TNA ADM 199 792

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As the town of boats appeared they were told to which beach they should go,
and I was particularly anxious that there should be sufficient at La Panno
which was farthest off. I directed several town to 80 on to In Penno, tolling
them it was ten miles up the coast, and shortly after, as the light WDD
failing, I decided to leave Wynne-Edwards in an M.A.S.B. to direct the remaining
town and go Q11 up to La Panne myself. are Braye I saw what I had fourd, that
the tows I had ordered to La Panne were stopping at Braye and I arrived there
just in time to warn "CODRINGTON," who was off Braye, to send them on. further.
I had General Lees on the bridge and I remember pointing out to him how easy
Z
it was to talk about distributing boats and craft at certain places along a
ten mile stretch of coast, but that it was a very different thing to get it
done in practice, In the dark, by craft which had not been there before and
with no lights to help them. The inovitable tendency was to stop at the first
place they came to where other craft were assombled.
However, in the end a protty fair distribution vas made and Wynno-
Edwards, when he returned to me at about 2230, was able to tell no that there
were a number of boats off LQ Panne.
It must have been on this evening that I saw two Transports go into
Dunkirk and I was very nervous that they would be bombed. Just as it was
getting dark they moved out and shortly after there came the sounds of Very
heavy bombing from that direction. I felt sick SC I thought that these two
ships were being attacked, but I learnt later that 10 was not so, and this
bombing, I think, was from our own aircraft attacking battorios down the posst.
It was now dark and I remained off La Panne in company with and
Hebe
several other ships.
Once it was dark I ase not feel that much could be done by moving about,
so I stayed off LA Panne during the night. I waited there wordoring how things
were going. Everything was Back, ships and boats end shore showed no lights
though I had asked for a light to be shown ssaward to guide boats inchore. So
far as I know the rearguard was falling back and 1t was a question whother to
could got off before the Germans found out and could follow up. Shelling was
continuous and by the sound some shells were falling among the ships at the
anchorage. what nows I had was conflicting - a message from shore to Day that