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TNA / ADM 234 360

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
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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 Genius. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

3 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 95–223 of this collection
Page ImageOCR textOCR tags
95 Page 95 Log in to enlarge

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
Ahola Aidie Alcmaria Amulree Ankh Aronia Barbara Barbara Jean Boat Bounty Caleta Cervia Crested Cock Deal Dorienta Doris Duchess Empire Henchman Ethel Everard Evening Excellent's Fair Breeze Fairplay I Feasible Foremost 102 Foremost 87 Genius Glenway Gula H.A.C. Jeannie MacIntosh Lady Rosebery Lahloo Lark Llanthony Lord Barham Lord Hood Monarda Noneta Persia Pudge Racia Reed Rewga Royalty Seriola Sun Sun IV Sun VII Sun VIII Sun XI Sun XII Sun XV Swift Swift Wing Tanga Taransay Thames Thele Thyra Tollesbury Vincia Westward Barge Dover Edwards Ford May Reed Swift Wake Wake-Walker Walker Wynne-Edwards
158 Page 158 Log in to enlarge
OCR table 1 from document page 158
TRAWLERS (contd.) TROOPS TRANSPORTED
Stella Dorado (Skipper W. H. Burgess, R.N.R.)³ 55
Stella Rigel (Unit Officer S/Lt. J. W. Wykeham, R.N.V.R.) (Skipper L. P. Keable, R.N.R.)
Strathelliot (S/Lt. W.E. Mercer, R.N.V.R.) 339
Tankerton Towers (Skipper J. Hannaford) 50
Thomas Bartlett (Skipper J.J. Tomlinson, R.N.R.) /
Thuringia (Ch. Skipper D. W. L. Simpson, D.S.C., D.S.M., R.N.R.) /
Topaze (Lt. Cdr. J.N. Hambly, M.B.E., R.N., S.O. 40th A/S Group) 118
Velia /
(Skipper J. Clarkson)
Viviana -
(Skipper G.L. Olesen)
Westella
(Chief Skipper A. Gove, R.N.R.) I
Wolves (Skipper J.D. Fowler, R.N.R. Skipper W. S. Flowers, R.N.R.)³ 50
Total 5,396
OCR table 2 from document page 158
Alcmaria (Skipper A.C. Offord, R.N.R.)3 32
Ben & Lucy (Captain W.A. Watling, R.N.R., Skipper) (Actg. Lt. F.G. M. Iles, R.N.V.R. Unit Officer) 100
Boy Roy' (Ty. Skipper E.F. Dettman, R.N.R.) -
Dorienta (Skipper W.F. Reynolds, R.N.R.) 65
Eileen Emma (Tempy. Skipper B. E.S. Smith, R.N.R.)³ 114
Fair Breeze (Lt. Cdr. A. R. W. Sayle, R.N.R.) 316
Feasible (Skipper C.C. Findlay, R.N.R.)³ -
Fidget 568
Fisher Boy (Ty. Skipper G. W. Brown, R.N.R.) 777
Forecast (Lt. T.P. Graham, R.N.R., Unit 353
Genius Officer) (Skipper G.H. Green, R.N.R.): 100
Gervais Rentoul (Tempy.-Skipper J.H. 57
Girl Gladys Burgess, R.N.R.³ (Tempy.-Skipper F.L. 249
Girl Pamelar Strowger, R.N.R.3 (Ty. Skipper G. Sanson, 51
Golden Gift R.N.R.) (Ty. Skipper G.S. 273
Golden Sunbeam Sampson) (Skipper W. C.F. Chaney) 397
Alcmaria Boy Roy Dorienta Eileen Eileen Emma Fair Breeze Feasible Fidget Fisher Boy Forecast Genius Gervais Rentoul Girl Gladys Golden Gift Golden Sunbeam Stella Rigel Strathelliot Sunbeam Tankerton Towers Topaze Velia Wolves Brown BROWN R. Ch. Chaney Clarkson Dettman Fisher Flowers Gove Graham Green Hambly Hannaford Iles Keable Offord Olesen Reynolds Sampson Sanson Sayle Smith SMITH S Thomas Tomlinson Towers Watling
223 Page 223 Log in to enlarge

