TNA / ADM 234 360

TNA ADM 234 360

Collection details

TNA ADM 234 360

Naval Staff History No. 41, the official historical study of the evacuation from Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo, 26 May–4 June 1940, dated 1949.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 234 360

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 234/360. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing only pages tagged with the vessel name Canvey Queen. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

4 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 73–221 of this collection

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OCR text

OCR tags

WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
M/B Sceneshifter swamped and lost
The M/B Silver Moon, from Ramsgate, arrived off the beaches at 0800 and ferried troops to ships at anchor. Without charts or compass she returned to
Ramsgate that night. The M/B Sceneshifter, on arrival, was rushed by French troops, swamped, and became a total loss.
M/B Viewfinder dragged aground and lost
The six motor yachts, Advance, Bobeli, Elizabeth Green, Hanora, Reda and
Viewfinder sailed from Dover for La Panne beach and were machine-gunned from the air off Gravelines. They arrived off La Panne beach at about
1500/29, and at once began towing whalers full of troops to off-lying ships.
At 1830, the Viewfinder was dragged aground by Belgian soldiers and became a total loss.
M/B's Hanora and Bobeli abandoned
At 1900, the Hanora fouled her propeller and was abandoned; her crew transferred to the Elizabeth Green and thence to the minesweeper Lydd. At
1900 also, the dr. Sabre requisitioned the Advance and embarked in her a W/T
transmitter and 2 operators for transportation to G.H.Q. at La Panne. The
Reda, having ferried troops, sailed for Ramsgate at 2200 with 21 troops on board. The Bobeli having received some damage while alongside a destroyer which suddenly went full ahead on account of an air attack, subsequently fouled her screw and rudder; she made fast. to the minesweeper Albury, but was abandoned when the Albury departed and became stranded on the beach.
The Elizabeth Green and Advance sailed in company that night for Ramsgate.
M/B Glitter II brings drinking water
The Glitter II arrived off Bray beach at 1600 on the 29th May, loaded with tins of fresh water. She then ferried troops. Next day she lost her rudder and was towed to Dover by a drifter.
M/B Queen of England sunk
A number of other small motor craft left Southend, Sheerness or Dover for the beaches on the 29th May, but did not arrive until 30th May. Among them was the Shamrock, and in company with her were the Princess Maud, Canvey
Queen and Queen of England. On the way over on the night of the 29th/30th
May the Queen of England was rammed amidships by the skoot Tilly and sank immediately; her crew were picked up by the Shamrock and transferred to the Tilly1. The remaining three motor boats were all abandoned and lost next day after ferrying troops to various destroyers, among them the Anthony;
the Canvey Queen and Shamrock fouled their propellers, and the Princess Maud went aground.
The Mirasol², alongside Dunkirk mole, was damaged by a near miss. She was taken in tow by a trawler, but later sank.
Other M/B's that sailed for the beaches on 29th May
The Triton and Silver Queen, with 6 motor launches in company, sailed for
La Panne at 2200. Three of the motor launches broke down on the way over
I Shamrock's report, unconfirmed. The name of the vessel is in doubt; the matter is not referred to in Tilly's report.
2 Commonly, but erroneously referred to in reports as the " Marasole."
53

Advance Albury Anthony Bobeli Broke Canvey Queen Drifter Elizabeth Green England Glitter II Gravelines Hanora Lydd Marasole Princess Princess Maud Queen Reda Sabre Sceneshifter Shamrock Silver Moon Silver Queen Tilly Triton TSS Princess Maud Viewfinder Day Dover Green Maud May

