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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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
277	Log in to enlarge	309 306 DUNKIRK 29th May - 4th June 2940. On my return 10 the Admiralty from lunch on Wednesday, 29th May, I was told that I was wanted by Vice Admiral Phillips DCNS and I went to his room at 2.45. There I found him with the Navel Secretary and he asked me if I would like to go to Dunkirk to try and get some organisation into the embarkation there. I said that I would be delighted. Some discussion then followed as to my appointment, as it was not intended that I should supersede Captain Tennant who was already the Senior Naval Officer, Dunkirk. It was decided that I should be Rear Admiral, Dover, and be in charge off shore at Dunkirk. Vice Admiral Phillips told me that 70,000 had already been embarked and that 3. great effort was needed to get off many more. He suggested that I should fly my flag in a Trawler, and told me that Commodores Stevenson and Hallett were already over there in charge of certain boaches. Ho had no idea how long it would last but thought for not more than a very few days. I immediately arranged for a car to drive me to Dover and told Lieutenant-Commandor Wynne-Edwards and Commander Norfolk to come with me. My signal officer was unluckily away in Newcastle but I arranged with the Director of the Signal Division to tell off one of the signal officers at Dover for mo. Before leaving I saw the First Sea Lord who told me that it was thought that the French were not doing their full share and that I was to stress this on my arrival so that pressure could be brought to bear on them to send more ships. There was also the difficult question whether French troops were to be refused embarkation; it was obvious that our own troops had first call but it would be difficult to discriminato against Frenchmen. Actually it was not until Friday, 31st May, that a signal vias made stating the Government's policy to give equal opportunities to British and Prench troops. We all set off for Dover in D. oar about b'clock with a subtome apiece and a minimum of gear. Passing through Centerbury we stopped and	Dover Edwards Few Last Long May Phillips Senior Tennant Wynne-Edwards

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 277.

309 306
DUNKIRK
29th May - 4th June 2940.
On my return 10 the Admiralty from lunch on Wednesday,
29th May, I was told that I was wanted by Vice Admiral Phillips DCNS and
I went to his room at 2.45. There I found him with the Navel
Secretary and he asked me if I would like to go to Dunkirk to try
and get some organisation into the embarkation there. I said that I
would be delighted. Some discussion then followed as to my appoint-
ment, as it was not intended that I should supersede Captain Tennant
who was already the Senior Naval Officer, Dunkirk. It was decided that
I should be Rear Admiral, Dover, and be in charge off shore at Dunkirk.
Vice Admiral Phillips told me that 70,000 had already been embarked
and that 3. great effort was needed to get off many more. He suggested
that I should fly my flag in a Trawler, and told me that Commodores
Stevenson and Hallett were already over there in charge of certain
boaches. Ho had no idea how long it would last but thought for not more
than a very few days.
I immediately arranged for a car to drive me to Dover and told
Lieutenant-Commandor Wynne-Edwards and Commander Norfolk to come with
me. My signal officer was unluckily away in Newcastle but I arranged
with the Director of the Signal Division to tell off one of the signal
officers at Dover for mo.
Before leaving I saw the First Sea Lord who told me that it was
thought that the French were not doing their full share and that I was
to stress this on my arrival so that pressure could be brought to bear
on them to send more ships. There was also the difficult question
whether French troops were to be refused embarkation; it was obvious
that our own troops had first call but it would be difficult to dis-
criminato against Frenchmen. Actually it was not until Friday, 31st
May, that a signal vias made stating the Government's policy to give
equal opportunities to British and Prench troops.
We all set off for Dover in D. oar about b'clock with a subtome
apiece and a minimum of gear. Passing through Centerbury we stopped and