TNA ADM 199 788 A

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officer clinging to bows
French about 6 miles to try off to reach in the direction wreck of Gravelines. informed us that he saw an empty boat of
Cluston shortly same, and he and I decided Asked permission of Commander abandoned the to go off boat, and No.2., only which the shore the may water or occasionally, may was not slightly have but swim rough, at and 2230 returned it I was sighted impossible to a cling together. to to see the Commander remains the open
Reached slightly from exhaustion. aboard, as sides were too high, out for. and was destroyer suffering cutter same but was unable to climb been the original I set large empty
2300. other Decided side where to swim I found for German fender shore but fortunately before swam the to remains and attempted of my kit to used row as a a ladder, hanging I was down. able to With get the aboard. aid abondoning of the fender boat and might distance too approximately far, and one hour I abandoned the attempt, imagined as cutter the survivors was too over, be. After cutter with one oar in direction I Lashed helm hard large, it was already dark.
0000. Tide Dunkirk changed and and open boat instead of drifting towards the German remainder overboard, as I did not want to be identified should capture be
Dunkirk of kit Destroyed all personal belongings and identifications, and of threw between Channel. Calais, started to drift towards the Green flashing buoys shore, effected by the enemy.
3.6.40.
0130. Destroyers and other ships started passing by, about 25 yards away, but was unable to attract them, as they could not hear my shouts. Decided to shout in
French and English, and was finally picked up by a French fishing boat, Stella Mavis.
Crew "wined" me and put me in their bunks, dressed in French sailor's uniform, where
I passed out for a while, suffering from exhaustion.
0230. Skipper of Stella Mavis informed me that he was unable to make Dunkirk as he had no charts and had lost his convoy whilst picking me up. Imenquired his speed and he replied "6 knots". I estimated by the fires that the distance from Dunkirk was approximately 15 miles. Therefore it would have been 0530 before ship could have reached Dunkirk. Pointed out to Skipper that, in my opinion, it would leading a ship of this type and speed into unnecessary danger if he proceeded to Dynkirk in daylight. As Skipper had no charts I helped in navigating ship back to Dover, and at 0730 approximately, we were run down by Torpedo Boat S. 27, but not badly damaged.
Arriving Dover, Stella Mavis closed French Escort Vessel and as I was dressed in a
French Matelot uniform, and my story sounded far-fetched, the Commander held me on suspicion as a German spy. "Il pretend detre Anglais, mais moi je crois qu'il est allemand parcequil parle le français trop bien" was the remark passed by the French
Commander. Finally however, I persuaded them to let me be out ashore and arrested by British authorities.
1030. Successfully arrested by a Naval Lieutenant Commander and reported to Commander
Goodenugh and Admiral Ramsey.
1400. Sent to Chatham Hospital in ambulance for treatment to leg.
GENERAL REMARKS.
I feel mention should be made of the exemplary conduct of the civilian crews of the cockle boats.
bawley manned by volunteers who were rushed through in one day.
As far All as of I know, them were none of them had ever been under gun fire before, and certainly none of them under Naval discipline.
which These never ships, leave the it Estuary, and only one of their crew had been than had ever been should be remembered, were Thames Estuary Cockle further fishing afield boats,
Ramsgate. facts, and although they had neither charts nor equipment, orders carried perfect out formation with great was diligence, even under actual shell fire
In spite of these maintained throughout the day and night, and and all aircraft attack. were reports critising the conduct of the French dismissed, on the beach as any and
Mole, such opinion and feel was most the strongly result of the slight lack of understanding
I have overheard some that such illusions should be quickly between French and
British their On all occasions I came If anything, their discipline was too most as authorities. in contact with the French on the jetty good, and elsewhere, they did their conduct best was to embark excellent. as a complete regiment or other Army unit, being isappointed if they were forced to separate.

Controller
434 461
Small Vessels Pool.
8th June 1940.
Dunkirk, work of the I desire In following connection to bring the your with recent notice operations the excellent at capacity in S.V.P. this emergency. found itself forced to act in an operational
Hutchins, case was one particular officer taking boats over, outstanding their services to fill the emergency of and civilians who offered an
1. Among the many officers allowed to Department, and asked had a from a certain M.C., Grenadier Guards. This officer Lieut.Col.R.L. day off
Ramsgate, where he was given charge of a motor boat. Wharton, On the way proceed with my Deputy, Captain my permission E.F. to be to useless. Continuing under one engine, on arrival off Dunkirk over the boat hit submerged wreckage which rendered one engine he found a steamer ashore with her boats at the davits. He went to a destroyer, asked for the loan of four hands, and with these men he lowered the boats, which he used to evacuate soldiers from the beach to the destroyer. I understand some
700 men were thus evacuated. He returned to London in time to go on duty the following morning.
2. Captain E.F. Wharton, R.N. This officer under
Ner
S.N.O., Ramsgate acted as Pier Master for four days at Ramsgate.
Upon him the detailed organisation of "ferrying" with the smaller boats from Ramsgate devolved. Captain Phillimore,
S.N.O., Ramsgate made a special report by telephone on the very valuable services rendered by this officer, and has been asked to report it officially in due course.
3. Paymaster Lieutenant Commander H. Garrett, R.N.V.R.
my Secretary. He showed immense capacity for tireless work, and was practically on the telephone for hours, using his own initiative throughout three nights consecutively. He was responsible for obtaining yachtsmen from the clubs in the late evening, putting them in Admiralty cars and sending them down to
Ramsgate and Sheerness; arranging special forms, which he signed himself, for petrol from garages to bring down over 100
boats from the Upper Thames - again on his own initiative. In various other ways he displayed a grasp of the urgency of the situation, which is deserving of much praise. His readiness to accept responsibility was most praiseworthy. He has of also been some 2,500 offers of motor boats received in responsible for the large additional organisation here collecting with Statute No. 718 of May 10th 1940. His methodical of accordance of these boats by areas allowed the great majority. in service those indexing boats requisitioned by S.V.P. officers being within a few hours.
Lionel Preston
Admiral.
Director Small Vessels Pool.

