TNA ADM 199 790

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before daybreak and arrived back in the Downs by 1000
May 28th.
At 1730 we again received orders to proceed to
Dunkirk, this time by the shorter route 15X and this time
28/5
with the knowledge that we were engaged in the evacuation
of the B. E. F. from the eight miles of beaches from Dunkirk
to La Panne.
Of the dynamo ships that left the Downs at the same
time, we were the first to arrive off Dunkirk and seeing that
the harbour was being used by bigger ships, I decided that me
might only obstruct the bigger ships by going in and that our
proper function was to contact the beaches where bigger ships
could not go.
I therefore proceeded past Dunkirk in an Easterly
direction.
The light of burning Dunkirk was now nearly astern
of us and the heavy smoke cloud over the beaches intensified
the darkness. Thinking here to contact other ships or boats
I proceeded at half speed.
Presently another dynamo ship passed us in the
opposite direction and informed us that she had come all the
way from La Panne and had seen nothing.
I therefore steered in more closely to the beaches.
At a point about 4 miles East of Dunkirk, I came
between a destroyer and another dynamo ship. I asked the
dynamo ship if she was at anchor and she replied that she
was aground. There appeared to be two others aground also.
There were no boats visible, but as I was preparing to lower
my boat, I received information from a motor boat which came
out from the shore. that she had brought off the last of the
troops that were there. the remainder having started back
into the hills preparatory for dawn.
I noticed also that the destroyer was preparing to
leave and as this seemed the only thing left to do I set
course for returning to Ramsgate. That was at 0250 on the
morning of May 29th and I arrived at Ramsgate Road at 0830.
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