171

LIST OF BRITISH SHIPS
APPENDIX A
TROOPS
TRANSPORTED
LIFE BOATS (contd.)
49
Louise Stephens
-
Lucy Lavers
(S/Lt. T. W. Betts, R.N.V.R.)
—
Mary Scott
Michael Stephens
52
(S/Lt. M. J. R. Yeatman, R.N.V.R.)
17
Prudential (H. P. C. Knight, Coxswain)
Rosa Wood & Phyllis Lunn
-
The Viscountess Wakefield
-
Thomas Kirk Wright
-
(L/Sea. H. Huntington)
Total
323
MOTOR BOATS, LAUNCHES AND VESSELS.
Total 202, of which 78 were lost.
-
Advance
(C. P. Dick, Owner, Skipper)
85
Adventuress
-
Albatross1
-
Aljanor'
-
Aloha-Oe1
-
Ambleve' 2
(S/Lt. R.E. Blows, R.N.V.R.)
-
23
Andova
(L/Sea. H. Cook, Coxswain) (S/Lt. E. T. Garside, R.N.V.R.)
Anglev II
Not known
-
Anne
-
Aura'
(S/Lt. M. A. Chodzko, R.N.V.R.)
Balquhain
54
(S/Lt. B. D. O. MacIntyre, R.N.)
Bat
116
(J. T. Butchers, Capt.)
Bee
15
(W. C. Trowbridge, Capt.)
Belfast
61
Black Arrow¹
-
Blackpool
250
Bluebird
-
(S/Lt. G. B. Eyre, R.N.V.R.)
Bobeli
—
(S/Lt. W.G. H. Bonham, R.N.)
Bonnibell'
I
(Sto. 1st Cl. G. H. Rose)
Bonny Heather
420
(Lieut. C. W. Read, D.S.C., R.N.R.)
Britannia
-
(S/Lt. S.D. Ward, R.N.V.R.)
Brittanic
65
Bullpup not known
Cairngorm not known
Canvey Queen
-
Chamois
-
(A. E. Brown, Capt.) (L. Church, Engr.)
Chantecler
30
(S/Lt. T. K. Edge-Partington, R.N.)
Commodore
(S/Lt. Thompson, R.N.R.)
I Lost.
2 Ex-Belgian canal boat.
147

Advance Adventuress Aljanor Aloha Ambleve Anne Aura Balquhain Bat Bee Blackpool Bluebird Boat Bobeli Bonnibell Bonny Heather Britannia Bullpup Cairngorm Canvey Queen Chamois Chantecler Commodore Mary Queen Rose Betts Black Blows Bonham Brown Butchers Chodzko Church Cook Dick Edge-Partington Eyre Garside Huntington Knight Lunn MacIntyre Read Rose Scott Stephens Thomas Thompson Trowbridge Ward Wright Yeatman

183

OCR table 1 from document page 183
MINESWEEPER	TRAWLERS	DRIFTERS
Brighton Belle (28/5)	Comfort (29/5)	Eileen Emma (1/6)
	Thomas Bartlett	Fair Breeze (1/6)
	(28/5) (1)	Gervais Rentoul (1/6)
		Girl Pamela (night 28/29 May)
SKOOTS	YACHT	ExN. SERV. V.
Alice (28/5)	Amulree (1/6)	Ocean Reward (28/5)
Lena (4/6)	Pellag II (1/6)
Sursum-Corda (31/5)
BLOCKSHIP	TUG	SEAPLANE TENDERS
Holland (3/6)	Fossa (2/6)	S.T.243 (31/5) S.T. 254 (31/5) A.M.C. 3 (31/5)

OCR table 2 from document page 183
Albatross²	Hanora³ 4	Rocinantes 6
Aljanor2	Iote (1/6)	Rosabelle³
Aloa-Oe²	Island Queen2	St. Patrick (31/5)
Ambleve (30/5)	Josephine Iº	Santosy (3/6)³
Aura (2/6)³	Lansdowne (1/6)³	Scene Shifter (29/6)
Black Arrow (29/30 May)	Letitia (M/B) (4/6)	Sea Falcon (31/5)
Bobeli (2/6)	Little Ann2	Seamew²
Bonnibell (2/6)	Madame Sans Gêne (4/6)	Semois
Bullpup4	Maid of Honour®	Shamrock (30/5)
Canvey Queen (30/5)	Ma Foie (30/5)	Silver Queen (30/5)¹
Court Belle2	Maldon Annie IV (31/5)	Skylark III
Cyb2	Margherita2	(S.M.281. II) ᵃ
Dreadnought II²	Mary Rose (31/5)	Skylark L.L.III²
Frightened Lady³ 4	Mary Spearing4	Stonehaven
Golden Spray II (31/5)	Minikoi (29/5)	Sunshine (31/5)³
Good Hope 2	Minoru II®	Thetis (2/6)³
Grace Darling IV²	Pioneer2	Triton (31/5)³
Gwen Eagle	Queen of England (29/5)	Two Rivers (31/5)*
Handy Billy2	Roberta²	Vanitee

