TNA ADM 234 360

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VII
heavy craft, nor even by small craft similar in a pier lop, was it was invaluable ing troops into small boats. A was completed and commenced in use on the morning of later for embarkthe 30th May at La Panne, and by the the same day the the same same d the morning day the morning day
(See p. 47).
2 or 3 motor yachts and paddlers to
Bray; none proceeded east of the Bray pier, where the
Captain Howson goes on to say that arrived in the and afternoon anchored one Fortwo skoots and the weskoots and waited many hours patiently. One tried or two without destroyers or sloops passed from had the westward to La Panne, and he he success with a lamp to
Admiral Wake-Walker asking him to arrange for this. Captain Howson also them to anchor off the pier. Eventually managed to get a signal to Rear- tell sent an officer to Dunkirk to represent learned the urgent need for destroyers off Bray.
It was not until 2 days later that he that all the destroyers, etc., had been given specific instructions as to which beach they were to anchor off.
Later a certain number of destroyers, sloops and skoots anchored off Bray and the embarkation proceeded satisfactorily. Unfortunately, time after time, owing to a lack of naval ratings, he saw a procession of boats going off loaded with troops, only to be cast adrift and left floating empty out to seaward¹.
Later that evening Captain Howson got in touch with Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker, then in the Worcester, and obtained permission to embark the following day in a motor boat off the beaches SO as to prevent a recurrence of this waste of beaching craft².
In spite of the difficulties and shortcomings emphasised in the above reports great progress was being made. In fact, beach evacuation reached its peak on this day; 29,500 troops were lifted from the beaches (as against 24,300
from the harbour); and some 50 ships, including destroyers, minesweepers, skoots, trawlers, drifters, personnel and special service vessels, were engaged continuously in the arduous work.
The armada grows, but service of ships to Dunkirk is slowed up
Meanwhile the build-up of ships continued, and some 31 additional craft reached of Dunkirk and the beaches this day. They included two minesweepers of the 8th M.S.F.³, the Fleet Air Arm training vessel Grive, 4 yachts and a drifter the Dover M/S Command4, the corvette Kingfisher, (with the ex-Belgian canal the boat Sambre in tow), the Yarmouth Examination Service yacht Laroc, and M/V Scottish Co-operator, the S/M tender Dwarf, the drifters Fair Breeze minesweeper barge Skipjack), the motor coasters Seine and Sheila, (in the coasting
Ocean Breeze, the ex-Belgian canal boats Ambleve and Escaut tow of the the Viking, the ex-Dutch eel-boat Johanna (in tow Lady of the skoot Jutland), water, and (R.N.L.I.) lifeboat Prudential (towing barges 7 Sark and with fresh
Ramsgate sailing barge Beatrice Maud, and the dumb Shetland. hopper The the oyster dredging smacks Seasalter and Vanguard, the steam W.24, borough, the punt Carama), and the Margate wherries loaded Lord Southwherries. were The manned by their own crews, but (R.N.L.I.) naval lifeboat manned the appeared on the scene. and picked up 244 troops. Another A/S patrol, to
Bray beach in error trawler Olvina, which should have been on ratings went
I At long last a dozen of the long awaited important motor contingent boats
R.O.III, p.396.
2 R.O.III, p.397.
4 3 The The Glen Avon and Glen Gower.
and 5 The the danlaying danlaying Constant yachts drifter Gulzar and Sargasso, the echo and Conidaw
Triton, Silver Pauleter Adventuress, and sounding Ma Black Joie. yachts Arrow, Chico Sunshine, Reda,
60

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. XI
The Admiralty had already continued (2312/2) for the undertaken evacuation that ships would be night the evacuation 3rd to 4th on June, this and night. they To this the French agreed. complete on the vided and air protection now urged the French of Admiralty trops pro-
Plan for the night embarkation, the hours of 2230/3 and with such ships for
For this last and night the maximum it was decided effort to was cut to down be made, by one hour the time mained available, between to be made by personnel 0230/4. From the as re-
Pier, liftings were to be sent to the entire vessels, destroyers, and East minesweepers; be ships received, were and it was estimated that length of the pier as paddle as they could Drifters and fast thus be provided and for docks 14,000 of men. the inner harbour. small craft were to go would up to the quays be French ships, for which right latter pier the remaining would also lift ships (minesweepers the other than paddle, the beach, the Quai Félix Faure, British Avant Port (West Pier); from numbers could be estimated, were and the to New responsible for evacuation from Malo no boats. Locust was to remain loads ferried out to her by small vettes and skoots) outside and troops, receive to number of 5,000. The gunboat cor-
It was intended to employ on the work a force of 9 personnel vessels, 9
destroyers (all that were available), 4 paddle minesweepers, 7 fleet minesweepers,
9 drifters, the Locust, 2 corvettes, 4 French torpedo boats, and a number of organised motor boats flotillas including lifeboats from Ramsgate and Dover, together with a large number of French and Belgian fishing vessels. Eleven small French ships and 3 small tugs left Cherbourg for Dover on the night
2nd-3rd June; Le Havre was scheduled to send 8 trawlers, 2 minesweepers,
1 tug, and 20 small dinghies; and Fécamp sent 14 trawlers.
