TNA ADM 199 xxx

5.
335h sometime during the 24 hours.
We discharged supplies from,Sodality during the day and in her I sent back and urgent message to D.S.T.O Dover that ships must bring with themgear for discharging cargo and that there vere still
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41 KNIGHTSBRIDGE COURT.
SLOANE STREET.
LONDON. S.V.1
5th JUNE 1940
Sir,
I haveto report as follows on my activities during the period
20th May until 1st June:-
carned
After arriving back at Dunkirk from Ostend (having out the eyacuation of British refugees from that port and also completed & reconnaissance of the docks - which has since been lost) I received telephone instructions from P.S.T.O. French Ports through Commander H.P.
Henderson R.N. the British Naval Liaison Officer that 1 vas to take charge of the port and relieve Zieutenant-Commender V.R. Dunnett R.N.R
who at that time was S.D.O in charge. This message 1 received about
1630 on 20th May.
1 attended & conference at Headquarters at which the sevly appointed Commander - Colonel Whitfeld - presided; the remaining Director ficers present Area baing the B.N.S.O. the representative various of The Novement of Docks; Control representative officers. prepare At to of this evacuate supply conference and between Transporti the 2000 President and and 2500 intimated troops and that we were to as he called them/t to land supplies, petrol about 25
(useless mouths embark about 35qofficers and men plus returned ammunition and to Component. After this conference I Dunnett to vehicles of the where Air 1 started to take over from Lieut-Comdr. to give I
but S.T,O's as there office were go many decisions to make and orders

5
5.
335h sometime during the 24 hours.
We discharged supplies from M.V.Sodality during the day and in her I sent back and urgent message to D.S.T.O Dover that ships must bring with themgear for discharging cargo and that there were still
2.
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decided to postpone this until the next day. I learned from military sources taht one ship with 300,000 rations (approximately 700 tons)
would be ready to sail on 21st and another with 200,000 rations on the following day both for Dunkirk although it was not clear from which port they would sail. In order that I should know the total number of
British ships in the port I sent Lieutenant J.Swinsco R.N.R. to obtain this information which proved to ber-
(I) S.S.Belwyn
(2) S.S.Bawtry
(3) S.S.Dover Dover Abbey
(4) S.S.Rupera (2)
On the following day (Tuesday Rist) 1 gave orders that "Bawtry"
would be required for R.A.F personnel/and 933 to sail as soon as they had embarked but owing to the state of the tide and the look gates the personnel were embarked in another ship and "Bawtry" was, I think, sunk in the harbour by a bomb. "mipera" apparently safled without orders of but the remaining two vessels I took over in the name of the Minister
Shipping instructed the masters to await orders TO sailing from to me and that and these would not be given until arrangements had been made fill them with troops.
afternoon Lieutenant-Commander R.A.B.Williams R.N
During the but at the same time Lieut-Comdr, Dunnett was wounded in a nesessitating French reported for duty his evacuation It was during home this - in somewhat the meantime exciting Commander he period was placed V.H.Seymour that some hospital. staff arrivedvis: Lieutenant N.L.V.
members R.N.V.R., of Lieutenant P.S.T.O's W.Blandy R.N.V.R., Paymaster Lieutenant

