TNA ADM 199 790

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First Lieut. then abandoned Alice and took his crew and Major De Haviland (wounded)
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and 4. soldiers to Kaap Falga where 1st. Lieut. Alice took command. Major De.
Havilland of G.H.Q came on board with instructions for Kaap Falga to go to sea
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and try and intercept a destroyer so that he could report by m/t to the War Office
the seriousness of the situation. No. Destroyer would stop so Kaap Falga returned
to the Downs and reported arrival. Then to Dover where stores were cleared by 09.00
1st. Kaap Falga's engines were badly coked up and in attempting to return to
Dunkirk at 22.00 1st. they overheated to such an extent that the Ship could not
make suffient speed to reach Dunkirk by 03.00 2nd. the latest hour that ships had been
ordered to stay off Dunkirk.
Due to the possibility of this defect Kaap Falga was not used on the night of June 2nd.
the last night of the evacuation.
Sailed for Poole 14.30/3 arrived 12.00/5
PACIFIC
A
Lieut. Comdr. .Skrine R.N. Lieut. Triscott R.N.R.
Sat.25th. May Crews for Dutch Skoots proceeded from ortsmouth to Poole where
they arrived about noon and were detached for these vessels.
Pacific proceeded at 14.00 leaving discharged dutch crew at Brownses Island. Was
ordered to anchor at Yarmouth for the night.
Sun. 26th. May. Weighed at 0.430 and proceeded for Portsmouth Harbour at 09.3.0
Being Senior officer of the Party I went ashore and arranged for stores and swinging
etc. No sailing orders were obtainable until about 19.00 when we were ordered
to complete swinging as soon as possible and sail at once for Newhaven. Accordingly
sailed at dark with Amazone Atlantic Zeus & Pascholl in company (wega and San Antonio)
has broken down)
Monday 27th. May. Arrived off Newhaven at 04.00 and was ordered to anchor outside
Lay at anchor all day awaiting orders. At dark received orders to sail for downs
in company with a party of skoots that had previously arruved Newhaven. Weighed and
Proceeded
Tues. 28th. May Arrived Dover about 08.00 and berthed alongside 09.00. Went ashore
and having ascertained the possible nature of the operation made arrangements for
sandbags first aid outfits etc., to be supplied to my party of Skoots by noon
However an air raid warning intervened and none of these stores had been received
13.00 received orders to sail forthwith. Sailed about 13.00 and took over a large
lifeboat at sea from one of the slower skoots who was dropping behind. Pacific
gradually overhauled the other four skoots and I think was the first of this party
to reach La Panne.
From No. 6 E Buoy we proceeded at slow speed 180 straight for the beach where in
answer to our hail a shout was raised by the soldiers on the beach. The intention
waswas to turn to Port and anchor off. However partly due to the fact that the
larger ships were closer in than I anticipated but mainly due to my leadsman failing
to obtain any sounding at all we grounded on a bank of sand before we had turned
90° This occured at 23.00 We sent the large Lifeboat ashore with 3 of our 5 hands and
instructed them to take off men to other ships as with the wind blowing inshore it was
not certain that we should get off, With the remaining two hands we laid out a kedge
on our Port quarter. By going full astern and heaving on the kedge we got afloat
when the tide rose at 02.00
29th. May. The ships lifeboat and skiff was then sent inshore and 1 officer and
7 men were brought off to Pacific before the boats lost touch with her in the dark
They did howver bring several par ies off to other ships. Verbal orders had been
received before leaving Dover to leave shore before03.3 being anxious to recover
boats and men Pacific remained inshore till daylight finally sailing at 04.30
when it seemed liekly that the boats and crews had been embarked by other ships.
Rerurned to Dover by route Y arriviving about 16.30 and disembarked troops. No
orders were immediately available but verbal orders were subsequently received
to embark water and provisions and sail about 22.00 Application was made for the
balance of complument and I was informed that I should be sent 3 hnds from
Montvera. These did not arrive until 02.40 at which time Pacific sailed for Dunitirk.
30th. May. The morning of 30th May was misty at about 08.20 when crossing Le Dyck bank
there was a violent underwater explosion about two cables on the Starboard bow
No aircraft was about and it is supposed that it was a torpedo which had exploded
on the Bank. No vessel was in sight Arrived off the beach 09.00 about 1 mile E
of Dunkirk and anchored close in. We had no boat of our own but collected two from
a skoot that was just leaving, conditions as regards surf were pretty good but boats
very waterlogged and no boat was obtainable all day. By 16.00 my crew were exhausted
by pulling those boats in and out from the hore all as I had 30 Officers and 620
men aboard I decided to sail. We might have had many more in half the time
if a motor boat had been available. Accordingly sailed at 16.00 When crossing the
Inner Ratel Bank attacked by by two of a flight of three fighters with machine
guns. They scored was & few hits on the ship and injured noñody. Had nothing but a pistol
with which to reply.