During the afternoon of the 3rd the French authorities transmitted the figure of French troops still remaining in Dunkirk. This was about 30,000, a proportion of whom belonged to other than combatant units. The total capacity of the lifting force, if used to the full, was 30,000, but this was about 5,000 more than the facilities within the port would permit of being embarked in 4 hours, even if the French troops moved with the greatest rapidity at all points of embarkation. On previous occasions there had been some instances of difficulty in persuading French troops to embark otherwise than as complete units.
Vice-Admiral Ramsay consequently impressed on the French liaison officers the necessity of speed, and he added a number of French officers and ratings to the augmented pier parties which were despatched to Dunkirk at 2200, in
I The following ships landed troops in England on 4th June (numbers landed in brackets)
British - destroyers Express (611), Malcolm (736), Sabre (592), Shikari (383), Vanquisher
Minesweepers Albury (400), Halcyon (501), Kellett (30), Leda (500), Medway Queen (266), ferred to trawler off Dunkirk on account of collision damage) Gunboat Locust (196)
(414), Venomous (1200), Whitshed (444); Corvettes Guillemot (460), Kingfisher (200, trans-
Princess Elizabeth (329), Queen of Thanet (150), Speedwell (396) Trawler Saturn (418)
Drifters Forecast (123), "L.H.W.D." (90) Skoots Bornrif (96), Hondsrug (308), Pascholl
(255), Ruja (300); Yacht Gulzar (140); Personnel vessels Autocarrier (712), Canterbury
Princess (659), Côte d'Argent (1349), King George V (817), Lady of Mann (1244), Newhaven (729),
(1350), Tynwald (3000); Tugs Racia (123), Sun XV (37) War Dept. M.Ls.
Maud (1270), Royal Sovereign (took the place of Manxman which refused to sail)
Pigeon (23), Swallow (23); Sailing Barge Beatrice Maud (31), Tanga not reach England until 5th and June) launches (260); R.N.L.I. lifeboats Edward Z. Dresden (50), Greater (did London (48); Motor boats
Nayland Bonny Heather (210), Diana Mary (28), Elizabeth Green (10), Meuse (50),
Coliath trawlers (355), 3 patrol vessels (836), 13 trawlers and M.F.Vs. (1416), 1104. Belgian Tug
3 M/S (55), Walker II (76). French 5 Torpedo boats 2 S/M chasers (127),
(183), 5 trawlers (554).
114

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. XII
Moyle rammed the As Inner she sank, Western she Pier slid off abreast the bank the wreck towards of the Westcove scuttled line channel, intention The of Pacifico the herself. as was channel, the to decided Westcove proceed her to after between had scuttle part done, down and in being and the between beyond finally against position the them settled the allotted wrecks Westcove. at of to a slight the the the Edvard Gourko. centre angle to of Her and the the and Westcove and defeated then drift this the Pacifico broadside on. Nissen the strong current after hold, dropped manoeuvre, anchor so into her and rammed However,
The stern then swung not over turn further owing to the tide Nissen, but, after cove abreast her to port towards the Edvard secured ships. of certain point, Orders would were then accompanied given for the by scuttling considerable of the Pacifico; race between As in the the case two a due in this instance to vapour.
the Westcove, this was oil fuel a sheet of flame, probably
One shell hit the pier, causing many casualties, for there were still some 200
The time now was about 0330 and at this juncture shelling recommenced.
French troops on the East Pier. General Bathelemy, Commander of the
Flanders Garrison, who was taken off by the Shikari, stated that 12,000 French troops still remained in Dunkirk. The Shikari carried 383 when she sailed from Dunkirk at 0340 by orders of Captain Dangerfield; she was the last ship to leave. Apart from an air attack, which caused no damage, her passage home was uneventful.
An M.T.B. had been detailed to evacuate Admiral Abrial but the latter could not be found, and as a matter of fact he was brought out from Dunkirk in a French M.T.B. V.T.B. 25. Near the North Goodwin Light Vessel the vessel's propeller became disabled by wreckage, and the Malcolm towed her to Dover about 0600.
On the conclusion of the blocking operation there remained a gap of about
100 to 120 feet unobstructed on the west side of the channel. Part of this gap was, however, shoal water, because of the shelving bank.
