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TNA / ADM 199 788 A

TNA ADM 199 788 A

TNA ADM 199 788 A
Collection details

TNA ADM 199 788 A

Admiralty records of Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, part A, dating from 1940.

Holding archive
TNA
Collection reference
ADM 199 788 A
View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/788 A. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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

1 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 64–64 of this collection
Page ImageOCR textOCR tags
64 Page 64 Log in to enlarge

-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