TNA ADM 199 795

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may Otherwise desirable have as to to tighten the inadequacy up the phraseology of French at the X and salient to supply facts, any but it seens
for disparity it seems between better the numbers to restrict of commentation date
Kingdom. It is, therefore, proposed to make the following additions:- the reason United
(2158) Wt. 29780/4508 60M 11/38 S.E.R. Ltd. Go. 671.
British was used. To (a). Only A comparatively 9 French destroyers small were number of French
Register No. M/06974/41
Minute Sheet No. 1
of smaller destroyers. British The disproportion between used, as against
The following notes were compiled by Capt.G. Maund who was present
United Kingdom of plan only 6,099 French troops greater.
the change and French craft was even the number
at Dunkirk. It was not until May 31st that French troops started
arriving in numbers at Dunkirk. They seriously interfered
only way. troops out of 112,546 were brought whole off evacue in th
20,525 French by French ships and during the were landed
with the rate of embarkation of the B.E.F. off the Eastern
Arm and by arrangement with Admiral Abrial they were marched
round to the jetties at the Nouvel d'Avant Port on the
Western side of the harbour. Ships were diverted specially
To (b)
to this embarkation point throughout the nights of June
Bombed. Sunk in Dunkirk
Before rushing the change of plan resulting there were in great instances confusion and dela
1st and 2nd to embark them and furthermore our ships were
sent back to Dunkirk on the night of June 3rd when it will
change of British boats and swamping them, while of French
be observed that 6 British Troops and 27000 French were
beach at plan there were occasions when French after the
embarked, about 24000 of which were embarked by British
were Dunkirk refused to embark in British ships troops the
without any orders to do so.
craft.
A.M.0704/31/May directed that British & French troops
the B.E.F. had been evacuated, British when the
To (c). Thus on June 4th and June 5th
should be given equal opportunities for being evacuated in
British ships and boats.
dropping off with fatigue were running the ships whose crews
flow French troops, though many had to return gravest empty risks as the
S.N.O. Dunkirk's 0638/31/May reads:- Am now receiving
of French troops had dwindled away.
a number of Frenchmen. I have at present raised no
Will DOD(H) YDTD comment mthe passage ats?
objection to their embarking in British ships and an
allowing them to do SO.
CHinkm
S.N.O. Dunkirk's 0957/31 requested necessary ships
might be sent to Dunkirk to embark 5000 Frenchmen at dark.
SUNK
(This was duly done) and again at 1147/31 S.N.O. Dunkirk
for Head of Military Branch
asked for a ship at 1315/31 to embark 1500 French troops.
7
May, 1941,
(They were embarked).
S.N.O. Dunkirk's Message 0704/2 said that there
remained to be evacuated on night 2/3 June probably 5000
Report on Operation "Dynamo"
British and approximately 30,000 French and asked for more
Appendix V give details of French ships taking part in th
Para 14 Co-operation of the French Navy " and
transports for that night
evacuation in and the number of French troops carried to
Dunkirk's 1735/2 June reads :- Have promised
both French ships and British ships.
French I will press for shipping for them tomorrow night
when they hope to evacuate 15,000.
held to substantiate War Office facts given but show
2. It will be seen that the cannot justly
This done although our personnel was exhausted
X
and as stated was above, some 24,000 were embarked by British
Coastal Shipping.
considerable effective effort was remarks made to at collect X French
ships.
It will be observed that on the night of June 2/3 some
20,000 French were embarked and 7200 English.
for some Although hours, no French soldiers were forthcoming
personnel and other ships remained alongside and the
for D.O.D.(H)
ships had to return empty.
9.5.41.
in the days preceding the 1st they did
very little The French to assist Navy in the evacuation and latterly
were hardly seen at all.
Concur with War office note that the main reason for
the disparity in numbers was :-
(a) The failure of the French Navy to assist.
(b) failure of the French evacuation. High Command to issue any
definite The orders as to
(c) indication by the French to be evacuated Command as to
No how definite many Frenchmen might have