Disembarkation figures, 4th June
There were landed in England on 4th June 26,175 persons, of which British ships had evacuated 21,600, French 3,838, and Belgian 737. These figures included a number of survivors, both troops and ships' crews, from sunken ships and some refugees. It was recorded that 622 of the total were evacuated from the beaches, but it is doubtful whether any of these were actually evacuated from the beaches, for the figure includes many such as the 43 French troops landed by the Pangbourne, who were taken from a French vessel
(probably the mail packet Rouen) which had run aground on a sand bank: the
260 brought over by the Beatrice Maud: a number (apparently 210) recorded as evacuated from the beaches and landed in England but actually ferried from
Dunkirk pier to various transports, by the motor launch Bonny Heather.
Operation Dynamo completed, 1423/4th June
Ammunition in Dunkirk was exhausted, enemy were and reported the remaining consisted
When the Shikari sailed, the to be only 3 miles away.
principally the of non-combatant units. troops Admiral Nord agreed that was dispersed at 1030.
operation should be considered as Accordingly, terminated. The fleet of rescue ships
The decision to terminate the operation was agreed to by the French
120

INDEX
await embarkation, 82; surf stops embarkation, 82; evacuation from beaches and harbour compared, 124;
Bray, 23, 28, 29, 31 (bombed), 36, 42n (bombed), 50, 52, 58-60, 69, 71, 78-82.
Coxyde, 26.
doned), 83 (Devonia used as pier), 86.
La Panne, 23, 26, 27-28, 30-32, 42n (bombed), 46-7, 50, 52, 58-60, 66, 70, 75-83 (aban-
Malo, 23, 27, 31, 71-2, 84, 101.
Zuydcoote, 27, 31.
Beaching boats, See small craft.
Beal, 47.
Beatrice Maud, 60, 114n, 118 (towed to Dover), 120.
Beckwith-Smith, Brig. M. B., 66.
Belgium invaded, 1; Belgium Army bad news of, 1; withdraws 2, 12; collapses, 15
craft, 73, 86.
Belgians, King of 6, 19 (surrenders); Belgian troops sink Viewfinder, 53; Belgian fishing
Ben and Lucy, 71m, 73.
Benlawers, 11.
Ben-My-Chree, in collision, 110.
Bennett, S/Lt. P. H.E. Wounded, 74.
Bernadette, 92.
Berthon, Capt. E. L. 90 (two ships sunk under him).
Biarrits, 19, 28.
Biddulph, Act. Com. M. A. 0., 101.
Bideford: damaged, 45-6, 52; ashore off Bray, 58 calls for towing ropes, 61.
Bill, Lt. R. 39, 44 (restores order).
Billotte, General, 1, 3, 6.
Black, Lt. Cdr. A. R. M., died of wounds, 10.
Black Arrow, 60n.
Blackburn Rovers, 34n, 38 (sinking of), 110 (sunk).
Blanchard, General, 1, 11, 13, 14, 19, 26.
Blount, Air V.M., C. H., 4.
Blyskawica, 34, 42, 69.
Board of Trade Officials, 94.
Boatkeepers, lack of, 60, 81.
Boats, See Small Craft.
Bobeli, abandoned, 53; sunk, 55.
Bonny Heather, 60n, 120.
Bornrif, 20n, 24, 114n, 116-7.
Botanic, 13.
Bouclier, 62n, 69, 107n, 109.
Boulogne, evacuated, 8-10.
Bounty, 66, 71n, 83.
Bourrasque, sunk, 62-3.
Boy Roy, 23n, 31 (damaged).
Boyle, Cdr. R. C., 44.
Brandaris, 20n, 24.
Branlebas, 62n, 63.
Bray. See Beaches.
Brighton Belle, 23n, 27, 31 (sunk).
Brighton Queen, sunk, 92.
Britannic, 72n.
British Expeditionary Force; movements 10th May-4th June, XIV; reaches Dyle R., 1;
withdraws, 2, 3, 6, 14, 15; communications cut, 3, 6; evacuation foreseen, 4, 14
put on half rations, 8; short of ammunition, 11; discipline, 36n, 58, 80, 127-8; in good heart, 57 evacuation of rearguard, 65, 70, 108; under Adm. Abrial's orders, 66;
rearguard held up, 103; evacuation complete, 108.
Brock, 13n, 39.
Brooke, Lt. Gen. A. F., 2.
Buchanan, Cdr. H. J., R.A.N., 118.
Buffalo Bill, 73n.
Bullfinch, 47.
Bush, Capt. E. W., S.N.O. afloat off Beaches, 49, 50; hands over to R.A. Dover, 58
goes home to press for more boats, 58.
Butler, Pay S/Lt., W. J., R.N.V.R., killed, 31.
Buttercup Force, 8.
Bystander, 51n.
196