TNA ADM 199 790

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EMBARKATION OF THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
Readquarters to the 100al situation.
unday, 26th May, 1940
hrit on firs, the being littered
P.M. of I was given details of arrangements being
ade for the provision of shipping for the evacuation of the
.B.F. from Dunkirk and the beaches to the Eastward thereof,
Captain Jeffery, and at 6 p.m. I was ordered by V.C.N.S.
proceed to Dunkirk to take control of the naval shore
barkstion parties. The officers and men of my party ty
the pier and beaches proceeded direct to Dover.
in
left London 8.35 p.m. for the Nore, and explained
e Admiralty plan for embarkation to the Commander-in-Chief.
continued my journey to Dover early next morning where IL.O.
ceived my final instructions from V.A. Dover. After going
cough the plan for embarkation with him I left Dover in
.S. WOLFHOUND at 1345 with 8 naval party consisting of
officers and 160 ratings, plus signal staff. The weather
fine and clear.
We proceeded North of the minefield - a voyage
some 90 miles - and about half way over the first dive
bing attack took place. These attacks continued at about
fhour or 40-minute intervals until we reached Dunkirk at
ut 1800. There were several very near misses but only
to
or damage was done to the ship. This was an unpleasant
roduction to the war zone, and dive bombing was certainly
alarming afloat than ashore, as we were soon to discover.
reaching Dunkirk we turned and proceeded alongside in the
dle of a very heavy bombing attack.
I disembarked my party, divided them up into
ions and told the officers in charge of each section to
them round the port to make them less vulnerable to
in the the
ing attacks, while I proceeded to the Bastion Naval