INDEX
Fighter Command. 36-7. See Royal Air Force.
Fisher, Cdr. R. L., 51n.
Fisher Boy, 32n,
Fletcher, Lt., 81.
Fitzroy, 31, 54n.
Fog, 115, 118-9.
38.
Ford, Ch. F. A., saves Whippingham, 87.
Ford R.N.A. Station, 71n
Forecast, 23n, 107n, 114n.
Foremost 87, 71n, 111.
Foremost IOI, 72n.
Foremost 102, 71n.
Foudroyant, 62n, 91-2 (sunk).
Fouque, Capt. de Freg. R., 62.
Franklyn, Maj.-Gen. H. E., 6.
Frazer, Capt. Hon. G., 97.
Fredanja, 29n.
French Navy. Failure to supply pier parties, 109.
French ships arrive, 35, 62.
French troops evacuation begins, 35; rush boats, 45, 51, 53; organised evacuation not begun, 54; to embark equally with British, 56, 68; lack of information from, 84
uncertainty as to numbers, 105; pause in embarkation, 108; slow to embark, 128;
12,000 left, 120; discipline, 128.
Friso, 29n, 31n.
Fyldea, 13n, 39, 40n, 44.
Gallant, 23, 24n, 27, 32, 39 (damaged), 55n her motor boat, 110.
Gallion's Reach, 72n.
Gallon, Ch. Stkr. M., 91.
Gandell, Cdre., W. P., P.S.T.O. French Ports, 13.
Gara, 92.
Genius, 71n.
Georges, General, 1.
Gerard Léon, 73.
Gervais Rentoul, 83n (damaged), 95 (sunk).
Getuigt vor Christus, lost, 110.
Gipsy King, 72n.
Girl Gladys, 23n, 62.
Girl Pamela, 23n, 55 (sunk).
Glagla, 71n, 74.
Glen Avon, 60n, 100-1.
Glen Gower, 60n, 100-1.
Glenway, 71n, 107n.
Glitter II, 31n, 53 (towed to England).
Godman, S/Lt., T. E., R.N.V.R., 72.
Golden Eagle, 42, 107n.
Golden Gift, 23n.
Golden Lily, 54, 60n.
Golden Spray II, 72n, 75n.
Golden Sunbeam, 23n, 47n, 62, 107n.
Goliath, 114.
Gort, Lord faces possibility of evacuation, 4; proposal to counter attack, 5, 11, 14, 27
directed to execute Weygand Plan, 10; delays enemy, 26; moves H.Q. to La Panne,
26; refuses to be evacuated, 47; orders piers to be built, 47; plans for final phase,
56; hands over command and embarks, 66, 76; staff embarking, 67.
Gorton, Cdr. H. G., 49, 80n.
Gossamer, 28n, 33, 36, 75, 77, 81, 107n, 109.
Gould, Lieut. P. F. S., 113.
Gourko, 119-20.
Gracie Fields, 23n, 27, 41-2 (abandoned), 47n.
Grafton, 13 (bombards Calais); in Dynamo, 23, 27, 31, 37-8 (sunk), 55n, 85.
Gravelines, evacuated, 18.
Gravesend, sends small craft, 61.
Greater London, 117.
199
Boat England Fisher Boy Fitzroy Forecast Foremost 102 Foremost 87 Fredanja Friso Fyldea Gallant Gara Genius Gervais Rentoul Gipsy King Girl Gladys Girl Pamela Glen Avon Glenway Glitter II Golden Eagle Golden Gift Golden Lily Golden Spray Golden Spray II Golden Sunbeam Goliath Gourko Gravelines Lily London PS Whippingham Sunbeam Whippingham Ch. De Fisher Fletcher Ford Fouque Gallon Godman Gort Gould King Spray