
BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE
You’ve heard of Britton’s Heroes. On Land, in Air and Sea.
But here’s a tale will stir you, The fate of the “Graf Von Spee”.
The 13th of December. Twas her unlucky date
For then she met Exeter, around the River Plate.
We met as Dawn was Breaking, She raked us with her Shell
Yet still we went in at her, Our faith in Captain Bell.
Now she scuttled by her crew, A sorryful sight to see
The Pride of the German Navy, “The Admiral Graf Von Spee”. “
