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TNA / ADM 199 790

TNA ADM 199 790

TNA ADM 199 790
Collection details

TNA ADM 199 790

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

Holding archive
TNA
Collection reference
ADM 199 790
View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/790. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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133
138
...circle..
Found her in case of meny submarines. It was then discovered from one of the survivors that Wakeful had been torpedoed by an M.T.B., I at once passed this to Grafton and continued circling round.
I had just completed one circle and was heading west with my stern to Grafton, when at about 0307 and explosion occured at her stern. I continued my circle to port and sighted an
M.T.B. about fifty yards away on the starboard bean, steering about south-west and nearly stern on to Lydd. Sub-Lieut. E.H.
Britton R.N. who was on the bridge, opened fire with the starboard pair of Lewis guns and raked her up the stern;
bullets being seen to hit her wheelhouse and superstructure in a cloud of sparks. It was thought that she was disabled. I than closed Grafton with the idea of taking off survivors should she be sinking; but as she appeared to be all right I circled round to starboard to finish off the M.T.B. if she were still afloat. A dark object was sighted ahead in the direction in which the M.T.B. was last seen and fire was opened with Lewis guns and 4inch; Grafton also opened fire. The supposed M.T.B.
was then rammed, as she was hit figures sprang at the ship and it was thought that an attempt was being made to board;
fire was therefore opened with rifles. During this firing A.B.
S.P.Sinelair, O.N. e/JX 152005 who WAS on the Forecastle attempting to repell the boarders was accidentally shot. It is very much regretted that he died about an hour later from his wound. After investigation I have come to the conclosion that the bullet which struck him must have glanced off some portion of the vassel raymad. Two non were taken off her. I
then set course for home, Grafton being apparently well able to look after herself.

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 142.

133
138
...circle..
Found her in case of meny submarines. It was then
discovered from one of the survivors that Wakeful had been
torpedoed by an M.T.B., I at once passed this to Grafton
and continued circling round.
I had just completed one circle and was heading west with
my stern to Grafton, when at about 0307 and explosion occured
at her stern. I continued my circle to port and sighted an
M.T.B. about fifty yards away on the starboard bean, steering
about south-west and nearly stern on to Lydd. Sub-Lieut. E.H.
Britton R.N. who was on the bridge, opened fire with the
starboard pair of Lewis guns and raked her up the stern;
bullets being seen to hit her wheelhouse and superstructure in
a cloud of sparks. It was thought that she was disabled. I than
closed Grafton with the idea of taking off survivors should
she be sinking; but as she appeared to be all right I circled
round to starboard to finish off the M.T.B. if she were still
afloat. A dark object was sighted ahead in the direction in
which the M.T.B. was last seen and fire was opened with Lewis
guns and 4inch; Grafton also opened fire. The supposed M.T.B.
was then rammed, as she was hit figures sprang at the ship
and it was thought that an attempt was being made to board;
fire was therefore opened with rifles. During this firing A.B.
S.P.Sinelair, O.N. e/JX 152005 who WAS on the Forecastle
attempting to repell the boarders was accidentally shot. It
is very much regretted that he died about an hour later from
his wound. After investigation I have come to the conclosion
that the bullet which struck him must have glanced off some
portion of the vassel raymad. Two non were taken off her. I
then set course for home, Grafton being apparently well able
to look after herself.