TNA ADM 234 360

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
in the Bray and Malo sectors were being thinned out by movements westward towards Dunkirk iteslf. This change of plan involved concentrating the special tows and the minesweepers to which they were to transfer the troops, into the stretch opposite the beach between Zuydcoote Sanatorium and one mile east of La Panne¹, and also advancing the commencement of the operation by one hour².
A risk was involved in this change of plan as the boat tows were not in communication with the Vice-Admiral, and it would therefore be necessary for minesweepers to see that the escorting M.A./S.B.'s shepherded the tows to the new positions It had been explained to the Naval officers in each tow that the minesweepers would be anchored so as to serve as guiding marks³.
" It was always impossible for me to do more than deal with the situation of the moment", says Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker. "I did not know what ships were coming or when-except for the pre-arranged plan of the sloops. Nor was it possible for Dover to give me much information. Ships got back there, unloaded, and were off again, the stream was constant but irregular and it was not possible to see any way ahead. My policy was always to keep only sufficient ships off the beaches and send all the others into Dunkirk, but the situation changed continually."4
Small craft arrive in hundreds
It was in such circumstances that, at about 1900, Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker had proceeded to Dunkirk in the Keith to see how the boat situation was getting on. There he saw for the first time that strange procession of craft of all kinds the story of which was to become famous-tugs, towing dinghies, life-boats and all manner of pulling boats5-small motor yachts, motor launches, drifters, Dutch skoots, Thames barges, fishing boats, pleasure steamers⁶. This was indeed the first time that the small craft had come over in hundreds⁷. Since noon Lt. Cdr. C. J. Wynne-Edwards, R.N. (of R.-A.
Dunkirk's staff), embarked in M.T.B.68, had been directing the tows to the various beaches.
I See Appendix Q.18, observing that D.R. p.20, para. 61 says the beach between Bray and 1 mile east of La Panne."
2 Appendix Q.19.
3 D.R. p.20, para. 61.
4 M.017978/41, p.17.
5 The following 14 tugs (their tows are shown in brackets) reached Dunkirk that evening:
The Racia (12 life-boats), Sun VIII (12 life-boats), Sun XV (6 life-boats), Vincia (3 lifeboats), Sun IV (9 boats), Tanga (6 boats), Ocean Cock (6 M/B's), Sun VII (seaplane tenders
243, 254, 276, 291 and A.M.C.3), Foremost 87 (two sailing barges), Fairplay I (sailing barge
Barbara Jean), Empire Henchman (sailing barge Aidie), Crested Cock (a lighter), Sun XI (a lighter), and the Sun XII (sailing barges Tollesbury and Ethel Everard).
In the early hours of 1st June 4 other tugs arrived. The St. Fagan (auxiliary barges
Pudge and Lady Rosebery, and the sailing barge Doris), St. Abbs (auxiliary barge Thyra and sailing barges H.A.C. and Duchess), Cervia (sailing barge Royalty), and the Persia
(sailing barge Glenway and Lark).
6 M.017978/41, p.19.
7 New arrivals off Dunkirk and the beaches on 31st May included the following The yachts Amulree, Aronia, Glagla, Caleta, Christobel II and Llanthony, the nine yachts of the
Portsmouth Inner Patrol, viz the Ahola, Ankh, Bounty, Caryandra, Eilla II, Lahloo,
Noneta, Seriola and Thele and from the R.N. Air Station, Ford, the yacht Andora.
The drifters Ben and Lucy (towing 4 boats), Dorienta (towing boats), Monarda, Renascent and the 13 drifters of the Yarmouth Base, viz Alcmaria, Feasible, Genius, Gula,
Jeannie MacIntosh, John and Norah, Lord Barham, Lord Hood, Overfalls, Reed, Rewga,
Swift Wing and Taransay. The drifters Fair Breeze and Ocean Breeze were again over, the former towing a motor life-boat and 3 life-boats.
The steam hopper barges Foremost 102 (towing the Excellent's 35 ft. fast motor boat and
71

SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE
CHAP. IX
SUNK BY E-BOAT TORPEDOES.
Trawlers Argyllshire, Stella Dorado.
SUNK BY MINES.
Trawler St. Achilleus, small craft Renown.
SUNK BY GUNFIRE.
Drifter Lord Cavan.
SUNK BY COLLISION OR OTHER MISADVENTURE.
Drifters Eileen Emma, Fair Breeze, Gervais Rentoul.
Yachts Amulree, Pellag II.
Barges Aidie, Barbara Jean, Duchess, Ethel Everard, Lark, Royalty.
Small craft, number unknown.
DAMAGED BY AIR ATTACK.
Destroyers Ivanhoe, Worcester.
Minesweepers Ross, Salamander, Westward-Ho.
Corvette Kingfisher.
Personnel vessel Prague.
DAMAGED BY MINE.
Hospital carrier St. David.
DAMAGED BY GUNFIRE.
One trawler, name uncertain.
DAMAGED BY COLLISION OR GROUNDING
Destroyer Vimy.
Personnel vessel Maid of Orleans.
The evacuation figures for the day
Little ships added their quotas to those of the big ships, though not without casualties they suffered heavy losses from collision or other misadventure, although in the circumstances it was not always possible to obtain details
(See App. B.I.)
On this day there were lifted from the beaches and from Dunkirk harbour:
by motor boats and the like 2334 persons, by hopper barges 1470, by tugs 736, by yachts 1,831, by skoots 3,170, of which almost all were from the beaches, by special service vessels 1,250, by drifters 2,968, and by trawlers 1,876 practically all of whom were lifted from Dunkirk harbour. French ships lifted
3,967, Belgian trawlers 402, and a Dutch yacht 114; all troops evacuated by foreign ships were embarked in Dunkirk harbour, none coming from the beaches.
Though losses of ships had been highest this day the total of troops lifted was the second highest of the operation, no less than 64,429 being landed in England.
Of these, 47,081 had been embarked in Dunkirk harbour and 17,348 from the beaches.
95

