TNA ADM 199 795

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481
3.
Orders were received on 30th May to despatch to Dover, the pontoon pier which had just been sent off to Narvik in the EMPIRE
ABI ITY. A working party was detailed for the pier under Lt. Commander Layard R.N. and
Sub. Lieut Murray R.N., and embarked about
1900 hrs 31st May when Empire Ability arrived, having been recalled from the Clyde, She sailed for Dover at about 2100 hrs the same day
This pier was not used, and EMPIRE ABILITY returned, to PORTSMOUTH on the 2nd June,
4.
At about midnight 30/31 May orders sere received to embark and A.L.C. referred to in para 2 above, together with their crews in the
City of Christchurch for despatch to Dover; this was completed by about 1130 hrs 31st day, and the
City of Christchurch sailed at noon, This party was under Sub. Lieut ensonby R.N.V.R. It is believed that of these craft only A.L.C. 10 was unloaded and used, but it is not certain at present whether the CITY OR is on her way back to ortsmouth or not. Purther definite information will be forwarded as soon as it can be obtained. A.L.C. 10 left Dover for Portsmouth under her own power at midday, 4th June.
Commander Cassidi reported to this Centre
5. at about 2000 hrs on 1st June, having landed at
SHEERNESS with A.L.C. 5 which had been considerably damaged. His report is attached in appendix
Part I, and a summary of the action of the various
A.L.C. is given in art II.

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506
482
6.
As far as can be ascertained, up to the present the following casualties were sustained by crews of A.L.C.:-
Killed - one officer (Sub. Lieut R.
Wilcoxon, R.N.V.R.)
Wounded - Two ratings.
Injured - Two ratings,
Five craft were lost out of the nine employed;
two of these were never hoisted out of the Clan
Macalister owing to an accident to the derricks, and it appears that A.L.C. 8 and 15 need not have been lost, although the deliberate destruction of
A.L.C. 10 was perhaps justified on the grounds that she was disabled and might fall into the hands of the enemy.
of the 4 A.L.C. which returned, A.L.C. 5
7.
is in SHEERNESS Dockyard in a damaged condition.
It is suggested that she should be repaired there without delay, and that she should return to ortsmouth under her own power or in tow. An officer and a crew can be sent to fetch her.
I would point out that these craft were
8. subjected to very abnormal use; they were invariably overloaded; a great strain was thrown on the engines the clutches owing to the fact that the sea off and at DUNKIRK was full of every form of floating etc., obstacle beaches including clothing, equipment, etc., which continually fouled the propellors,

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490
Appendix "A"
Part II.
Individual action of Azb.C.
Note: These narratives, (with the exception of
A.L.C. 5), are compiled from reports received from crews of A.L.C.
A.L.C. 5
(continuation of Commander Cassidi's report.)
After being hoisted out of Clan
Macalister A.L.C. 5 proceeded some my to the coast and carried on inshore,
The beach proved to be exceptionally flat for & long distance off shore, and as the craft was carrying one week's provisions and an additional 200 gallons of petrol, she vas drawing more water than usual. in view of this and the number of men it was intended to enbark, (50), it was necessary to drop the anchor on approaching the shore, and to hold the boat so that she was floating in about three feet of water. 10 - 8 therefore necessary for the troops to made - 50 yds when were up to their waists in water, which entailed which their they being dragged bodily over the box ramp had previously been lowered.
2. c/ made beaching awkward, and the use of an
A slight surf, thrown up by the inshore wind, was essential, Owing to bad seamanship, A.L.C. at anchor 5 lost her anchor and warp at the first attempt

491
beaching with the result that the craft rode on much farther than was intended or desirable. She was immediately rushed on all sides by a wild, undisciplined mob of French soldiers, 60 many of whom got onboard that the boat was grounded;
and it was only by the use of considerable meunt of force that a sufficient number could be got overboard, so that the craft could be get off the beach,
3.
Two very good anchors, one complete with a good long warp, were found in a derelict meter boat and these were used to replace the Zest anenors before making a further trip.
The second attempt to embark French troops shewed that their undisciplined behaviour was likely to imperil the safety of the craft, and it was decided to proceed farther up the coast to
La Panne where British troops were found,
These troops were ferried from the beach to one or other of the craft anchored off shore, at the rate of approximately 3 trips per hour.
A.L.C. 5 continued working from this beach throughout Wednesday, being interrupted only by continuous air raids, on La Panne and on the beach itself. During the hours of darkness the rate of work was perhaps & little slower, but 188
free from interruption from the air.
Air activity recommenced at daybreak May
30th but was less intense. Enemy artillery however began searching to seaward and along the beaches,

