TNA ADM 234 360

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THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VIII
of embarkation".
to destroy. At 0200 Saturday [Ist June] La Panne was abandoned as a place
1st June 1940², confirms the
The following extract from above War accounts: Diary General Staff 4 Division, dated the
"[At La Panne] by 0100 hrs. not more be embarked than three had to four hundred men of
Division out of eight thousand to been put on transports. the
conference was called at Divisional decided H.Q. that which it was had useless now opened in a house by the A
side of the beach where it was to continue the embark-
ation from La Panne. Motor Contact officers Dunes were and sent out to inform Brigades that
they were to proceed direct to Bray Dunkerque Mole. Whilst
were sustained. A Staff Officer was sent warn the French Guards at at the
conference was going on the beach was heavily to shelled by 5.9's and a this
Frontier that 4 Division would be passing through them.
was sent to order the men on the beach to make their way along the beach either
to Bray or Dunkerque. From this moment H.Q. ceased to operate until
follows:- arrived at Dunkerque Mole. Certain officers arrived at Dunkerque Mole as it
GSO II, GSO III, and Camp Commandant at 0500 hrs. 1 June. GOC, GSO I,
AA and QMG, I.O., ADC, Motor Contact Officer at about 0700 hrs."
Captain R. Pim, R.N.V.R., Beach Master
In view of the foregoing outline of events at La Panne, it is necessary, in
order to avoid confusion, to refer briefly to a report by Captain Pim who was
sent over from the Admiralty to assist in speeding up the embarkation.
After visiting as many of the beaches as possible he assumed the duties of
Beach Master (at Bray beach) and arranged to continue the organisation of
ferrying boats until all the troops on the beaches were on board. I told
them", he said, that if anything went wrong during the night we would
return at dawn".³
Later, Captain Pim stated All the troops that I could find were embarked
by midnight and placed in ships which sailed for England. Just before mid-
night I went along certain beaches to look for stragglers. A Staff Officer
informed me that no more troops would embark from these beaches⁴ but that
they would march to Dunkirk, as it was anticipated these beaches would be
shelled and would probably be in German hands the following day." Captain
Pim estimated that from pontoon bridges and beaches, approximately 5,000
troops were probably embarked.
Although his report is entitled Final evacuation of troops from the beaches
of La Panne and Bray", Captain Pim does not say that these 5,000 troops were
embarked from La Panne, and it is evident from Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker's
report, and particularly from Lt. Cdr. McClelland's report, and the War Diary
of the 4th Division, that they were not embarked from La Panne. Vice-Admiral
Dover6, however, assumes from Captain Pim's report that he worked at La
to the east and west of it.
Panne, the weight of evidence shows that he worked at Bray and immediately
the west, as shells meant for the beaches were ricocheting over the Hilda.
During the night, Captain Pim found it necessary to shift his anchorage to
Then, Captain at 0315 on the 1st June, in accordance with his undertaking to the troops,
western Pim sent off all [his] boats. to search the beaches, starting from the
end of Bray-Dunes". During the next 3 hours, he says, only about 250
I C.W.23187/40.
3 2 4 Capt. Provided Pim's by report Lt. Col. (R.O. H. IV, F. Joslen, p.52). (Historical Section, War Cabinet).
5 Evidently the La Panne beaches.
6 Capt. Pim's report (R.O. IV, P.52).
D.R., p.20, para.61.
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