South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 12 December 1942
Sailor Missing
Mrs. Vera Burton, of 69, Warmsworth Street, Denaby Main, received the news on Saturday that her husband. A.B. John Burton, was reported missing since the loss of his ship in the recent North African expedition.
He was serving in the same ship when it was visited by Mr. Winston Churchill previously. A.B. Burton has been in the Navy for nearly nine years and has had some remarkable experiences. He was serving In H.M.S. Hardy at Narvik.
After the ship had, been beached, about 150 of them landed some five miles from Narvik, and the wounded and other bad cases were left behind in the villages and the rest trudged on by foot to a place called Bellangen, about 15 miles distant.
He told of the kindness of the Norwegian people who did all they could to provide them with further clothing and other assistance they needed. A.B. Burton said at the time, ” They even took clothes off their own backs to give to us.”
Able Seaman Burton has seen service in South Africa, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. He married this year Miss Vera Wakefield, who is well known in church circles. He is the son of Mr. R. Burton, of 5, Melton View, Denaby Main.