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33
sometime during the 24 hours.
We discharged supplies from M.V.Sodality during the day and in her I sent back and urgent message to D.S.T.O Dover that ships must bring with themgear for discharging cargo and that there were still
3
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3.
Ruoff R.N.R. with instructions that they were to re-join the Commodore if possible at Winereux. As this was absolutely out of the question
I co-opted them onto my staffand they remained as my assistants until they left for the United Kingdom on 29 th May. 1 found Lieutenant
Blandy's knowledge of the port invaluable particularly as My predecessor had been wounded before he had been able to turn over to 200 and I was working rather in the dark.
The principle I adopted after consultation with Lieutenant-
Colonel N.M.Jesper who took over the duties of Director of Deeks was to use the Monitor Quay for hospital additions and personnel ships and use those berths in the docks which were the most suitable for our purpose after making the necessary arrangements with the French authorities and I was given to understand that the only commodities with which we would/be called upon to deal sere supplies, ammition and petrol. and Lieut-
Comdre. Seymour and illiams 1 placed in charge of Nunitor Quay It was
$
Lieuts. Swinsco and Blandy of the other berths in the port.
hoped wounded and personnel during the whole 24 hours this whereas reduced 3
the to embark other ships would work from 0500 until 2200 - and also hours store of unloading and was due to lack of properly shaded of air lights raids occurred d
to during the the scareity day but of between skilled known raids stevedores. to most Colemel of A Jesper the number French and Port I managed Officials. to French call y
Alll upon supplies and these make for gentlemen both that ourselves we the were were military not very in helpful and a civilain position but made population to pick us have realise and were to choose work that arriving vis-a-vi our in berths the port without and consulting them but that we should

5.
335h sometime during the 24 hours.
We discharged supplies from M.V.Sodality during the day and in her I sent back and urgent message to D.S.F.O Dover that ships must bring with themgear for discharging cargo and that there were still
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4.
with the French authorities,
On my return to my office I found Lieutement Nettle R.N.R. of
P.S.T.O's staff with instructions to obtain from ne an appreciation of the situation; this I give hereunder:-
The situation varies from raid to raid. At the moment nearly normal a
and there are a few tugs and pilots. The Engineer of the Port's office
"
is open. Police de Navigation is run by the French Naval Authorities
.
the office is in the abri and is functioning fairly normally. Ship due
"
at 1430 has not yet arrived (1520): she is for personnel. Two store
"
ships expected with rations this afternoon, all arrangements made for
4
their discharge etc. Lieut-Comdr. Dumett rounded in air raid yesterday the town
"
being evacuated In personnel ship to-day. Main water supply in (where
"
appears to be out of action but auxiliary supply is a certain few hotels parts but
" a 4 " staff bread. electricity a smoke are screen Town living) functioning. largely to enemy in fair evacuated, aircraft. No.151 order. Petrol Construction local tanks Cas Food dock is still shortage out labour ablase off Company. acute in being unfortunately Large particularly supplemented number dis- adding of for discharging our ships by yesterday, majority have
" " "appeared. 4. unarmed ship. direct Communications Belgian Reported Bastion soldiers that poors 32 60 about working civil stevedores the line at town the arriving phone moment; 1244 in military working this afternoon's line intermittently out of store line to order."
(22/23rd) repeated air raids if or they bombardments continued as
During the night place and I decided that obtain some the extra French staff call would them be took required in order that officers might

335th sometime during the 24 hours.
We discharged supplies from,Sodality during the day and in her I sent back and urgent message to D.S.T.O Dover that ships must bring with themgear for discharging cargo and that there were still several cranes in action. Unloading continued hampered many times by air raids but considering these inconveniences the amount discharged was very satisfactory. The labour employed was largely nen from No.
151 Railway Construction Company under Major Edwards and although an appreciation of their work will doubtless be forwarded from another source I must take this opportunity of expressing by praise at the way they not only carried out this to them - strange work but also the manner in which they returned to it after every raid.
About 2115 one destroyer and two hospitals sailed and about 0400
Sodality sailed having been delayed by the tide. Although communications were extremely poor I managed to get a signal passedto D.S.T.O
Dover regarding the sailing of the four ships with a request that the information should be forwarded to the Ministry of Shipping and Bar
Office (Searail B).
Difficulty was experienced in obtaining reliable information from the look-out station at the lighthouse so I asked that three naval signal them ship's with ratings lettersof the French should those in be requisitioned the sent lighthouse out and ships these and having which duly to arrived. were given report likely them to 1 billetted a to the list be office of employed such shallow waterI instructed them the in arriving or leaving. They proved of the greatest Staff assistance names of to ships me and when the remainder of the Sea Transport left