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 Rig. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

3 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 137–713 of this collection

A note about image and OCR quality

Every reasonable effort has been made to present these document images as flat, straight and accurately cropped as possible. Historical records can be difficult to photograph or scan because of tight bindings, deep gutters, page curvature, folds, creases, fragile paper, uneven edges, shadows, glare, skewed pages, fading, stains, tears, attachments and restrictions on how a document may be handled. These conditions can distort parts of an image and consequently affect the OCR transcription.

Considerable post-production work has been undertaken to crop, align, flatten and enhance the images where practicable, but the results represent our best effort rather than exact facsimiles. Text showing through from the reverse of a page, printed backgrounds, stamps, ruled lines, marks and text visible from neighbouring pages may confuse or spoil OCR output. Handwriting is not reliably recognised and, in most places, may be missing, incomplete or incorrectly transcribed. Always check the page image and, where accuracy matters, consult the original record held by the identified archive.

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
137	Log in to enlarge	193 Sub-Lieutenent Ellis. BASILISK) 3. Went on bridge at 0815 to relieve O.O.W., but was ordered 195 to clear the bridge during attack. Stayed in Wheelhouse during first dive bombing attack. Went on bridge oafterward and was given orders to destroy certain S.P's. Burnt S.P. 02176 (convoy reciphering table), all SP's 'C' series and recognition forms from safe in chart house. Went down to W/T office and got current recording and recyphering tables from P.O. Tel. and burnt them in forward galley, Gave orders to rig jury aerial and endeavoured to establish communication, Went aft and inspected for'd cabin flat. Badly damaged by "B" bomb, so secured the hatch. Opened hatch to Captain's Day cabin and got next lot of recognitions S.P's (D) series and addendum No. 1 to Anglo-French code. Burnt them in forward galley. Gave orders for all S.P's to be taken to forward galley, (W/T & V/S department). Cleared remainder of books from safe in Chart house and took them to after galley. Burnt Naval Cypher and Decypher and Table of Masthead heights, Air Defence instructions, Table of Lettered Co-ordinates. Threw Indicator Discs over the side over a wide area. Collected lnotes in contrapt account from safe n Captains Cabin Went to forward galley, and commenced burning all the S.P's. Took cover by forward galley during second attack. Continued burning all S.P's after second attack. When all these had been burnt, took a weighted sack aft and opened up hatch to Captain's Day cabin. Took out all C.B's, prefixed 0 and as many more besides as could be carried. Filled the sack by the after screen and started to take it forward to galley to burn if possible. During third attack was by foremost funnel starboard side, After this was over collected all C.B's which had been got. up and put them in weighted bag and threw overboard starboard side. Order abandon ship had been given so went over and took charge of carley float. Collected as many hands from the water as the float could support and paddled to the Jolie Mascotte about 5 mile from the ship. All safes were locked after books were taken from them and keys thrown overboard in the middle of the Dover Straits. The VC-VF lanterns were got down and thrown overboard. Following is a list of books destroyed:- All SP's ordered to be carried by ships operating off Dutch and Belgian coasts (except F.S.B. which is thought to have been burnt when bridge caught fire. 'D' Series Recognition S.P's. Anglo French Code and Decode (and Addendum N.1). Anglo-French War W/T call Signs. Operating Signals (bridge copy). Pendant list & Signal letters. Cypher log and some 'S' series. Home Fleet War Communication orders. C.B's - Those previously mentioned. Certain CB's were out on loan to A/S Control Officer and these were locked away in his cabin, they included:- Handbook of the set. Operating procedure for surface craft. A/S manual.	Rig Bridge Day Dover Ellis Hatch
138	Log in to enlarge	Page 3. 