442
Half a dozen Thames river launches resembling nothing so much as the upper decks of elongated motor-buses with their rows of slatted seats, but given a tang of the waterside by rows of white-painted lifebuoys slung around the upper rails.
The very names of these latter craft are redolent of the quiet of Richmond, Teddington and Hampton Court; "Skylark",
"Elizabeth" and "Queen Boadicea". A strange flotilla indeed to be taking an active part in what has been described as "the greatest naval epic in history".
The crews and their officers too were as miscellaneous an assembly as the craft they manned. First arrived a trickle of R.N.V.R. Sub-Lieutenants direct from training school, taken from their class-rooms often in the midst of a lecture on the
"practical pilotage" they were soon to put to such good account.
Many of these were entering a naval dock-yard for the first time in their lives, yet they clambered over the little ships, bawled for their requirements in food, fuel and water and set to work to prepare for the task in hand, as if to the manner born.
Next came another thin trickle - this time junior Royal
Navy officers who but a short time before were midshipmen on war vessels of various types; little more than schoolboys, yet each possessed of that indescribable sangfroid and cheerful discipline which is the hall-mark of the British naval officer whatever his age or rank.
Lastly - and only a matter of minutes before the time of departure - came the crews; Royal Fleet Reserve men this first batch - tough, stout-hearted and disciplined. No time to pick or choose; stoker ratings first, to man the little engines -
one man to each boat; then the seamen - "Swarm over those boats men and wherever you find an officer aboard ask him if he needs a crew! Three men to the larger boats and two each to the smaller".
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succession of British shipping as motley in its larger form as were the motor-boats themselves. Tramps, cargo ships, barges, drifters, tugs, Dutch schoots, British warships, even river ferry-boats such as carry one's car across the Thames at
Woolwich and elsewhere.
Of individual acts only a few can be given; every crew, every man almost, experienced some incident or another. some adventure that could fill a whole small volume on its own. And yet what can a writer do when such men report such events in the tersest of language such as "heavily shelled whilst at work"?
A few reminiscenses may be given here in the hope that some idea of the work may be gathered by anyone who cares to piece them together. Here are some extracts from a letter written by Sub. Lt. W.R. Williams, R.N. which serve to illustrate that merry sangfroid which has been referred to earlier:-
"So I proceeded by compass (error 20°) to the Calais -
Gravelines sands and anchored a few hundred yards out.
I was pulled ashore in the boat, which waited for me while I walked inland in search of Allied soldiers.
After about a quarter of a mile I saw two men silhouetted against the glow of a distant blaze. I approached to within a few yards and hailed them.
I heard one of them say "Lieber Gott!" and they turned around and commenced to shoot at me. By this time I had come to the conclusion that I was in enemy territory, so
I hid behind a dune and shot back.
Fortunately it was a very dark night and the Germans could not see me properly, while I could see their outlines quite well. I shot the one on the right twice and he fell without a sound. The other one screamed when I fired two bullets at him, and he dropped whatever he was carrying and then fell and lay still. By this time I heard nearby shouts so, deeming discretion to be the better part of valour, I ran at top speed back to the boat and my ship was under way at her full six knots within less than five minutes."
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"I proceeded back to Dunkirk as soon as I had landed the soldiers at Ramsgate and arrived just in time to catch the dusk bombing and shelling. There was a lot of shrapnel falling on the beach and I was greatly impressed by the Tommies and Poilus who waded out into the sea and helped the sailors with the boats. Nowhere did Isee any signs of cracking morale or anything but cheerfulness.
-
"I went back for the last time the same evening. Dunkirk was by now a flamir DIGHT unsulba in the "Swallow"
and proceeded todna S kct with a slower motor-bernoon INEM untern to manionother War
Department I -Denimm wartlerc vao imar reemonant nortly afterwards sunbSe=b6sih beat 6/PLB oDoor some of the