TNA ADM 199 xxx

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especially as I was patially incapacitated by a wound on
my left foot.
As we were a long way from the French coast I decided
that there was very little chance of HAIG falling into enemy
hands and that no doubt help would soon be forthcoming in
reply to the wireless message I had asked X440 to send.
I hauled down HAIG's ensign and took it aboard LADY CABLE and
we tried to make towards the English coast. Unfortunately
the engine kept stopping and we made very slow progress and
finally nothing would make our engine start again. We
drifted helplessly for several hours and then sighted a Bell
Buoy which I believe may have been the N.W. Goodwin Bell
Buoy, but we did not get close enough to make sure. At
last we sighted a warship and waved HAIG's White Ensign to
try to attractattention. We were seen and the ship altered
course towards us and came up close to LADY CABLE. She was
the French transport ROUEN of Dieppe and was packed with
troops from Dunkirk. An officer asked what I wanted and I
told him that we were broken down and asked to be taken
abcard. To my surprise my appeal was met with a blunt
"No" with no explanation, and the ROUEN steamed away.
My crew and I felt angry at this in view of the fact that
we had rescued over 200 French soldiers during the night.
No doubt the ROUEN had good reasons for not taking us aboard
but no explanation was given and I would like if possible
to discover why she was unable to help us.
Luckily another ship some considerable distance away
had noticed the ROUEN and observed that she had not picked
us up. This ship was the CITY OF CHRISTCHURCH and she
came up and took us in tow to the Downs where she was bound
for in ballast. On arrival in the Downs where CITY OF
CHRISTCHURCH dropped anchor, we were able to start up the
engine of LADY CABLE and I decided once again to try to make
for Dover. However, we broke down after a run of about
15 minutes and were picked up by a tug (Operational - I
don't know her name). She had orders to proceed to Ramsgate
with H.M. Drifter VIKING in tow and was about to do this
when we broke down near her. She towed us to the VIKING
and I boarded the VIKING to have my injured foot attended
to and get some rest. VIKING and LADY CABLE were towed round
to Ramsgate where we arrived about 2100. I was landed and
taken to "Merrie England" and then to Ramsgate General
Hospital.
The Commanding Officer of VIKING at my request reported
the return of LADY CABLE and that one member of my crew,
Cadet Rating Price was missing but might be aboard French
warship X440. He also reported direct to C. in C., Dover,
about HAIG. A little later, while I was still at "Merrie
England", the Commanding Officer of VIKING arrived to tell
me that he had been informed from Dover that HAIG was safe.
Unfortunately he had no news for me of Cadet Rating Price.
The behaviour of my crew throughout the operation had
been magnificent. The taking off or over 200 French troops
and 6 British from the Mole was conducted quickly and
calmly under difficult and hazardous conditions. Later,
Cadet Rating Price's work in helping to get the HAIG along-
side LADY CABLE cannot be too highly praised. Without the
great initiative and efficiency he displayed the operation
would not have been successful and the HAIG would have
drifted ashore to the S.W. of Dunkirk.
After/