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
APPENDIX A
TROOPS
SAILING BARGES (contd.)
TRANSPORTED
Claud (water boat)'
/
Doris¹ (F. Finbow, Master)
/
Duchess (H. J. Wildish, Master)
/
Ena
100
(A. G. Page, Master)
Ethel Everard
/
(T. Willis, Master)
F.W. 23 (dumb)
13
Glenway (W. H. Easter, Master)
213
H.A.C.
100
(R. H. Scott, Master)
Haste Away
-
Lark'
/
(R. H. Scott, Master)
Monarch
-
Queen
-
Queen Alexandria
-
Royalty
-
(H. Miller, Master)
Sark (dumb)
-
Shannon
-
Shetland (dumb)
-
Spurgeon
-
(- Haisman, Master)
Tollesbury
200
(R. Webb, Master)
Warrior1
-
Total
886
LIFE BOATS
Total 19, R.N.L.I. life boats2, of which I was lost.
Abdy Beauclerk
-
Cecil & Lilian Philpott
51
(A/B W. J. Morris, Coxn.
Charles Cooper Henderson
-
Charles Dibdin
-
Cyril & Lilian Bishop
-
(Actg. P.O. W.H. Adkin)
Edward Z, Dresden
50
E.M.E.D. (Lt. Cdr. R. W. Faulkner, R.N.R. (?Retd.) )
39
(Lieut. R. H. Mead, R.N.V.R., died)
(P.O. Tel. W.H. Cooley)
Greater London
48
(S/Lt. W. D.F. Claydon, R.N.R.)
Guide of Dunkirks
-
(S/Lt. R. H.C. Amos, R.N.V.R.)
-
Jane Holland
(S/Lt. R. H. Wallace, R.N.V.R.)
-
(Sto. J. Strangeways) (Sto. A. H. Shaw)
Lord Southborough
(S/Lt. E. R. Ponsonby, R.N.V.R.)
17
(E. Parker, Coxswain)
I Lost.
2 The Dunkirk, reserve life boat Agnes Cross carried out duties at Dover. She did not go to
3 At been the same time of Dunkirk evacuation, this boat had just been built and had not yet named.
146

INDEX
Discipline. See British Expeditionary Force and French troops.
Disembarkation ports, 25.
Docksey, Capt. T. E., 21.
Doggersbank, 20, 29n, 32, 45, 47n, 64, 72, 107n.
Dolphin's power boats, 72n.
Donald, Lt. Cdr. C. G. W. Died of wounds, 10.
Dorienta, 71n.
Doris, 71n, 94 (sunk).
Dorrien Rose, 24, 29, 62.
Dove, Cdr. J. S., 50n (reports Dunkirk blocked), 59.
Dover, mined, 38.
Dowling, Lt. Cdr. D. B., 82.
Drifters, 23, 24 (flare burning).
Drogou, Lt. de V., 73.
Duchess, 71n, 95 (sunk).
Duchess of Fife, 28n, 54n, 101, 107n, 109.
Du Guesclin, 62n, 73n.
Dundalk, 86, 107я, 109.
Dunkirk, S.N.O. See Tennant, Capt. W. G.
Dunkirk: water supply destroyed, 8; demolitions, 8, 19, 106; inundations, 12; bridgeeasier, munications 27, 30; limitations, 48; reported blocked, 50; ships not to close, 51; comhead, 15, 18, 35; damaged, 15, 18; out of action, 23; reported fallen, 24; conditions established with Dover, 51; reduced number of ships sent, 61-2 bombarded, 70; harbour deserted, 87; harbour full of ships, 88; growing number of wrecks described, off, 117. 94; pier damaged, 97; blocking of inner harbour, 111-112, 119-20 piers
Duperre, 73.
Dwarf, 60.
Eastbourne Queen, 74.
E-boats, activity). 27-8, 36, 37n, 49 (fail to discover change of route), 68-9, 85 (recrudescence of
Edmond René, rams Kingfisher, 116.
Edvard Nissen, 111-12.
Edward Z. Dresden, 114n.
Eggington, Ldg. Sea., 119.
Eileen Emma, 23n, 83n (damaged), 95 (sunk).
Eilla II, 71n, 74.
Elizabeth Green, 53, 114n.
Ellwood, Cdr. M. 0. D. (i/c Communications), 67.
Emerald Wings, breaks down, 111.
Emile Deschamps, sunk, 119.
Emma, 73.
Emperor of India, 28n, 47n, 54n, 100.
Empire Henchman, 7In.
Endeavour, 73n.
Enterprise, 72n, 75n.
Epervier, 99.
Escaut, 60.
Esk, 28n, 49, 79 (takes across R.A. Dover and Beach parties), 54n, 55, 58, 64n, 92, 97,
102, 107n.
Ethel Everard, 71n, 95 (sunk).
Evans, W. L., 110.
Excellent's A/A M.B., 72n, 75n.
Excellent's 35 ft. M.B., 71n, 75n.
Exhaustion of ships' crews, 29, 113.
Express, back 28n, 41-2, 54n, 55, 59 (flag of R.A. Dover), 62n, 83 (slightly damaged), 109 (sent empty), 112n, 114n, 118.
Fagalde, General, 12, 68, 85.
Fairplay I, 71n.
Fair Breeze, 60, 71n, 95 (sunk).
Feasible, 71n, 73 (disabled).
Fenella, 34, 43 (sunk), 46.
Fidget, 32n, 51n.
"Fifth Column", 24, 100.
198