TNA ADM 234 360

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THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VIII
if one party had to leave, it was to communicate along the
moreover, beach so that all would have the warning¹. of the Bray whole
4 sections, being small, should of about 400 yards; they at took
covering frontage, in all, at first once proceded to proceedesition
On landing, the 4 section Lieutenants remain close together, and party they decided that all
organize but, dunes within and 3 a approached embarkation 2 minutes obeyed orders of the landing, points. boats. about about There boats The troops 5,000 given were from troops were by the on left naval the no their whole signs officers cover of easy and in to the control sand
and except implicity the orders to bring back the boats ships to shore. ratings,
Vavasour says that by 0500 on the loaded May and doubtful if 80 men were
Evacuation in Commodore Hallett's 30th section it is was very slow and Lieut.
reached a ship, they let the boats go adrift, as were no
off. A few boats appeared, were there sent off ; but boat-keepers. troops
No suggestions or orders were issued from headquarters, says 12 Commanders
along the front at Bray. There he saw a Captain R.N. and
At dawn Lieut. Vavasour contacted a headquarters² in one of the houses
One of the commanders, who had come from Dunkirk", him that the
port was out of action, and the moles were in ruins.
off Bray beach, but the boat situation had acute now
Shortly after 0500 on the 30th May there was a destroyer and minesweeper rand there werweeper
about 15,000 troops on the beach. With the assistance of some senior
Army Officers who by then had arrived, the troops were moved away from the
water's edge and settled in the sands.
By 0600, a considerable number of collapsible boats had been collected from
the Royal Engineers and these were loaded with 10 soldiers apiece and sent off.
In the majority of cases, however, on arrival at the ships the boats were
abandoned and, drifting to the east, came ashore abreast the French, who used
them to go off to British ships. By 0700, there were no power boats at all,
and whaler trips were very infrequent. The rate of evacuation continued to be
very slow.
Meanwhile the Captain R.N." (Captain Howson) had gone to La Panne
and Lieut. Vavasour did not see him again.
By 0730 more ships had arrived and evacuation proceeded more quickly, as
the beach parties had organised their own boat keepers. It was still, however,
far from satisfactory. The troops found it difficult to get into the boats in
the surf, and the beach parties had to wade out shoulder-deep to keep the boats
stern-on to the beach.
Lieut. Vavasour and his party then boarded the Anthony to get a change of
clothing, and while there obtained a motor boat which they manned for 12 hours
lost until she broke down. They first proceeded to recover the majority of their
boats, now in use by the French, and then organised a ferry service.
At 0900 contact was made with Commodore Hallett who then in a drifter.
He " I informed him of what I was doing Lieut. Vavasour. was " He approved.
Commodore informed me that he was very short says of coal. At approximately 0930 the
Lieut. steamed away to seaward. I did the Commodore again."
his boat broke down, and he had to saw be towed [the clear Commodore] of the danger at area." as
Wells said We never him not see all I believe
2 I Report Probably by Lt.
3 Captain Cdrs. Otway-Ruthven to by Capt. Howson and Gorton, (Section or 158) Richardson.
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