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492
A.L.C. 17 joined A,L,C. 5 off La Panne on this day, but as she was having constant trouble with her steering gear she returned to Dover where repairs were effected, She was the only A.I.C. sighted by A.L.C. 5 since leaving the CLAN MACALISTER,
4.
I (Commander Cassidi), YRS informed that large numbers of British troops were awaiting embarkation near Old Dunkirk and that there was 1
shortage of boats there. Accordingly A.L.C. 5 moved towards this town p.m. "hursday 30th ay.
5.
Being once more in the vicinity of the CLAN MACALISTER I took the opportunity to board her.
She had been abandoned after having been bombed aft, and although externally she appeared very little damaged, she was burning internally, apparently as far forward as the engine room. the ship was burning so Ciercely that the hot deck burn$
the soles of my rubber boots completely any as I
tried to approach AobaCo 4 and 18, which were still lying in their original stowage on the after deck,
Both A.L.C. appeared to have escaped damage from bombs, but No. 4 had a few holes burned in her, and presumably the bottoms of both sere likely to have suffered from the heat,
The weather conditions were not a
6. deal easier there being little surf to hamper sare good the embarkation of to troops, and large numbers taken off until after dark.

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21
493
any
11
About midnight A.L.C. 5 grounded on 2
falling tide and was eventually left high and try and she was not able to be refloated again until broad daylight. The crew took advantage of this
3
mishap to clear both the propellors, These were found to be badly fouled with rope, equipment, clothing, etc., which had probably been the cause of a certain amount of clutch trouble that had been experienced the previous day.
7.
On Friday S1st day the wind got to causing a heavy surf which made the embarkation of troops extremely difficult, and added to the exhaustion of the crew, who were, by this time, shewing considerable signs of fatigus, due to lack of sleep and to continually hawling the heavily laden craft off the shore on the anchor,
During the forenoon the reather conditions became much worse and eventually they were so bad that beaching was impossible. Finally when very overladen with troops, the craft grounded beam on, to the wind and sea, the engines stopped and she seemed likely to become a wreck.
The troops on board refused to disembark until I pursuaded them to assist as to right a waterlogged ship's lifeboat nearby,
As soon as they were out of the boat the coxewain, Leading Seaman Harris, seised the opportunity to get his engines going and turned the craft and got her out to -

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APPENDIX "A" PART II
501
A.L.C. 17.
b
A.L.C. 17 was the fourth boat to be hoisted out, and followed A.L.C. 5 up the coast towards Braye. On approaching the beach she mas promptly boarded by a crowd of French soldiers, who so overload d the boat that she grounded.
On the falling tide she was soon left high and dry, and remained stranded for some three hours.
In the meantime the Coxswain of A.L.C. 17 procured the assistance of some British troops, who with fixed bayonets, drove off the French when these again attempted to rush the boat as the tide rose. These British troops, together with a few French, were taken off to a British destroyer shere the
British only were disembarked. H A.4.C. 17 was ordered to take the French to a nearby reasel, on the my she ma heavily bombed and machine gurned from the air.
As a result of this attack, the boat became partially flooded, so much 30 that the engines stopped. A.L.C. 17
then managed to get alongside a tug, where they baled out their boat, and got the engines running again. She continued embarking British troops from the vicinity of La Panne for the remainder of the day, but towards evening had to casse operations due to a defect in the port rudder; this 183
eventually rectified alongaide, and with the assistance of,
H.M.S. Shikari.
A.L.C. 17 continued working all night, but finally her engines were stopped by sand in the circulating mater systems.
On Thursday morning May 30th., ahe was taken in tow: a drifter and towed to Dover, arriving there about 2200. Engines were repaired, and on Friday A.L.C. 17 - towed over to Dunicirk by a tug. A few trips only were carried out, embarking British troops from the viainity of Old Dubkirk, when sand stopped one