A 65-year-old newspaper telling the story of naval hero 'Tubby' Linton VC is like a message winging across the years. Mike Buckingham reports.

A testament to Commander 'Tubby' Linton, Newport's wartime VC ace has surfaced 65 years after the submariner's death in combat.

Mr David Iliffe of Langstone, former chairman of Newport Maritime Trust and a key figure in erecting a memorial to Commander Linton was amazed to stumble across a copy of the Daily Express of May 26, 1943 carrying the front-page story of the submariner's posthumous Victoria Cross.

"I was at a farm sale buying timber when I spotted this seaman's chest on top of which was an old copy of the Express with Tubby's picture looking straight at me" Mr Iliffe said.

"Twenty-odd years ago I was involved in putting up the memorial to him which now stands near Newport's Steel Wave.

"The auctioneers were kind enough to let me have the newspaper.

"There are 300 editions of the newspaper published every year and almost 65 years have passed since the Turbulent was sunk making the chance of that particular newspaper being found 19,500 to one.

"Since most newspapers from 1943 have crumbled to dust the odds of this one surviving are even longer.

"And the chances of somebody who has been connected with Tubby Linton picking it up must be a million to one."

John Wallace Linton was born at Malpas, Newport and joined the submarine service in 1927 and when WW2 broke out was skipper of HM Submarine Pandora.

But it was as captain of the 'T' class boat Turbulent that the daring sailor with the black piratical beard made his name.

When in 1942 the Turbulent was preparing to go out on patrol and it was pointed out to Commander Linton that it was the 13th of the month he retorted "It is an unlucky day - for the enemy".

A strict commander and a perfectionist, Linton gave up playing rugby for the Royal Navy for fear of injuries sustained on the field affecting his performance at sea.

Daring, allied with patience and last-minute timing were the hallmarks of Linton's style.

The old newspaper which carries the Linton VC as it's front-page described his stalking of an enemy convoy in the Mediterranean.

"Having sighting a convoy of merchantmen escorted by two destroyers he worked ahead of he convoy positioning himself to attack as it passed through the moon's rays.

"On bringing his sights to bear he found himself right in the path of a destroyer but nevertheless held his course until the destroyer was almost on top of him before firing."

Commander Linton had another reason to airily dismiss the bad luck associated with the number 13.

In patrols which totalled 254 days at sea the Turbulent had been hunted 13 times and had 250 depth-charges fired at her.

It was the 14th attack in March, 1943 that proved fatal when, off the island of Corsica, the Turbulent was depth-charged and sunk.

Commander Linton's Victoria Cross was awarded for sustained offensive operations which had seen the sinking of one cruiser, one destroyer, one U-boat and 28 merchant vessels totalling 100,000 tons.

Mr Iliffe said he would consider offering the newspaper to the present HMS Turbulent which is a Trafalgar-class vessel based at Devonport.

"There can't be all that many original newspapers telling Tubby's story around. I would like this to go somewhere where it is appreciated" he said.

Mr Doug Piddington, secretary of the Newport branch of the Royal Naval Association which has several ex-submariners within its ranks said "This is a marvellous find. I hope we get the chance to see it.

"It's as though Tubby was speaking to us across the years."