TNA ADM 234 360

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THE FINAL NIGHT, 3RD-4TH JUNE
CHAP. XII
on motor boats, sailed the Thark with the motor boats,
the 3rd the tugs Sun from IV, Tanga, Ramsgate Sun to XV, Dunkirk. and Racia, Two towing of between them
were on account of water trouble petrol; the Diana Mary was
14 abandoned on the way across: in the while foul propeller and rudder,
mouth, to piled up 28 Dunkirk troops), on some with and submerged engine the barge masonry of the (though Admiral in Dunkirk she Superintendent, eventually harbour and returned Ports- was
abandoned. After waiting off Dunkirk since 2300 on the 3rd, the four tugs
ordered at about 0200 on the 4th to go alongside the (East) Pier and
embark were as many troops as possible, and by the time they were ordered to
out they had collected 203 between them. Of the 14 motor boats which
started clear from Ramsgate with the tugs only 5 or 6 found their way back ; all
the remainder were abandoned for one reason or another.
Embarkations at the West Pier (see Plan 4)
Owing to confusion of nomenclature it is impossible in every case to specify
definitely at which of the west piers or jetties the ships (other than destroyers
and personnel vessels which berthed at the east pier) embarked their troops.
In the western part of the port, reading from west to east, were (1) the West
Pier (termed western jetty in the Sailing Directions), (2) the West Quay or
Guiding Jetty, and (3) the Inner Western Pier (the inner or old western jetty
of the Sailing Directions). Of the other three skoots that came over with the
Lena, the Bornrif stated that she embarked 96 troops at the West Mole"
between 2230 on the 3rd and 0100 on the 4th, and the Hondsrug 308 at the
"West Pier' between 2245 and 0000; while the Pascholl, which had been
commanded by four different captains in 8 days, does not specify from which
part of the port she lifted the 255 troops with which she sailed at 0030. Another
skoot, the Rina, which had spent 24 hours at Dunkirk, sailed about this time
with 300 troops.
The corvette Guillemot, which had come over with the Kingfisher, went to
the Western mole" and secured ahead of the minesweeper Speedwell at 2355,
leaving again at 0154 with French troops embarked to capacity" (460).
This was her first and only trip, her previous service having been as base ship
at Margate. The Speedwell which had berthed nearly an hour earlier than the
Guillemot, took off 396 French troops, and the Halcyon, which had sailed from
Dover in her company, 501.
The minesweeper Kellett grounded forward against the western breakwater
on a falling tide when she attempted to go alongside at 0100. It was an
anxious moment, for almost simultaneously there same a report that 6 enemy
T.B.Ds. were proceeding south-westward from off Ostend ; but the motor
lifeboat Greater London towed the Kellett's stern away from the wall and enabled
her to back away. She embarked a few troops from motor boats and sailed
for Margate at 0220 by orders of Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, for the West
Pier was occupied and it would be some time before she could be loaded, and
the Rear-Admiral feared that so slow a ship might not be able to reach England
while our fighter patrols were operating. Two of the personnel ships were sent
by Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker to the West Pier instead of to the East Pier,
since the former was continuously crowded with French troops, whereas at
the East Pier there were gaps in the flow of men. One of the two, the Royal
Sovereign, embarked 1,350 men and sailed overladen half an hour after
she should have been clear.
Among the many ships and craft of which few or no details are recorded
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