A.M.C. 3 Alice Ambleve Amulree Aura Black Arrow Boat Bobeli Bonnibell Canvey Queen Comfort Drifter Eileen Eileen Emma England Fair Breeze Falcon Fossa Gallant Gallant's Motor Boat Gervais Rentoul Girl Pamela Golden Spray Golden Spray II Good Hope Gourko Grace Grace Darling Grive Gwen Eagle Holland Horst Iote Lansdowne Lena Letitia Lord Cavan Maid of Honour Maldon Annie IV Mary Mary Rose Minikoi Minoru II New Prince of Wales Pellag II Prince Prince of Wales Queen Renown Rose Santosy Sea Falcon Semois Sequacity Shamrock Silver Queen Skylark Skylark III St. Patrick Stonehaven Sunshine Thetis Triton Two Rivers Vanitee Black Little May Patrick Prince Rose Spray Thomas Wales

221

INDEX
cut off, 8; to be held, by 13; E-boat), falls, 17.
27 (attacked 32, 46, 47, 54, 88 (shoots down Heinkel), 99'
104, 126.
71n.
Caleta, Calvi, 13n, 39, 43 (sunk), 44.
Canterbury, 16, 22n, 24, 29, 39, 42-3 (damaged), 48n, 54, 114n.
Cameron, Lieut., 79.
Canvey Queen, lost, 53.
Cap d' Antifer, 102.
Carama, 60.
Caribia, 29n.
Cassidi, Cdr. R. A., 51.
Caryandra, 71n, 74.
Casualties: Embarkation, 17, 32, 36, 64, 87 (final), 115.
Cecil and Lilian Philpot, 107n.
Cayton Wyke, 34n, 107n.
Cervia, 71n.
Chamois, 72n.
Chantecler, 54.
Chasse-Marée, 62n, 73n, 102.
Chico, 13n, 60n.
Christabel II, 71n.
Civilians, crews feel strain, 29, 48; supplemented by R.N., 48, 99.
Clan Macalister, sunk 41.
Claude, 59.
Clouston, Cdr., J. C., 44, 105, 110 (drowned).
Coastal Command, XIIIn, 38, 64, 83, 88-9, 93, 99-100, 115.
Coats, Lt. Cdr. E. C., 112.
Cockburn, Lt. Cdr., 49.
Cockle Bawley boats, 73.
Codrington, 28, 54n, 55, 61, 64n, 75, 77, 97, 101, 107n, 108-9 (sent back empty), 112n.
Coggins, Mr. C., 73.
Comfort, 36, 37 (sunk).
Commandant Delage, 35n.
Communications. Difficulties and delays, 57, 60, 122; on beaches, 67; established between Dunkirk and Dover, 67-8; closed down, 76-7.
Commodore, abandoned, 74.
Conidaw, 13, 60n.
Constant Nymph, 60n.
Corap, General 1.
Cordelia, 60n.
Côte d'Argent, 54n, 94, 102, 107n, 109, 112n, 114n, 118.
Coulthard, J. W., 110.
Coxyde. See Beaches.
Crested Cock, 71n.
Crested Eagle, 32n, 39, 43, 44 (beached), 46, 58 (burnt out),
Croswell, S/Lt., E. C., 36, 47 (lands at La Panne), 76n, 77.
Cyclone, 39, 42, 68-9 (damaged).
Dangerfield, Capt., 111, 119-20.
Daylight evacuation abandoned, 97-8; French Admiralty wish resumption, 105.
Decoster, F., 116.
Defender, 73n.
Dench, Mr. A. J., 73.
Denis Papin, sunk, 93.
Denny, Capt. M. M., 94.
Destroyers bombard Calais, 13; brought from W. A. and Portsmouth Commands, 20,
61, and from patrol and escort, 28, 34 not to stop to aid ships, 38; brought off most troops 55; H, 1, J classes withdrawn, 55, and ordered back, 61; G class all out of action,
55; not sent to Dunkirk harbour, 61; exhaustion of crews, 64, 113; heavy losses, 94
sent back empty, 108.
Devonia, beached to form pier, 83.
Diana Mary, 117.
Diligente, 73.
Dill, General Sir John, 10, 12 (becomes C.I.G.S.).
Dinard, 64.
197

Aid Boat Caleta Calvi Canterbury Canvey Queen Caribia Cayton Wyke Cervia Chamois Chantecler Chico Christabel II Clan Macalister Claude Comfort Commandant Delage Commodore Conidaw Constant Nymph Cordelia Crested Cock Crested Eagle Defender Devonia Diana Diana Mary Diligente Dinard Mary Queen Cassidi Clouston Coats Coggins Coulthard Crews Dangerfield Dench Denny Dover