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.

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FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
At least fourteen other motor boats¹ were lost by misadventure, e.g. engine failure, grounding, swamping, damaging rudders and/or propellers on floating or submerged wreckage, or breaking adrift and being lost when on tow. The seaplane tender No. 291 managed to get back to England in spite of the damage she had sustained, but was unable to take any further part in "Dynamo".
Conflicting news of La Panne
Meanwhile, as the tows of boats (which Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker now saw for the first time at 1900 on the 31st May), arrived off Dunkirk they were directed to the beaches by Lt. Cdr. Wynne-Edwards, first from M.T.B.68 and later at about 2100, from M.A/S.B. 6. It was found, however, that in the growing darkness, and with no lights to help them, there was a tendency for the boats to stop at the first place they came to where other craft were assembled.
At about 1930 the Codrington, then off, Bray, was warned by Rear-Admiral
Wake-Walker to send on the boats detailed for La Panne, but the bulk of them did not get further than Bray.
The night was dark, and Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker stayed off La Panne,
"wondering how things were going. Everything was black, ships and boats and shore showed no lights", although arrangements had been made for a light to be shown to seaward to guide boats inshore. Shelling was continuous and seemed to be falling among the ships at the anchorage. News was conflicting;
a message from the shore said that thousands of men were waiting but there were no boats, while messages came from ships that their boats could find no one on the beach. the ships and the boats were there, and the troops ashore, and one could do no more.
I do not know to this day", says Rear-
Admiral Wake-Walker, what really took place there".
La Panne beach 31st May/1st June
It is not easy to discover what happened at La Panne, but the following account, based on a report by Lt. Cdr. J. W. McClelland, R.N., who with a party of signalmen reached La Panne in the minesweeper Gossamer at 1930 on the 30th May, gives the main course of events. He was S.N.O., La Panne, for the seven hours prior to its abandonment as a place of embarkation at about
0200 on the 1st June.
About 1600 on May 31st Captain Tennant, who had been visiting Lord Gort at La Panne, decided to return to Dunkirk, but he first instructed Lt. Cdr.
McClelland to arrange for the evacuation of Lord Gort and his staff, to carry out the duties of S.N.O., La Panne³, and to join Major General B. L. Montgomery, then in command of 2nd Corps.
At that time, says Lt. Cdr. McClelland, an enemy battery near Nieuport, assisted by 2 kite balloons, had found the range of the beach and the off lyingships, which had accordingly withdrawn to the westward. Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker asked for the balloons to be shot down, and aircraft came over for that purpose; at times the balloons were hauled down-but they always re-appeared.
I A.L.C.8, A.L.C.15, Enterprise, Excellent's 35 ft. M|B, Excellent's A/A M|B, Golden
Spray II, Princess Lily, St. Patrick, and the Seaplane tender 243 and A.M.C.3; the Sea
Falcon, Sunshine, Triton and the Two Rivers.
2 M.017978/41, p.21.
3 Lt. Cdr. McClelland speaks of the final evacuation of A, B and C beaches La Panne, but this is evidently an error as the beaches were lettered from West to East (See Plan 3)
and must therefore have been M, N and O Beaches.
M.017978/41, p.16.
75

England Enterprise Excellent's Falcon Golden Spray Golden Spray II Lily Major Princess Princess Lily Sea Falcon St. Patrick Sunshine Triton Two Rivers Westward Black Day Edwards Gort Light May McClelland Patrick Prior Spray Tennant Wake Wake-Walker Walker West Wynne-Edwards

172

APPENDIX A
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
TROOPS
MOTOR BOATS, LAUNCHES AND VESSELS (contd.)
TRANSPORTED
Constant Nymph
(Dr. B. A. Smith, Owner/Skipper)
Cordelia (S/Lt. C. A. Thompson, R.N.V.R.)
Couyt Bello IP
Cyb'
Dab II
(Lieut. R. W. Thomson, R.N.V.R.)
Defender
(Skpr. E. A. Turnnidge)
00
Diana Mary
Dreadnought II'
28
Dreadnought III'
Eastbourne Bello
Elizabeth Green
1
(S/Lt. E. T. Garside, R.N.V.R.)
10
Eastbourne Quoon'
Empross
(S/Lt. T. W. Betts, R.N.V.R.)
Enchantrass'
Encore
I
(Lt. Cdr. Wilson,)
44
Endcavour
(Skpr. F.C. Halls)
Enterprise
Escaul' 2
1
Eskburn
Eve'
27
(L/Sea. N. Furse, R.N.R.)
Ferry Nymph
Fervent
44
-
(Lt. Cdr. W.R. T. Clements, R.N.R.)
Fishbourne (I.O.W. Ferry)
Forty Two
I
(Lieut. R. Nimmo, R.N.R.)
Frightened Lady'
1
(S/Lt. S.C. Allen, R.N.V.R.)
Gavines
-
Goy Crusader
-
(S/Lt. T. H. Rodgers, R.N.V.R.)
Gipsy King
-
Glitter11 (A. Botts) (H. Brown) (F. Hook, Deal boatman)
-
(Actg. S/Lt. J. W. S. Culham, R.N.)
Goldon Lily
I
Golden Spray II'
(J. O'Neill and N. Cohen, Deal boatmen)
(A. C, Crowthall, a Lloyd's official)
Gondolier King
Godolior Queen
-
Good
-
Grace Darling 11"
Guen Eagle 1
-
Halfway
Handy nilly
140
Honora' (S/Lt. M. Phipps, R.N.)
-
Hound (S/Lt. C, Minchin, R.N.)
(H. W. Knight, Capt.)
98
1 Lost,
, 4 Ex-Belgian canal boat.
Recorded ns sunk in Home Waters apparently subsequent to Operation " Dynamo."
148

Boat Constant Nymph Cordelia Cyb Dab II Deal Defender Diana Diana Mary Dreadnought II Dreadnought III Elizabeth Green Encore Enterprise Eskburn Eve Ferry Nymph Fervent Fishbourne Forty Two Frightened Lady Gipsy King Golden Spray Golden Spray II Gondolier King Grace Grace Darling Halfway Hound Lily Mary Queen Allen Betts Brown Clements Cohen Crowthall Culham Eve Garside Green Halls Hook King Knight Lloyd Minchin Nimmo O'Neill Phipps Smith Spray Thompson Wilson

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

223

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