TNA ADM 199 790

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Sheet 2. 159
At 0030 on Wednesday 29th. May I slipped and
proceeded down harbour. After rounding No.6E whistle
and bell buoy I found myself in among two or three
French destroyers, stopped in the channel, and as a
result missed No.13 bouy and went aground on sandbank
north of Zuydcoote Pass Engines were put to full astern
and the ship slid off into about ten fathoms. In order to
ascertain my exact position and wait until unlit bouys
could be seen I anchored and very shortly picked up the
Nieuport buoy While waiting the ship was roughly fixed
and found to be in position51 degrees 7 minutes 30 seconds
North, 2 degrees 28 minutes 48 seconds East, and clear of
the channel. I proceeded without further incident to
Margate. Just before dawn gunfire was observed shead and
shortly afterwards several destroyers passed ae proceeding
towards the French coast. Later passing the Kwiente buoy
one sunken destroyer and another badly down by the stern
were passed.
At I000 ship secured alongside Margate pier
and disembarked troops. Although no exact counting of
troops was possible, about 450 in all were landed, including
approximately 50 stretcher cases and 100 walking cases.
The arrangements for disembarkation of troops
at Margate were most efficient.
At 1107 Wednesday 29th. may slipped and proceeded
back to Dunkirk, being joined by Lydd at North Goodwin
light vessel. At 1315 Lydd reported & submarine to starboard,
although not observed by Pangbourne a warning was broadcast
at 1321 Between 1645 and 1715 just off Nieuport bank
several air attacks were directed against Pangbourne and
all ships in the vicinity. Immediately after this two
British soldiers were picked up in an exhausted condition,
apparently having been blown from the deck of some small
ship. At approximately 1730 several enemy bombers appeared
to be about to attack Pangbourne but passed overhead, and
were distinctly observed to attack & hospital ship about
a mile on the Starboard beam for & considerable period
without registering any direct hits. Just before passing
the Nieuport Bank buoy a large lifeboat containing some
thirty Belgian soldiers was picked up and the boat taken
in tow for use on the beach. On closing the beach 1 was
ordered to proceed Alanasise the Clan MacAlister lying at anchor
and embark the crew. This ship was on fire aft, and the
ammunition round the after gun was continually exploding.
The Master reported to ae that there was no chance of saving
the shipas all hoses were out and the steering gear out of
action. The crew, including some 30 Lascars, and several
Naval ratings, - crews of motor boats - were all embarked.
I then proceeded and anchored about half a mile off the
beach opposite the Sanatorium. All available boats were
lowered and sent inshore in charge of Lieut. Tadman
R.N.R. and Rabbitts, Boatswain R.N.. Between
1860 and 1900 the ship was subjected to numerous low
diving bombing attacks, although no direct hits were made
there were several near misses. The hull was holed on
both sidesabove and below the water line and the D.U. coil
cut in several places. It was during this period that all
casualties occurred, resultang in the death of of seven
the ratings and six Belgian soldiers, and wounding seven