TNA ADM 234 360

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WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
were the 8 assault which landing had been craft loaded (A.L.C.'s), into, and under brought the command of
Cassidi, R.N., were A.L.C.'s 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 16, 17 over by,Whe S.S. R. A.
Macalister. They off No. 6 W buoy, at about and 18. Clan
was being hoisted causing out, the Clan Macalister to roll
passed at speed, and both craft were rendered unfit
down on A.L.C.18 did valuable work ferrying
ing from six the A.L.C.'s beaches. however, some troops
French troops rush A.L.C.5.
Cdr. Cassidi, who was in A.L.C.5 proceeded some way up the coast and
soldiers, SO many of them got on the boat was grounded. French
carried on inshore; his craft was board immediately that rushed on all sides by then
The second attempt to embark troops failed, SO A.L.C.5 proceeded
of the troops had to be forced off the French boat before she could be got off the beach. Some
at the rate of about 3 trips an hour, air 50 men per trip, throughout the day,
to La Panne beach¹. Thence, British troops were ferried to off-lying ships
except for interruptions by frequent attacks. The A.L.C.5 made 15 trips.
A.L.C.16 is sunk
The A.L.C.16 (S/Lt. R.O. Wilcoxon, R.N.V.R.) made 7 trips, after which
"she was boarded by French soldiers, who overwhelmed the boat to such an
extent that she became partially swamped, the starboard battery was flooded
and both engines failed. Eventually sufficient French were evicted to enable
A.L.C.16 to be floated off and the port engine started"². In going astern,
however, the port stern tube was damaged and water poured into the boat;
nevertheless, continually pumping and bailing, A.L.C.16 continued ferrying
for a further 11 hours. She then went alongside the sloop Bideford to transfer
a load of troops. S/Lt. Wilcoxon went on board the Bideford to arrange for
a tow back to England. Then came the dive-bomb attack in which the
Bideford's stern was blown off. S/Lt. Wilcoxon was mortally wounded.
A.L.C.16 was heavily damaged, and sank in a few minutes; she had ferried
about 600 troops.
French troops rush A.L.C.17
A.L.C.17 followed A.L.C.5 up the coast towards Bray beach. "On
approaching the beach she was promptly boarded by a crowd of French troops
who SO overloaded the boat that she grounded"³. With a falling tide she re-
mained stranded for 3 hours. As the tide rose, the French. again attempted
to rush the boat [but] the cox'n of A.L.C.17 procured the assistance of some
British troops, who, drove off the French "3. Ferrying was continued all day
and throughout the night from La Panne, until the A.L.C.17's engines broke
down; she was towed by a drifter to England next day for repairs.
A.L.C.'s 3, and 8 also ferried troops, and transported 20 and 10 troops res-
pectively to Dover, where they arrived at 0400 next day.
M/B Minikoi sunk
was the Minikoi. Unfortunately, at 0015/29, while still in the Downs, she
One of the earliest of the privately owned M/B's to start for the beaches
was rammed and sunk by the M.A./S.B.6, which picked up her crew of three.
3 Report by A.L.C.16.
I 2 Report by A.L.C.5.
Report by A.L.C.17.
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