TNA ADM 199 790

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OPERATION
NO.25
SHIP:- NEWHAVEN LIFEBOAT.
STATEMENTS BY Ø
Crew
Service
Coxswain
0
A.B.
W.J.MOrris
Left Dover 0500/31/V started work on the beach.
P/JX 126097.
Tried twelve places, but draught too great. At
&
Sto.1 W.Spray
one place two and a half hours on beach. Tried
PKX.87052.
various ways of getting off, shifting weight
&c. After getting off saw 3 British and 4 French
O.S. T.E.White
soldiers washed out of a boat being towed: saved
CDX 133.
2 British and 3 French. A rough pier had been
p
This was all the crew.
made with lorries and tins and they used this
for troops. It was now very dark. They saw all
little boats moving off in tow. They, however,
took a load of troops off a barge aground and
put them on board a trawler. Then saw more
boats moving and decided it was time to move
away. Tried to get a tow. Started on & Northerly
course (compass) for 2½ hrs. Aprived at some
light and decided to wait till dawn as German
planes were dropping flares all round them.
Something like a fast M.B. passed them. At
daylight they saw ships to Southward and went
over to see where they were. They picked up a
tow as starboard engine broke down. Came back.
Prepared boat for next trip. Left Dover 2/7:
towed over. Told to go into Dunkirk harbour.
Went alongside jetty. Shelled heavily all the
time, about 2230. Took one boatload off.
Told by a Lt.Car. to go to a troopship run
aground in the harbour. Made about 6 trips to
troopship, one to harbour. Shrapnel and tracer
bullets firing at German machines.
On the 6th trip they were told to take up tow
astern with troops on board.
Saved about 600 to 800 troops, all told.
what he couldn't do before. This was Morris
Went 2nd time with intention of making up for
first experience as Coxswain of any boat, but
had been Acting Q.M. of a destroyer.