TNA ADM 199 795

Dynamo 171.
304
281
Admiralty House,
Sheerness. 7th.June 1960
REPORT OF STOKER D.T.BANKS, Off.No. KX/86174.
(Given verbally to Lieut.Commander D.H.Holland-Martin, R.N.)
Banks could not remember any dates nor the names of his men.
He sailed from Ramagate in the "Pauleter", a 35ft.motor boat with 2 Ordinary Seamen as crew, a Bren gun, a Lewis gun and a compass which he didi not know how to use. He found his way to the beaches guided by the blaze from Dunkirk. On arrival there some 40 British and French soldiers, including several woynded, waded and swam off to his boat. There were no larger graft near and so he took them on beard and set course for home. It was now night but the fires in
Dunkirk illuminated his boat and he was subjected to both bombing and machine gin attacks; one bullet is still in the woodwork of
"Pauleter"s" stern sheets. In one attack the plane dived so low that Banks thought it would hit his boat. The Ordinary Seaman the Bren gun seemed frightened of it and so Banks gave him the on wheel and manned the gun himself and "put his finger on the trigger when about 12 came out - a bit of sport!"
Banks got safely back to Hamagate and transferred to the
"Marasole" with his two Ordinary Semen. He was just taking her alongside the nole when a near miss damaged the boat. She was taken in tow by a trawler but later sank, Banks and his crew transferring to the trawler.
The French troops on the sole were very cool, joking and laughing with two lady ambulance drivers whom Banks later saw in Ramagate.
At did seven more trips to the beaches or mole, bringing On
Ramagate he returned with his grow to the "Paulater"
and in her to England a total of about 400 Allied wounded, troops.
one straight of these back trips be resousd 3 survivors, one badly form from the trawler "Blackburn Rover".
an leaving hour collecting the souvenirs including a mall rosary aloga.
One "Paulater" night secured alongaide the nole, they and spent some half be gave his non a "Shin ashore" in Dunkirk
Banks finally brought the "Paulater" single-handed from
Ramagate to Sheerness on June 7th.
He was drafted from R.N.Barracks, Chathas for the
Dynamo operation.