194 Teut. car. W.G. Boaks. BASILISK 196 4. With after guns until motor boat lowered and then went forward to make quite sure coxswain of boat (Hicks) understood his orders reference embarking troops and collection of drifting boats, Just as we got the baat clear I heard a bomb whistling down and dived under Pom-Pom platform. About six, possibly more, bombs dropped, one of which was presumably the one that went through the engine room -- this very seriously wounded and burnt one rating and seriously burnt another but I escaped the full force of the back flash although thrown heavily against Pom-Pom deck overhead and almost knocked out. I then went to the bridge to see what the position was there, but there were no casualties there and I then went aft to the after guns to find en route that deck was buckled by mainmast. The after magazine and shell room were flooding and decided to close down. I then went down to my cabin and passed up about eight spare torches (placed there for use in disembarking troops previous day are night) as all lights were out and being daylight few were carrying torches on them. I found general chaos in Captain's Cabin flat and sent extra hands down to resecure deadlights as this compartment being next to the buckled part was rather important. I then went forward to supervise tow forward. In the midst of this another heavy attack was made and most hands took shelter, some in forecastle locker. I then found all but three of the cordite rounds from "A" gun had been jettisoned and in view of the nature of the attack ordered these three to be thrown overboard. After this attack we came out and then started to provide cordite again. I then went aft to see what damage had been done during which the fishing drifter returned and I again went forward to rig new tow lines and also ordered individual hands to turn out and lower boats and carley floats into water as by then it was known ship could not move and drifter could not have towed faster than say four knots, I also placed one hand with a lead line aft to keep check on amount of water ship was in from point of view of grounding and stationed hands ready to cast off boats' painters should ship sink without warning. Then to the forecastle to get up the after hemp and also 3-3-11 wire during course of which the third attack developed and I went aft to the after guns and with one round of cordite from forward fired the remaining round in Y gun myself at a passing bomber but not enough aim off in field of view to hit even with full deflection. After firing this round I went forward and noticed that X gun had a round left but was unable to fire as recoil cylinder had been emptied in preparation for firing and tearing gun out of mounting overboard. This cylinder was refilled but on going forward I discovered that the crack in deck appeared to have widened and gave orders that after guns were on no account to be fired in view of probable breaking off of after end. I then ordered every possible container of water to be filled from only remaining water left in hot water tank in galley and tore up soldiers ground capes to provide covers to prevent loss or contamination of this water. Boats' anchors were then placed in spare boats alongside and oars provided, sailing gear hi placed in whaler, after steering compass unshipped and placed in spare motor boat, torches distributed to boats, the after lifebuoy flare placed in whaler for possible use. After steering an party detailed and party to clear the flat of weeckage. I then que went forward for third time to take in tow during which the fourth attack developed - dive bombing - and upper deck was cleared.	Boat Drifter Rig Boaks Bridge Day Few Hicks Page
713	Log in to enlarge	Page 2. PS WHICH TOOK PART IN OPERATION "DYNAMO" - 26TH MAY - 4TH JUNE, 1940. PART I - BRITISH SHIPS (continued) SWEEPING CRAFT. ARIA JEANNIE MACINTOSH REED TY JOHN AND NORA RELONZO NIC JOHN CATTLING RENASCENT CK LORD BARHAM RESTRIVO I LORD CAVAN REWGA THNESS LORD COLLINGWOOD RIG CO (E.S.) LORD GREY SARAH HYDE FORT LORD HOOD SARGASSO IDAW LORD INCHCAPE SATURN TENTA LORD KEITH SILVER DAWN SIBLE LORD MELCHETT STARLIGHT RAYS GET LORD RODNEY STELLA RIGEL HER BOY LORD ST. VINCENT STRATHELLIOTT DEA MARE STRIVE NIUS MARETTA SWIFT WING A NAUTILUS TARANSAY ZAR OLIVAE THOMAS BARTLETT VERFORTH OUR BAIRNS THOMSONS CKETA OVERFALLS THREE KINGS CKEVE F POLLY JOHNSON TWEENWAYS UNICITY S TRAWLERS. GYLLSHIRE KINGSTON ANDALUSITE SPURS ACKBURN ROVERS KINGSTON OLIVINE STELLA DORADO PE ARGONA LADY PHILOMENA THURINGIA YTON WYKE OLVINA TOPAZE IMSBY TOWN ST. ACHILLEUS WESTELLA INGSTON ALALITE SAON WOLVES HAMES SPECIAL SERVICE SHIPS. RESTED EAGLE GOLDEN EAGLE ROYAL EAGLE .A/S.B's. M.T.B's. ETC. M. A/S. B. 10 M.T.B. 68 .C. MOTOR-BOAT ( ex "EXCELLENT") M.T.B. 16 M.L. 100 A/S. B. 6 M.T.B. 22 M.T.B. 102 .A/S. B. 7 M.T.B. 67 M.T.B. 107 OVER FLARE-BURNING DRIFTERS PAXTON BOY ROY GOLDEN GIFT SHIPMATES EILEEN EMMA GOLDEN SUNBEAM THE BOYS FORECAST LORD HOWARD TORBAY II GERVAIS RENTOUL LORD HOWE UT PROSIM GIRL GLADYS MIDAS YORKSHIRE LASS GIRL PAMELA NETSUKIS YOUNG MUN (Continued) Sunk.	Boat Boy Roy Dawn Eileen Eileen Emma Forecast Gervais Rentoul Girl Gladys Girl Pamela Golden Eagle Golden Gift Golden Sunbeam Jeannie MacIntosh John Cattling Kingston Andalusite Kingston Olivine Lady Philomena Lord Barham Lord Cavan Lord Collingwood Lord Grey Lord Hood Lord Howard Lord Howe Lord Inchcape Lord Keith Lord Melchett Lord Rodney Lord St. Vincent Mare Maretta Midas Nautilus Netsukis Olivae Olvina Our Bairns Paxton Polly Polly Johnson Reed Relonzo Renascent Restrivo Rewga Rig Royal Eagle Saon Sargasso Saturn Shipmates Silver Dawn Spurs Starlight Rays Stella Rigel Strive Sunbeam Swift Swift Wing Taransay The Boys Thomsons Three Kings Topaze Torbay II Tweenways Wolves Yorkshire Lass Johnson Kings May Page Reed Swift Thomas Young