TNA ADM 199 790

Collection details

TNA ADM 199 790

Admiralty records concerning Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, dating from 1940.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 199 790

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/790. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
824	Log in to enlarge	341 319 Page 3. signalled "FEASABLE" my intention to tow her in lashed alongside "BEN & LUCY". While attempting to do this the tow rope was picked up by a length of sweep wire which apparently had been foul of our propeller since leaving Portsmouth. Our propeller became hopelessly fouled so we were both obliged to anchor. I signalled Pierhead that I had 100 troops, including two wounded and that I was disabled. A launch came off and took the troops made unsuccessful attempts to obtain a tow into harbour to ashore. We remained at anchor until Monday morning having clear the screw. At 1000 on Monday, June 3rd we were towed in by drifter "RENASCENT" and at low tide succeeded in clearing our screw by acetylene cutter. While this operation was on hand I succeeded in contacting the skipper of "DORIENTA". He reported to me that his engines had been damaged by the explosion of a shell but that he had managed to return at reduced speed (the boiler had moved and broken the joints in several steam pipes causing flooding in the engine room which in turn blocked up the bilge pumps with ashes). I reported to Captain Wharton R.N. who instructed me to return to Portsmouth and take "DORIENTA's" crew with me as "DORIENTA" was'wrecked", but on the assurance of her skipper that he was confident he could bring her back to Portsmouth I returned to Captain Wharton and sought permission to bring "DORIENTA" back, as, if it proved necessary, I could have taken her in tow. This permission was granted and at 0600 on Tuesday, June 4th we weighed anchor and made passage to Portsmouth, arriving at 2100. I wish to place on record and draw attention to, the perfect discipline and devotion to duty of all members of both crews, with particular mention of Skipper W.A. Whatling R.N.R., Skipper W.F. Reynolds R.N.R, and the engine room staff of H.M.D. "DORIENTA" whose coolness in maintaining way on the ship in most arduous conditions undoubtedly prevented the abandonment of this ship. I have the honour to be, CAPT H.M.S. -7 1940 2 Sir, Your Obedient Servant, "VERNON" LM.Shs Acting Lieutenant, R.N.V.R. Unit Officer.	Dorienta Drifter Renascent Vernon Crews Page Reynolds Wharton

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 824.

341
319
Page 3.
signalled "FEASABLE" my intention to tow her in lashed
alongside "BEN & LUCY". While attempting to do this
the tow rope was picked up by a length of sweep wire
which apparently had been foul of our propeller since
leaving Portsmouth. Our propeller became hopelessly
fouled so we were both obliged to anchor. I signalled
Pierhead that I had 100 troops, including two wounded and
that I was disabled. A launch came off and took the troops
made unsuccessful attempts to obtain a tow into harbour to
ashore. We remained at anchor until Monday morning having
clear the screw.
At 1000 on Monday, June 3rd we were towed in
by drifter "RENASCENT" and at low tide succeeded in
clearing our screw by acetylene cutter. While this
operation was on hand I succeeded in contacting the
skipper of "DORIENTA". He reported to me that his engines
had been damaged by the explosion of a shell but that he
had managed to return at reduced speed (the boiler had moved
and broken the joints in several steam pipes causing
flooding in the engine room which in turn blocked up the
bilge pumps with ashes). I reported to Captain Wharton R.N.
who instructed me to return to Portsmouth and take "DORIENTA's"
crew with me as "DORIENTA" was'wrecked", but on the assurance
of her skipper that he was confident he could bring her
back to Portsmouth I returned to Captain Wharton and
sought permission to bring "DORIENTA" back, as, if it
proved necessary, I could have taken her in tow. This
permission was granted and at 0600 on Tuesday, June 4th
we weighed anchor and made passage to Portsmouth, arriving
at 2100.
I wish to place on record and draw attention to,
the perfect discipline and devotion to duty of all members
of both crews, with particular mention of Skipper
W.A. Whatling R.N.R., Skipper W.F. Reynolds R.N.R, and the
engine room staff of H.M.D. "DORIENTA" whose coolness
in maintaining way on the ship in most arduous conditions
undoubtedly prevented the abandonment of this ship.
I have the honour to be,
CAPT H.M.S. -7 1940 2
Sir,
Your Obedient Servant,
"VERNON"
LM.Shs
Acting Lieutenant, R.N.V.R.
Unit Officer.