TNA / ADM 116 4649

TNA ADM 116 4649

Collection details

TNA ADM 116 4649

Operation Dynamo reports and recommendations for awards, volume 2 (1940–1942), documenting service during the Dunkirk evacuation and the cases submitted for official recognition.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 116 4649

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 116/4649. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing only pages tagged with the vessel name Bystander. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

3 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 138–214 of this collection

A note about image and OCR quality

Every reasonable effort has been made to present these document images as flat, straight and accurately cropped as possible. Historical records can be difficult to photograph or scan because of tight bindings, deep gutters, page curvature, folds, creases, fragile paper, uneven edges, shadows, glare, skewed pages, fading, stains, tears, attachments and restrictions on how a document may be handled. These conditions can distort parts of an image and consequently affect the OCR transcription.

Considerable post-production work has been undertaken to crop, align, flatten and enhance the images where practicable, but the results represent our best effort rather than exact facsimiles. Text showing through from the reverse of a page, printed backgrounds, stamps, ruled lines, marks and text visible from neighbouring pages may confuse or spoil OCR output. Handwriting is not reliably recognised and, in most places, may be missing, incomplete or incorrectly transcribed. Always check the page image and, where accuracy matters, consult the original record held by the identified archive.

OCR is not a transcription. It is machine-generated text used to create research tags and help locate names and references within the source images; it should not be read as a verified narrative.

Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
138	Log in to enlarge	Page 99 Operation "DYNAMO" - Recommendations of Personnel. Yacht BYSTANDER (Echo John Sounding Yacht) - Sub. Lieutenant Henry Beresford Barge, R.N.V.R. Page 98. Operation "DYNAMO" not Recommendations of Personnel. H.M.Y. CHRISTOBEL II - Lieutenant Herbert Edward Wigfull, R.N.V.R. machine troops. fire. way over was subjected to bombing attack This On the yacht did one trip to the beaches bringing back to surf was unable gunned. Only had a small dinghy continually and owing bombed and gun machine Remained for seven hours being and beach with to embark troops. Managed to do two empty trips and started to take off troops. Found whaler whole whaler and dinghy. Ship had to keep under to once time as it would have been impossible to start engines way they were stopped, owing to defects. Recommendations. OFFICER: Lieutenant Herbert Edward Wigfull, R.N.V.R. whilst off the beaches in face of difficult conditions Showed great skill, determination and pertinacity due to engine defects, surf and continual bombing. Recommended for mention. RATING: Ordinary Seaman John Phillip Charles Mead. LT/JX. 193106. Showed great initiative and efficiency in his handling of boats and the cool and efficient manner in which he embarked troops under very difficult conditions due to surf and continual bombing. Recommended as candidate for commission.	Bystander Dinghy Barge Mead Page Wigfull
139	Log in to enlarge	Page 99 Operation "DYNAMO" - Recommendations of Personnel. Yacht BYSTANDER (Echo John Sounding Yacht) - Sub. Lieutenant Henry Beresford Barge, R.N.V.R. V. Recommendations. RATING: Able Seaman (Cook) J. H. Elton, LT/JX.180250 (R.N. Patrol Service) off the Dunkirk, KING this ship proceeded to remove 0200/30/5 the Employed as Cook in this yacht. At when dinghy, with ORRY, then sinking in the fairway. The crew of ft. effect Elton and one other as crew, launched 8 to attempted a weak to swim to the yacht, but they were personnel in a rescue. Most of the KING ORRY's dived was obvious many would drown. Elton done that it state owing to the arduous service they had such of the into the water and assisted and supported thereupon hour swimmers as he could find for more than half as many loads whilst the dinghy, rowed by the other rating, an water Elton put many men on to life-rafts and towed the of men, returned to the BYSTANDER. Whilst in with by on swimming. The last men he brought back to the yacht them a life-raft, were towed by Elton in the water as a tow-rope with one hand on the raft and one hand acting on the dinghy - a remarkable feat of endurance. He was responsible for rescuing about 25 Officers and men. In supplied hot tea and food to all the 97 men on board addition to the above, Elton, in his capacity as Cook, within half an hour of leaving the scene of the wreck, the cooking utensils, etc, normally sufficing for 7. He provided dry clothes and blankets and generally tended the rescued, many of whom were suffering from shock. This rating was unsparing in his efforts and acted with great gallantry without regard to his own safety. Recommended for decoration. Motor Boat CONSTANT NYMPH: - Chargehand B.A. Smith, Little Ship Club, (Owner of Motor Boat). Recommendation. Chargehand B. A. Smith, Little Ship Club. Chargehand Smith proceeded with a crew of 2 Naval Stokers who had never been to sea, in tow p.m. 30th May for the beaches. Took in a whaler and cutter, and during the night ferried off about 800 men to 2 skoots the JUTLAND and LAUDANIA, who were thus filled up. CONSTANT NYMPH then collected a number of odd boats trying to row off to ships filled with soldiers, and collected them and towed them to offshore vessels. During thiss time fairly continuous bombing and shelling were encountered. Chargehand Smith remarks that being deaf and with a lot to do prevented him noticing these annoyances. Continued work until all fuel was exhausted, and the boat was sent to a supply drifter for repair and refuelling, Chargehand Smith being ordered back to Margate This civilian showed great	Boat Bystander Constant Nymph Dinghy Drifter Jutland Laudania The King Barge Cook Elton King Last Little May Page Smith
214	Log in to enlarge	DSC. Lieutenant Alexander Harper Turner, Skipper George Hattan, W.S.3022, REED. Skipper William Francis L Sub-Lieutenant John Kenneth Barton Miles, R. R.V.R., Sub-Lieutenant Robert Walter Timbrell, R.C.N., H.M.M.M.M. Lieutenant Robert Hunter Irving, R.N.R., TRITON. Sub-Lieutenant George Arthur Gabbett-Mulhallen, E.M.B. R.N., Lieutenant Charles Waterland Read, R.N.R., VERNON Motor Boat I, etc. BONNIE HEATHER. Sub-Lieutenant William Ronald Williams, R.N., Motor Boat Sub-Lieutenant John Cambridge Clarke, R.N.V.R., Etc. Motor SWALLOW, Captain Master, W. Thompson, S.S. DORIEN ROSE. Boat RAPIDE. Chief Engineer B. Murphy, S.S. DORIEN ROSE. Ans kvimate, T.O. Hanlon S.S. DORIEN ROSE. Captana Master, J. Freyer Tug FOREMOST Thames 87. Cockle Boat Flotilla. Sub-Lieutenant Michael Herbert Bernard Soloman, R.N.V.R., & Lieutenant Commander Stratford Hercules Dennis, R.N., Lieutenant Christopher William Stuart Dreyer, Base, R.N., Commanding M.T.B. Dover. Lieutenant Donald Terry McBarnet, R.N., M..T.B. Dutch 102. Skoot Sea Cadet Lieutenant Harry Sidmouth-Willing, H.M.S. DOGGERSBANK. Dutch Skoot Lieutenant Frederick Thomas Renny, H.M.S. R.N.R., HILDA. Dutch Skoot Engineer Mr. J. Crockett, - BIARRITZ. H.M.S. HONDSRUG. Captarize Master, Charles Archibald Hancock, Captain Master, Ernest Leonard Hill, CANTERBURY. Captain Master, Robert Mallum McLean, Hospital Personnel GUERNSEY. Carrier ISLE GEORGE OF Captaus Master, Reginald Richard Pittman, Transport Captained Master, William Oswald Young, H.M. Ship LEVENWOOD. KING Second Second Officer Frank Edward Martin, - St. - ST. Helier. HELIER xv Sub Acting Chief Able hightenant Seaman Engineer Officer Allan Seaman Watterson, Ronald Thirwall, - TYNWALD Medal. C/JX. H.M.S. - ROYAL 139421, HARVESTER DAFFOD (Cook) J.H. Elton, LT/JX.180250, H.M.S. MOSQUITO. R.N. Patro Service, H.M.Y. BYSTANDER	Biarritz Boat Bystander Canterbury Doggersbank Hilda Hondsrug Levenwood Mosquito Reed Rose St. Helier Swallow Thames Triton Tynwald Vernon Alexander Allan Barton Clarke Cook Dennis Dover Dreyer Elton Francis Frederick Gabbett-Mulhallen George Hancock Hanlon Hattan Hill Hunter Irving King Martin McBarnet Miles Murphy Read Reed Renny Rose Thomas Thompson Timbrell Turner Walter Watterson Williams Willing Young