TNA ADM 199 792

Collection details

TNA ADM 199 792

Admiralty records concerning Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, covering 1940–1941.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 199 792

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/792. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 174–174 of this collection

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OCR is not a transcription. It is machine-generated text used to create research tags and help locate names and references within the source images; it should not be read as a verified narrative.

Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
174	Log in to enlarge	A14/0/1742 221 SECRET FINAL 226 SUBJECT: H.M.S. "KEITH"/REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS. 30th MAY - 1st JUNE, 1940, WITH HER EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION FROM CAPTAIN E.L. BERTHON, D.S.C., ROYAL NAVY, LATE CAPTAIN (D), 19th DESTROYER FLOTILLA, H.M.S. "KEITH" 44 1 DATE 1st JULY, 1940 No.31 TO THE VICE ADMIRAL, DOVER 1 e At 1455 on 30th May, H.M.S. "Keith" entered Dover i harbour after completing a short refit at Chatham, and secured to No.3 buoy. d. 30/5 2. At 1732, after the Commanding Officer had reported to the Vice Admiral Dover, "Keith" sailed for Dunkirk by 'X' Route at high speed, with orders to report to Rear Admiral d W.F. Wake-Walker, O.B.E., who was commanding the sea forces there with the title of Rear Admiral, Dover. 3. Being unable to sight the Admiral and in order to gain information, H.M.S. "Keith" entered Dunkirk harbour at 1959 and secured to the Eastern breakwater. Two officers and some ratings who had boarded the ship at Dover, and a wireless set, were landed in accordance with instructions from Vice Admiral Dover. 4. Commander G.O.Maund, Royal Navy (Ret'd), in charge of embarkation from the pier at Dunkirk, reported that Rear- Admiral Dover was afloat in an M.T.B. At 2020 "Keith" slipped from the breakwater and proceeded East in search of the Admiral but without success. It was decided that in the circumstances it would be best to continue the embarkation of troops and report the fact. 1 5. "Keith" re-entered Dunkirk harbour at 2050 and embarked about 1400 troops at the Eastern breakwater. At this time the west side of the harbour was being shelled at regular intervals and obviously by map from the west. The orderly and rapid arrival of troops at the ship was noted and was due to the efficient marshalling be the naval embarkation personnel on the breakwater and to the high standard of discipline among the troops. 6. At 2119 "Keith" slipped with a full load of troops and returned at high speed to Dover. Speed was reduced to pass through the Downs. The ship entered Dover harbour at 0045 on 31st May and went alongside Admiralty Pier to disembark troops. b hit Pier 7. and proceeded to Dunkirk at high speed with orders to At 0305 on 31st May "Keith" slipped from Admiralty 31/5 report to Rear Admiral Dover. The ship passed Dunkirk harbour at0552 and reduced speed to 20 knots. Rear Admiral Dover was al in "Express" and "Keith" was ordered to follow. British 0 fighter aircraft were observed patrolling. si Admiral 8. Dover and his staff were transferred to "Keith" by The ship was stopped off Braye at 0608 and Rearrage whaler at 0635. .....9. At 0655 the ship	Success Berthon Dover May Wake Wake-Walker Walker West

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 174.

A14/0/1742
221
SECRET
FINAL
226
SUBJECT:
H.M.S. "KEITH"/REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS. 30th MAY -
1st JUNE, 1940, WITH HER EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION
FROM
CAPTAIN E.L. BERTHON, D.S.C., ROYAL NAVY,
LATE CAPTAIN (D), 19th DESTROYER FLOTILLA,
H.M.S. "KEITH"
44
1
DATE
1st JULY, 1940
No.31
TO
THE VICE ADMIRAL, DOVER
1
e
At 1455 on 30th May, H.M.S. "Keith" entered Dover
i
harbour after completing a short refit at Chatham, and secured
to No.3 buoy.
d.
30/5
2.
At 1732, after the Commanding Officer had reported
to the Vice Admiral Dover, "Keith" sailed for Dunkirk by 'X'
Route at high speed, with orders to report to Rear Admiral
d
W.F. Wake-Walker, O.B.E., who was commanding the sea forces
there with the title of Rear Admiral, Dover.
3.
Being unable to sight the Admiral and in order to
gain information, H.M.S. "Keith" entered Dunkirk harbour at
1959 and secured to the Eastern breakwater. Two officers
and some ratings who had boarded the ship at Dover, and a
wireless set, were landed in accordance with instructions
from Vice Admiral Dover.
4.
Commander G.O.Maund, Royal Navy (Ret'd), in charge
of embarkation from the pier at Dunkirk, reported that Rear-
Admiral Dover was afloat in an M.T.B. At 2020 "Keith" slipped
from the breakwater and proceeded East in search of the Admiral
but without success. It was decided that in the circumstances
it would be best to continue the embarkation of troops and re-
port the fact.
1
5.
"Keith" re-entered Dunkirk harbour at 2050 and embark-
ed about 1400 troops at the Eastern breakwater. At this time
the west side of the harbour was being shelled at regular inter-
vals and obviously by map from the west. The orderly and rapid
arrival of troops at the ship was noted and was due to the
efficient marshalling be the naval embarkation personnel on the
breakwater and to the high standard of discipline among the
troops.
6.
At 2119 "Keith" slipped with a full load of troops
and returned at high speed to Dover. Speed was reduced to
pass through the Downs. The ship entered Dover harbour at
0045 on 31st May and went alongside Admiralty Pier to disembark
troops.
b
hit
Pier 7. and proceeded to Dunkirk at high speed with orders to
At 0305 on 31st May "Keith" slipped from Admiralty
31/5
report to Rear Admiral Dover. The ship passed Dunkirk harbour
at0552 and reduced speed to 20 knots. Rear Admiral Dover was
al
in "Express" and "Keith" was ordered to follow. British
0
fighter aircraft were observed patrolling.
si
Admiral 8. Dover and his staff were transferred to "Keith" by
The ship was stopped off Braye at 0608 and Rear-
rage
whaler at 0635.
.....9. At 0655 the ship