TNA ADM 199 788 A

368
342
27/5
accordingly parties of approximately 500 at a time were sent off in that direction.
10.
It was low water and embarkation in small boats was not an easy matter. Continuous air-bombing and machine-gunning from aircraft took place throughout the night but it seemed, by the Grace of God, that the smoke cloud over Dunkirk saved the beaches from being bombed, the main bombing being over the town and dockyard of Dunkirk and the town of St Malo.
28/5
11.
Embarkation continued throughout the night and in the early hours of the morning but during the forenoon the arrival of soldiers abated until there were only sailors left on the beach approximately 1 mile to the eastward of Dunkirk.
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12.
I proceeded in close company with Commander Ken and
Lieutenant Commander Dowling with our platoons to Dunkirk. On arrival I reported to Captain Tennant who told me he wished a party to proceed to Bray de la Plage to embark 5,000 soldiers.
Volunteers were called for and Commander Ken and I
proceeded there by lorry (2 Commanders and 16 men).
13.
We arrived at approximately 1700 and found about 30,000
soldiers awaiting embarkation stretching from Bray to the eastward.
It was raining and conditions were most unpleasant for us but the other side was that we got no bombing during the night.
29/5
14.
At about 0130 (Wednesday 29th) a high wind had got up which made it obvious to me that embarkation from the beaches would be impossible or at any rate very inefficient. I therefore lined up the soldiers and sent them to Dunkirk in parties of 1,000
at varying intervals. I must have sent off 20,000 in the direction of Dunkirk.
15.
Later in the day the weather improved but there was a most lamentable lack of small boats.
16./