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.

Showing only pages tagged with the vessel name SABRE. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

Showing only document page 299. Show all matching pages ×

1 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 299–299 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
299	Log in to enlarge	330 227 - 22 - 1/6 " Yesterday ships off Braye were under firo. To-day's shorter front will bring dangorous area Westward. For this reason and mining consider any boach work too costly and evacuation must be confined to Dunkirk. Small craft will be moved Westward at dawn." To this V.A. Dover replied "While loaving this to your discretion it is essential that beaches should be used until found impossible." My signal above was made before it was light but I had alroady protty clear indications that La Panne was untenable and as it grow light about 0330 I anxiously looked ashore. The "BASILISK" was with me as I had kept her empty so as to be ready for any supporting firo against tonks or lorries along the beach. Up by La Panne the beach WRB deserted but for the lorry brankwater and scattored cars. The sea also seemed deserted unfortunatoly the small boats had vanished, a few ompty ones were drifting on the tide to the Westward. One or two motor lounches were about and I told them to collect some of the boats adrift. Down off Braye there was a minesweeper ashore and clso a paddle minesweeper. Ships were still loading off Braye and to the Westward and men were moving Westward along the beaches. I moved down off Braye and hailed 2. tug which WES on its way back with some soldiers on board and told her to go in and try to ton off the minommoner. The Captain paid no attention and obviously WO.B only concorned to get every. I finally trained 2. gun on him and told an R.N.V.R. Sub-Identionent who was on board to take charge, put the soldiers on board the "SABRE" who WEB nearby and go off to the help of the minesveopor. It VALO not nice to have to threaten these men who were really volunteors, but It had to be done. I could not wink ships and mon for the sake of 110 volunteer's feelings to have any effect. The real trouble on this and snother occasion Labor WAS that the tugs were told to go over with pulling boats in tow and load my and they regarded themselves as transports only. I was never informed of this or their orders and regarded them as tugs and for use as tugs. All this time I had to move in waters which atrongt had been minding during the night, but I put my faith in the degaussing and also koot to the edge of the fairway when possible, and my faith van justified.	Dawn Faith Sabre Westward Day Dover Few Light

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 299.

330
227
- 22 -
1/6
" Yesterday ships off Braye were under firo. To-day's shorter front will
bring dangorous area Westward. For this reason and mining consider any boach
work too costly and evacuation must be confined to Dunkirk. Small craft will
be moved Westward at dawn." To this V.A. Dover replied "While loaving this
to your discretion it is essential that beaches should be used until found
impossible."
My signal above was made before it was light but I had alroady protty
clear indications that La Panne was untenable and as it grow light about 0330
I anxiously looked ashore. The "BASILISK" was with me as I had kept her empty
so as to be ready for any supporting firo against tonks or lorries along the
beach. Up by La Panne the beach WRB deserted but for the lorry brankwater and
scattored cars. The sea also seemed deserted unfortunatoly the small boats
had vanished, a few ompty ones were drifting on the tide to the Westward. One
or two motor lounches were about and I told them to collect some of the boats
adrift. Down off Braye there was a minesweeper ashore and clso a paddle mine-
sweeper. Ships were still loading off Braye and to the Westward and men were
moving Westward along the beaches.
I moved down off Braye and hailed 2. tug which WES on its way back with some
soldiers on board and told her to go in and try to ton off the minommoner.
The Captain paid no attention and obviously WO.B only concorned to get every.
I finally trained 2. gun on him and told an R.N.V.R. Sub-Identionent who was on
board to take charge, put the soldiers on board the "SABRE" who WEB nearby and
go off to the help of the minesveopor. It VALO not nice to have to threaten
these men who were really volunteors, but It had to be done. I could not wink
ships and mon for the sake of 110 volunteer's feelings
to have any effect. The real trouble on this and snother occasion Labor WAS
that the tugs were told to go over with pulling boats in tow and load my and
they regarded themselves as transports only. I was never informed of this or
their orders and regarded them as tugs and for use as tugs.
All this time I had to move in waters which atrongt had been minding
during the night, but I put my faith in the degaussing and also koot to the
edge of the fairway when possible, and my faith van justified.