TNA ADM 199 788 A

250
From:- Lt. Commdr. A.R.W. Sayle, R.N.R.
Date:- 5th June, 1940.
To:-
Naval Officer in Charge, Ramsgate.
30th May.
0930
Received instructions to take Drifter "Fair Breeze"
to beach east of Dunkirk.
1130
Proceeded on board "Fair Breeze" with Sub. Lt. Washbourn
R.N. (from Portsmouth) and Mr. Golding, Trinity House
Pilot, and proceeded for Dunkirk with two whalers in tow, courses as requisite.
1500
After whaler struck submerged object and appeared to be making water.
1600
Arrived off Dunkirk and proceeded to Bray Beach.
1630
Arrived off Bray Beach, commenced sounding, closed beach and hove to in two fathoms.
1645
After whaler found to be badly holed and filling with water, cut it adrift; sent remaining whaler ashore and requested motor boat from "Canvey Que en" to tow off any other boats he could find. (This boat rendered valuable assistance).
1700
First boat with troops arrived and embarkations commenced.
1800
Filled up with troops and proceeded to westward, hailed by Officer Commanding "Royal Eagle", lying toseaward of "Fair Breeze", and instructed to transfer troops from "Fair Breeze" to "Royal Eagle". Made fast
1815
Finished transferring troops from "Fair Breeze" Beach and to alongside "Royal Eagle".
Royal Eagle"; proceeded back to Bray hove to off Sanatorium.
1830
1900
Recommenced Intensive bombing embarking attack troops. on Sanatorium and troops on
2030
Filled Bray up Beach. with troops and proceeded for Ramsgate; courses as requisite.
31st May.
0045
Observed Parachute enemy Flare aircraft; off N. Goodwin. tide. no casualties.
0050
0200
0400
Buoy awaiting Pier and commenced out tallied disembarking. 293.
0500
Troops
0515
Finished

314
290
I have since tropps been to informed drifter that Letitia and Renown, laden,
Renown pieces.
of tow was a blown to and were themselves towed returning to Ramsgate. fully
TOTAL number of of tropps Cockle transported by Bawley boats was 600.
Description a Bawley - 40' long, 12' beam, 2'6" over draft, Diesel engines
(All the following times are approimate)
Arriving at Ramsgate (1.6.40.) I decided that Bawley boats were not fit for further service, and so ordered them to porceed to Southend. Obtained permission to commandeer any craft available in Ramsgate harbour and to return to Dunkirk when ready.
1400. Commandeered tug Contess but crew deliberately put tug aground and made every possible obstruction to impede the sailing of same.
1700. Although tug Contess was afloat, engineer refused to put the ship: to sea, as he claimed his filters would be blocked by sand. Crew of Tug Fossa, with Skipper, volunteered to come instead, Commandeered tug Fossa and Motor boat Therune, which
I manned with one Petty Officer, and two Sea Scouts. (Unfortunately I lost track of their names and addresses after I was sunk)
0000. Arrived at Dunkirk and decided that harbour was too congested with larger craft to justify taking tug Fossa inside harbour. Proceeded with Motor-boats with intention of filling up same and transferring soldiers to tug Fossa, whose instructions were to lay off Dunkirk until contacted. Coming alongside the jetty, overheard
Naval Officer on Mole cry "Isn't there anyone here who can deal with these Frenchmen?"
2.6.40. 0035. Offered my services as Liaison Officer. Left Therune in charge of Petty
Officer with orders to continue loading tug Fossa until at least 300 men had been embarked, and then to return laden to Ramsgate if they could not find me.
Understand Fossa later went aground, but may have been re-floated.
0030 Mrs 0310. Due to fair knowledge of the French language Iwas able to render a embarkation of troops on the jetty. The speed of the embarkation was greatly and slowed the certain amount of assistance to Commander Cluston, Officer in Charge of the due to the lack of understanding between the French Officers and men, and up French believed that certain ships had been reserved for them,
English. The were on no account to be broken. As a result, serious could congestion not was found round one contacting the various officers in charge of the regiments, and in getting was, that their units gangway, while other ships at the end of the Pier I get however, the men aboard. able to By assist to a certain extent in clearing up the point,
0310. the French Understanding troops on that the move. the destroyer Winchelsea was the last ship to be leaving
Dunkirk I returned to Dover with her.
0800. Reported to H.M.S. Lynx and was ordered and submitted to contact chart Commander with
Goodenugh (on 2.6.40) at Castle. Reported to Commander Dunkirk, Goodenugh 31.5.40 and 1.6.40, with marked with rough details of state of of wrecks, affairs troops at on dunes, and from times Admiral of bombardments Ramsey to etc, approximate as positions nights. Obtained permission assisting in return noted to during Dunkirk these as Liaison two Officer with the object of again the embarkation of French troops. RAF Motor boats with RAF complement, Dunkirk plus
1500. signalmen As an and advance two French party Officers, in two 3 Naval Officers, returned to under
Commander 1855. Attacked Cluston's by 4 command. enemy aircraft, bambed as a and result finally of the sunk, bombing. foundering Enemy immediately. aircraft to
No seemed casualties, to be using however, delayed were action sustained bombs with an effect on side ship similar that of charge on a submarine.
My right a leg depth slightly in damaged water by by explosion. enemy aircraft (do not boat think to porceed any casualties to Dunkirk were by and enemy not to bombs pick and up machine survivors, gun as fire he if the remaining RAF boat attempted to us up.
1900. sustained) Machine Commander gunned Cluston shouted feared to remaining that we RAF would be detroyed in the pick water

