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No further ships arrived during the forenoon off Bray or
La Panne and a great opportunity was missed for embarking
troops undisturbed. During the forenoon the Sappers in
conjunction with the First Division, built a long pier of
lorries off Bray into the sea, with plank decking. This
was an excellent piece of work and proved invaluable later
as a pedestrian pier, but it was insufficiently stable for
such craft as paddle steamers to go alongside. Nor
was it desirable for smaller pier craft to go alongside
in safety especially in a lop. It was, nevertheless,
later invaluable for embarking troops into small boats.
During the forenoon I proceeded to Dunkirk and
met S.N.O. He informed me that embarkation had proceeded
very satisfactorily during the night and estimated that
12,000 to 13,000 troops had been embarked. I told him
that I estimated 6,000 to 7,000 troops had embarked during
the night from the beaches, and I stressed the urgency
for more ships to arrive and more and more boats, but few
if any ships arrived during the forenoon.
On my way to Dunkirk, I found the water Lighter
CLAUDE high and dry, but ample supplies of water, and
on my return to Bray arranged with the Military Authorities
for lorries and/gune to collect and déstribute this sorely
needed requirement.
Acting on S.N.O's instructions, I sent officers
on board the CRESTED EAGLE to destroy any secret equipment
still in her, but fire had already done all that was
necessary. In the afternoon (Thursday) one or two scoots
and 2 or 3 motor yachts and paddlers arrived and anchored
to the westward of Bray, where no doubt they first observed
large bodies of troops waiting embarkation. None,
unfortunately, proceeded East of the Bray Pier where the
First Division had waited many hours patiently and most
orderly. Eventually some of the First Division proceeded
to Dunkirk where they hoped embarkation facilities were
better. One or two destroyers or sloops passed en route
from the westward, to La Panne, and I tried without success
with at very ineffective improvised lamp to tell them to
anchor off the Pier. Eventually I managed to get at signal
to Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker in a passing ship asking him
to arrange for this. I sent an officer with a representative
of the First Division staff to Dunkirk to represent the
urgent need for destroyers to anchor off Bray. (Not until
two days later did I learn that all the destroyers, etc.,
had been given specific instructions as to which beaches they
were to anchor off). Later a certain number of destroyers
sloops and scoots had anchored off Bray and the embarkation
proceeded satisfactorily. Unfortunately however, owing to
at lack of Naval Officers, time after time did one see the a
projected procession of boats going off loaders with troops,
only to be cast adrift empty floating to seaward.
About 1700(?) I paid a further visit to G.H.Q.
to calar up a point about the allocation of troops to the
several beaches, and returned to Bray.
About 2000 I decided that I must go and interview
Admiral Wake-Walker who I believed to be embarked in at ship off
Bray. Before leaving I gave instructions that in the falling
tide/