TNA ADM 199 792

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Dark oil tanks when we arrived near Dunkerque. burnin
above. lighted up the sky, with Flames from smoke
at anchor Saw a ship (CLAN MACALLISTER) a black pall of
provided a off Braye: burning until the on fire offshore but
plight. Another deserted merchant ship was in similar and
guns. useful diversion for German bombers end, deserted, shore
0400 30th May. time, parties in destroyer's boats. South, All landing
the We approached beach Dunkerque beaches from the
Cdr. and it was not until 0400 that we found HEBE this took (Lieut.-
the John Temple) off Braye and transferred to her. At
Flat same time the 2 Commodores were put into drifters.
to boats off the beaches. Bush (who was in HEBE) seemed
and calm: difficult to see in dark; many ships, drifters
be rather despondent, having seen the shore black with
men standing up to their waists in water; embarkation
process being extremely slow.
Dawn
Arrived ahead. in HEBE off La Panne and got some idea of the task
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Physical description of the beach. Long stretch of sand
dunes rising fairly steeply in places from a gently
shelving beach which dries for 200 yards or more at L.W.
Offshore the water deepens very gradually and a destroyer
cannot get nearer than half a mile, etc.
Large groups of men all over the beaches and a dark line
of men at the water's edge. Off Braye BIDEFORD was ashore
with her stern completely blown off by a bomb: LOCUST -
river g.b. - trying to tow her off, which she eventually
did and got her back to England. Farther towards Dunkerque
another ship (CRESTED EAGLE ?) was high and dry and burnt
out; also many boats broached to on the beach. Lying off
were destroyers, sloops, drifters, etc., and men making
their way off in whalers, motor boats and pontoon craft.
A slight swell made landing difficult, and many boats
broached to and were stranded on a falling tide. The
visibility was not good, with low-lying clouds: very
thankful for this, a blessing we were not always to enjoy.
Daylight
Could now get a clearer idea of situation and conditions.
Beaches were packed with troops, but they appeared to be
orderly and under proper control. A few ships were lying
as close in as possible and were being slowly filled up
by their own boats and a few local craft. Ships' motor
boats were towing off the whalers assisted by motor launchen
but these could not get very close in; pontoon craft were
being paddled off by soldiers, but it was not easy to get
them back ashore again and often they were left to float
away empty. As soon as a sloop or destroyer was full up
I
she left and took her boats with her - the boats' crews
were guns' crews and no one wanted to be without them.
To anyone with the appreciation of the practical difficult-l
ies of embarking in small boats with a long pull to seaward'
the sight of that beach black with troops was dismaying.
The number steadily increased and at back of our minds all ore
the time was question and fear of how long the defence
line could hold and the weather remain fair.
(6) 0630
Crux of matter was boats, boats' crews and towage; and at
0630 I signalled the urgent need of these. By about 0730
0730
most of the ships had loaded up and were leaving: I asked r
for more ships and again stressed need of boats.
I now moved down to Dunkerque to get in communication with
hit.
Tennant and went alongside pier in response to a signal.
nore
Description of Dunkerque (see plan). Outer harbour is
formed by 2 breakwaters approx at right angles, leaving a
and
narrow entrance between. Western Arm of solid stone:
que
Eastern Arm (called here East Pier) only solid for short
al
part of inshore end, the rest being built of concrete piles.o
wide enough for 4 men walking abreast. Alongside short
through which tide flows and on which is a narrow pathway East isi
Pier is channel to inner harbour and docks. A
length