-330
303
probable that to as Motor boats would not and
On Sunday the small Ramsgate was buzzing with rumours it seemed 2/6
volunteered "Marlborough". go Lewis Gunner in the War department go out so I Speed boat civilian who had only had River "THARK" a man by the name of very highly This coxswain At this of juncture the I would like to recommend the man and back experience succeeded Ambler.
go over again saved. on night and it was sunk but I believe that the boat the to Dunkirk Mohday with no ficer in the boat. intaking He took the boa t crew was from the We treasury four Leading Stokers and two Sergeants of the
The "MARLBOROUGH" had a crew of four Subs, two solicitors
R.A.F. "HAIG" put to sea on Sunday night in company with our sister 2/6
a jetty and off about 40 "poilus". One of our solicitors ship the took and had a quiet voyage acress. We went alongside spoke French which assisted the operation œnsiderably. While we were alongside there was slight enemy air activity and much against the wishes of the rest of the crew who said I was merely attracting attention, I succeeded in firing several hundred rounds into the mishap. air, unfortunately with no success. We returned to Ramsgate without
Treasury and so we signed on an army officer who had been invalided
The next day, Monday, our solicitors had to return to the 3/6
and a retired colonel who had a reputation for being a crack shot with a Lewis.
We went out at 1930 and picked Admiral Taylor up half way across the channel from the Motor Boat "MERMAIDEN". When we got to
Dunkirk we went inside the harbour and quite a long way up the canal and secured. The Admiral went ashore accompanied by two of our crew armed to the teeth. The test of us occupied our time looting and trying to start up derelict cars. Sub. Lt. Poole found a very nice motor cycle and rode it round the docks.
We went off onceto bring boats to the point of embarkation and then secured again. Shortly afterwards machine gunning started quite near and a shell landed in a warehouse about
150 yards away. Fortunately our job was done so we were able to leave. On our way down the canal we came on a blockage of shipping, and going too near the shore went aground on some rubble knocked into the water by a shell. We had the badluck to lose both our screws and our rudder. Three French tugs refused to tow us off but fortunately a Motor A/S Vessel who took us out to the main harbour where we secured to the Motor Yacht "GULZA" who towed us back to Dover.
4/6
We returned to Ramsgate on Tuesday morning by lorry to find
Schoot "PATRIA" which broke down on the way and we were towed in by the operation had been cancelled. I returned to Sheerness inthe a Drifter.
The times in the above are only approximate.
I have the honour to be,
A
Sir,
17 JUN 1940
*
Your obedient servant at E
(SD.) A. CAREW HUNT.
Sub. Lieutenant, Royal Navy.
Vice-Admiral, Dover.
Copy to: Commander-in-Chief, The Nore

372
346
soon as the fighters left, they seemed to know the exact moment in which to approach.
(3)
Lack of satisfactory communication arrangements was most noticeable. There were no portable wireless sets ashore with the beach parties nor were any field telephones supplied by the naval parties. Wednesday, The only method of communicating messages to ships embarking from the beaches was by a written message sent off in a boat. end BO far The 0.8 that most may direction,
Marrative
29th New
I action et 2000 from Dover in ESK, who had on boand 12 small beene persies. These were distributed at the beaches into any craft svailable end
Consedore Hallott VEHICLES jut E drifter to take ensige off shore at Bray est dissolore Stephanon off In Purpose:
30th May
At 0200, 30th which VOIDE off La Parme and heard the general situation from Geptrin
Almahie idain Cantro OF few ships, drifters and other orer's ere the
Locarding slowly with the few bosts available.
alrowd bauches black with troops, a number l beats may t'est bests, principally whalers, and some mater-boat is is visue were, aducation were low and the soa was oalm, but oven S
there vas assign must
It beneze immediately obvieus to time that any Iurge enharketion from the beached OR more inshore boats and crews. The ozens were the expenting WE E could not spare nen from A/A Guns and Americant and I
signaTied to this effect.
During the Porenoon I went into Dunkisk in HERE to 000 the S.N.O.
Was I Tenant VISA may with the C. in D. are La Panns, but nono the less I W.).8
sole to gir lasto the piature. Pinking that the harbour ovaila be used X
Furned No that enharkention States "smkirk was the only practical plan if nombers involved SA substrjuent efforts were directed to the 42. Visa ON 10 expiry signals.
10
At the same Use the benefits Your Se be taxing No the Fulless expecity of
N the boats and the problem X Eart to deal to control the available so as to Balance Mass viro
Control ind not easy? it ESS selfor in see income the beach, mil touch with bankirk involved a close agreement