TNA ADM 199 788 A

Dynamo 312.
63
COPY.
Royal Naval Hospital,
57
Chatham.
To: Rear-Admiral Taylor, O.B.E..
13th June, 1940.
Sir,
I have the honour to forward the narrative of events whilst in command of m.v. "NEW PRINCE OF WALES"
Bray. until she was believed sunk at 1415 at the beaches near
A.M. Wednesday 29th May I was ordered to proceed to Sheerness to report to the Commodore at H.M.S. "WILDFIRE"
Arrived Sheerness about 1700 was ordered to proceed in m.v. "NEW PRINCE OF WALES" leading flotilla of seven light craft. Left camber at H.M.S. "WILDFIRE" proceeded to sea through boom. Two boats appeared to be in difficulties and did not leave the boom. I was met by escort yacht and formed astern of her.
Had to slow down to keep boats in company. First three boats astern kept good station, remaining one fell astern but owing to urgency of getting boats to destination flotilla did not decrease speed any further.
About 2200 yacht escort was challenged from shore.
She informed me an officer was required to go in to
Margate for orders, so proceeded myself in fast motor boat
"MARSAYRA". Established my identity and was told to push on to Ramsgate. While away one boat "QUEEN
BOADACEA" broke down, after some delay she was taken in tow by escort yacht. My port engine broke down, speed.
greatly reduced. One boat lost contact in darkness. I
went back to look for her off Longrose, search unsuccessful, rejoined escort. Fog came down at dawn and escort anchored with "NEW PRINCE OF WALES", "QUEEN BOADACEA"
and "MARSAYRA", off Ramsgate exact position uncertain.
After an hour fog cleared enough to show buoy ahead so proceeded with "MARSAYRA" in company escort yacht following with "QUEEN BOADACEA". Engines misfiring badly and stopped just outside Ramsgate, anchored and proceeded into harbour in "MARSAYRU". Reported to Naval Officer-in-
Charge Ramsgate received charts and orders to proceed to beaches between Bray and La Panne and to carry on ferrying troops from shore to ships until only enough fuel remained to return. Boats were towed in, repairs started on "NEW PRINCE OF WALES" immediately.
Engines ready for use at 1630 so proceeded to sea 30/5
at once by route 'X' for Dunkerque. Arrived off French coast 2230 (Thursday 30th). Port engine failed again shortly after turning parallel to coast. Dunkerque burning fiercely and heavy pall of smoke covered the channel to the borth. Endeavoured to find beach with boat hardly making eny way through the water. Attempts to locate troops were insuccessful and I was lost in smoke, saw green light buoy
ДРО established approximate position, immediately fterward voptboard engine failed, had to drop anchor.
E.R.A. reported ammount of fuel remaining and I
we could not return to Ramsgate even if we did no
I. пливет BO determined to carry on until fuel ran out. The
& atco LETUS efforts of E.R.A. hite and the stoker assisting commendable and before dawn both engines though firing badly the boat was making three

NAVAL OFFICER IN GIVE
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ad
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From:- Act. Sub. Lieut. J.M. Chappell, R.N.
Date:- 7th June, 1940.
To:- Naval Officer in Charge, Ramsgate.
29th May.
30th May.
2200 Left Portsmouth in H.M.S. Nelson's picket boat.
a.m. Sighted submarine and warned a French convoy.
Port engine bearings ran out.
1730 Arrived Ramsgate on one engine.
2330 Left for Dunkirk, machine-gunned from the air two miles out of Ramsgate.
31st May.
Dawn Arrived Dunkirk Roads. Funnel carried away by shell-fire. Making water slightly; loaded with troops and left.
1400 Arrived Ramsgate.
1st June.
0830 Left for Dunkirk. Making water rapidly. Beached the boat; found bottom damaged by enemy fire.
Took command M.Y. Santosy and left for Dunkirk.
On return journey filled up with petrol; found too late that one can contained water. Proceeded on port engine only; towed by trawler. Trawler ran on to wreck East of N. Goodwin L/V and turned over on top of "Santosy". Cabin smashed; civilian volunteer Barrington severely injured.
Arrived Ramsgate on one engine. Discharged
Barrington to Deal Hospital; sent crew ashore for rest.
3rd June.
1600 Engines repaired. Left for Dunkirk with civilian volunteer J.W.S. Gilbert as engineer. Towed by tug Sun IV. Tow parted off Dunkirk; proceeded under own power. Starboard engines failed again.
Sea rising. Hailed Sun IV and on her commander's orders abandoned Santosy and boarded Sun VI with my crew.
REPORT: New gas used by enemy. Shells and bombs bursting near gave off white cloud which hung suspended in air. From burns on bodies in water gathered it to be of acid nature.

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In any further communication on this subject, please quote
REGISTRY CENTRAL
429
No. K 9032/7083/217.
and addressnot to any person by name but to
FOREIGN OFFICE. S.W.L
The Under-Secretary of State,"
18550
6th June, 1940.
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
1940
Sir,
I am directed by Viscount Halifax to state, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. that in the course of his report on the closure of the British Vice-
Consulate at Dunkirk on May 21st, Mr. Pro-Consul Wild pays tribute to the Sea Transport Officer, Lieutenant Commander Dunnet
R.N.R., who was extremely useful in providing transport for the large number of refugees leaving Dunkirk for the United Kingdom.
Mr. Wild mentions that he understands that this officer was later very seriously wounded by a bomb.
2. The Pro-Consul further states that Commander H. Henderson
R.N., Naval Liaison Officer attached to Amiral Nord, was also invaluable in supplying Destroyers and other craft at the Pro-
Consul's request for transport at Boulogne, Calais, Ostend and
Dunkirk. At one point Mr. Wild had heard that some fifteen hundred British subjects were stranded in Ostend. He informed
Commander Henderson of this, and a vessel was made available at
Ostend by dawn on the following day.
3. Mr. attached to the Vice-Consulate as Assistant remained Naval calm
Wild adds that Paymaster Sub-Lieutenant H. Penn R.N.R., Control who was also extremely helpful. This officer considerably under Officer, very was bad conditions and his cheerful attitude alleviated the despondency of the refugees.
I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
The Secretary of the Admiralty.

447
over inshore a hundred yards out to sea. A long rolling surf flows most of the time and even the shallow draught motorboats could not approach closely with any degree of safety.
Open boats of all kinds from naval cutters and whalers to seaside dinghies were towed over from England by the motorboats themselves and by other craft. Some of these pulling boats were manned by odd naval ratings, others by the soldiers themselves.
One of the principal difficulties was to avoid fouling the motor-boats' screws with painters and odd lines attached to these pulling boats. It is amazing how much sea-room a soldier can take up with a couple of fathoms of rope! Carley floats and inflated motor inner tubes also played their part in carrying men from the beach to the motor boats, which in turn took aboard those on these more precarious perches and towed the loaded pulling boats to larger craft lying off in waiting, picking up their own or any other empty boats and towing them back inshore for further loads.
As petrol ran short each motor boat would pick up such men as it could carry and set off back to England for more petrol, then out again for further service.
During Wednesday, May 29th, the Mole at Dunkirk was apparently rendered temporarily useless so that most, if not all of the troops had to be taken from the beaches. During this day, too, and for at least a part of the following day, air attack continued almost unabatedly from dawn to dusk;
dive-bombing for the larger ships and machine-gunning for the smaller.
Later in the week, although the R.A.F. were present in greater numbers to relieve the pressure from the air, shelling added to the difficulties and men were being hit in the pulling boats as they carried on their work.
By the week-end evacuation from Dunkirk harbour was in full swing again and the beaches were often almost deserted.
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