TNA ADM 199 790

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CONFIDENTIAL
page
98
97
ORANJE'S R.O.D./1 dated 10th June 1940 (cont)
commandeered.
It was now about an hour after high water and ORANJE proceeded/
as close inshore as possible, anchored, and then beached stern
first, drawings of the ship showing that this would not
damage the screw or rudder. A line, consisting of two 120
fathom lengths of 2" manila, was then run inshore and hauled
as tau a.s possible and ORANJE's dinghy was run along this,
as no other boats were then availabbe; the disembarkation of
provisions was then started about 5 packages at as time.
10. Two large boats were obtained about noon, and at
1700 the Royal Engineers provided 6 bridge building pontoons.
with this number of boats available It was possible to
disembark the provisions with reasonable celerity.
Intermittent Air Raids took place throughout the day, but
although a number of bom bs fell close to the ship, no damage
was done nor were there any casuals
By midnight when about 150 tons had been disembarked and were
still on the beach, it was decided between the embarkation
officer and mygelf that it would be better to stop disembark
ing provisions and embark troops, sailing as soon as the tide
rose sufficiently to float the ship.
11. Thursday May 30th. ORANJE weighed at 0415 with over
500 troops on board and proceeded for the Downs via the
Kwinte Bank and West Hinder buoys. On sporoaching the Kwinte
Bank buoy 8 wreck was observed about half 8 mile westward of
the buoy, which gave the appearance of being the bows of
destroyer protruding about 20 feet out of the water.
On arrival in The Downes ORANJE was ordered by the examination
steamer to proceed to Margate where we went alongside the pier
at 1720 and disembarked troops. 1 A.B. was discharged sick.
ORANJE completed with fuel, water, and provisions, embarked
two Lewis guns and ammunition, took two boats in tow, and
sailed for Dunkirk again at 2230. Owing to too short a tow,
ORANJE having no more hawsers on board, the boats broke
adrift in the vicinity of the Elbow buoy, and as they could
not be immediately located they were abandoned. There were
no crews on board.
12. Friday 31st Mey. ORANJE arrived off No. West
buoy, Dunkirk Channel at dawn and proceeded towards Le Panne.
There was considerable air activity along the coast but.
ORANJE was unmolested. Off Dunkirk Harbour ORANJE was closed
by a destroyer believed to be EXPRESS, and told to close
destroyer H 11 (BASILISK) and work under his orders: ORANJE
anchored off Le Panne in the same position as the previous
day. As ORANJE had no boats, embarkation was very slow until
BASILISK
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