TNA ADM 199 790

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OR CONVOY.
6/6/40. Dynamo 188.
or Barge Sherfield
#
185
Lighter Y.O. 63.
Lighter X.95.
Sub Dr. J.D.F. Kealy, R.N.
or Launch Nanette II.
On arriving at Sheerness Motor Boat Dook on Friday, 31st May, 1940, we
ceived. command of the above convoy with instructions to pick up British Troops
om the shores round Dunkirk as soon as possible. This was at 2 p.m; by 2.15 p.m.
were under way heading out to sea.
Good progress was made until later that night we lost contact with lighter X.95
though we spent some time in trying to locate her without success.
At 11 a.m. 1st June land was sighted, peniot Where were we? The one and
cidedly irregular compass, the Deviation of which we never knew, which perhaps
B just as well, brought us to a buny round which was painted -"Ostend". This
a a most salutary effect on us and putting the wheel to starboard we headed for
e battle. The succession of sunken ships with the oil saturated water covered.
th junk and garbage of all sorts began to have a dampening effect on everybody.
wever, we fortified ourselves with large helpings of Mr. Machonicie's Irish Stew.
Continuing on passed Nieuport we found ourselves between two destroyers and
shore battery in action;during this one of the destroyers was hit and the super-
tructure burst into flames. On closing in it was obvious that there was no one
board and we drew away a magazine explosion. Shells then began to drop round us
rom the remaining destroyer and to further our consternation at this moment at
orpedo passed under the "Sherfield", disappearing up the beach; whether fired by
submarine or the other destroyer is not known.
Next thing on the programs was the finding of a whole lot of chaps who had
een in the oil-covered water for a considerable time and we experienced difficulty
n getting them aboard as there were several wounded amongst them. These - were
ostly off destroyers sunk during the day. During this interlule soldiers were
een gathering on the foreshore, and owing to ebbing tide it was impossible to
each the lighters and the motor boat. commenced to collect the soldiers and take
chem to the lighters at twenty at a time. One young Army officer to whom great
redit is due came along with a motor boat full of wounded, and after putting them
aboard helped with the embarkation.
In the meantime one lighter continued to fish people out of the water and the
ther went alongside the wrecked "Clan MacAlister" and took off 15 wounded
survivors of the "Keith" and other ships.
All was going well when a number of enemy planes started to machine gun the
beach and bombard the vicinity. It would be as well to mention that there were
no other British ships or planes in sight, and being completely unarmed except for
one Boer War rifle, we couldn't do much against them. As the last load was being
gathered it appeared that the enemy were using Trench Mortars and machine guns from
begind the Dunes.
During a lull the second lighter and motor boat made for the open sea; while
the motor barge was receiving her last load of wounded enemy planes started paying
further attention to her. She stopped all movement and drifted about for the next
three quarters of an hour, hoping to be taken for a derelect, which thank God she
wast At length the planes eased off and she made a dash (at 6 knots) for the open
the familiar whine of a power bomber was heard, followed by a pattern of bombe
sea, large quantities of tea being consumed. Peace reigned, but not for long;
exploding round the barge and a nice little machine gun attack followed.
The remainder of the trip was quite uneventful, entering Dover at 7 a.m. on
Sunday morning.
volunteers and the youngest being 17. A fine example was set by the fortitude
Too much praise cannot be given to the Civilian members of the crews, all being of
the Troops waiting on the shore and in the water. All Naval members of the orews
acted as expected.
missed On during the first night, had managed to get to Dunkirk and had had her full
returning to Sheerness we found the third member of our convoy, whan - had
share of excitement.