TNA ADM 234 360

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 101.

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
Thereupon, at about 0050 on the 1st June Lt. Cdr. McClelland informed
Dover that he was closing down the telephone line as the headquarters were now
being abandoned.
While this decision was being arrived at further batteries had come into
action on the town of La Panne, and by 0100 the rate of fire on the beach was
increased. Lt. Cdr. McClelland says that he had by that time lost touch with
Major-General Montgomery, who had left earlier and subsequently embarked
in the Codrington at Dunkirk at 0525 on the 1st June.
By 0130 it was low water, and about half a mile walk to the end of the piers
which were now high and dry. While walking there with the intention of
assisting in the embarkation of the few men who had not been ordered to march
to Dunkirk, Lt. Cdr. McClelland was twice knocked down by shell bursts a
splinter smashed the box signalling lantern he was carrying, and another
slightly injured his ankle. Several houses on the front were now blazing
fiercely.
On reaching the embarkation point Lt. Cdr. McClelland was told that no
boats had been in for over half an hour, and that the naval beach party had
left-apparently in accordance with his orders that they were to leave in the
last boat.¹ As will be seen later, the beach parties at Bray also embarked early
on the 31st May.
There being neither ships nor boats now at the beaches, Lt. Cdr. McClelland
ordered a general retirement westward of all the groups on the beaches with
the object of getting them inside the defended perimeter outside Bray-Dunes
before 0400.
At 0200, two or three miles down the beach towards Bray, three ships2 at
anchor and some troops had been trying unsuccessfully to attract their attention
by firing their rifles. Further on, as other large groups were waiting for boats,
Lt. Cdr. McClelland decided to swim off and report on the situation. He
managed to get close enough to the Gossamer, which was anchored 4 cables
from the shore, to pick up a lifebelt on a line brought to him by one of the ship's
company.
He was just able to gasp out his message to the Captain of the Gossamer
before collapsing, but he had told of the 4th Division's change of plan and of
the state of the beaches and had asked that Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker and
Vice-Admiral Dover be informed. The former was evidently informed at
0215³, and at 0235, the Gossamer signalled V.A. Dover that 6,000 British were
marching from La Panne through Bray on Dunkirk⁴.
Being very exhausted and no longer able to walk because of the pain from
the wound in his ankle, Lt. Cdr. McClelland remained in the Gossamer.⁵
Sub.-Lieut. E. C. Croswell's report on La Panne confirms that of Lt. Cdr.
McClelland. He says On Friday [31st May] embarkation at La Panne was
slowed up as shelling caused some ships to move westward to Bray-Dunes.
The rest camp in the rear of La Panne beach and a small arms ammunition hut
were hit during bombing attacks which continued throughout Friday, and ships
also suffered shell fire
On Friday evening German gunners found the range
of the beach and were aided by 2 observation balloons which we did not manage
I Lt. Cdr. McClelland's report (R.O.III, p.392).
2 The Codrington, Ivanhoe and Gossamer.
3 M.017978/41, p.21.
4
Appendix H.20.
5
Lt. Cdr. McClelland received a mention in despatches.
77