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

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List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 52–225 of this collection

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THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. V
the Vega and the Polish Blyskawica two were destroyers diverted from them to the
On patrol this day with these and eleven A/S trawlers². were the
A/S Thomas Chief 4 Widgeon, survivors. Owing trawler Skipper Bartlett, to Sheldrake, Thuringia a D. misunderstanding which W. Shearwater L. were was Simpson, sunk in company, by the D.S.C., a LL mine carried trawlers D.S.M., early out in R.N.R., Our the a sweep Bairns, a was in not Dunkirk Inverforth among Captain, and the instead of sweeping the war channel. These to vessels were shelled off Calais; roads ran on to a British minefield, and, striking 1017, sank with the guns, loss and the Thomas Bartlett, while endeavouring a mine get at out of range of the of 8 of her crew³.
During the night of 28th/29th May, to strengthen this patrol, all available
M.T.B.'s of the Nore and Dover Commands were ordered to patrol north-east of the line Wandelaar L/V and Whistle Buoy.
Summary of troops landed in England
The figures for May 28th gave grounds for hope. 17,804 troops were transported to England⁴ (of which 11,835 were transported by destroyers). Of these, 11,874 were lifted from Dunkirk east pier, and 5,930 from the beaches.
(See Table 2).
Ships lost or damaged on 28th May
LOST
DAMAGED
The A/S trawler Thuringia
The destroyer Windsor.
The drifter Ocean Reward
The M/S Brighton Belle
LL trawler Thomas Bartlett
P/V Queen of the Channel
The skoot Alice
The H/C Isle of Thanet
Stella 2 Dorado, Wyke, Kingston Alalite, being damaged Galena, Saon, Spurs,
I 2 The The Windsor Cayton had returned to Dover after in an air attack at 1145.
4 D.R. Report gives by Westella, C.M.S., 14,409, Dover Blackburn (R.O. Rovers, II, p.498). Kingston Lady Philomena Andalusite, and Kingston Thuringia.
disembarked by the various but this ships, figure as shown is not in confirmed Tables See also 2 and by Appx. the 3. recorded J.12 numbers of troops
34

Alice Błyskawica Drifter England Inverforth Isle of Thanet Kingston Alalite Lady Philomena Queen Saon Shearwater Sheldrake Spurs Vega Widgeon Windsor Day Dover May Roads Thomas

115

SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE
CHAP. IX
Mascotte to tow the Basilisk, the enemy returned to the attack but made no hits. The French trawler slipped the tow and moved off to a safer distance.
At noon bombers returned for a third time, diving to about 400 feet.
Smothered by hits and near misses the Basilisk shuddered and heeled to starboard, righted herself momentarily, but sank in about 3 minutes, settling on the bottom on an even keel in some 4 fathoms. As soon as she was abandoned the Whitehall completed her destruction by gunfire and torpedoes.
The Jolie Mascotte picked up 6 officers and 71 ratings, the Whitehall 2 officers and 52 ratings. Other survivors got away in the motor boat and a whaler.
Second air attack, 0906: sinking of the Havant
Meanwhile the Havant, after transferring 500 troops from the damaged
Ivanhoe, proceeded down Dunkirk Channel. At 0906, at the western end of the channel, she was hit by 2 bombs which entered the starboard side of the engine room killing every one in it. A third bomb dropped 50 yards ahead and exploded as the Havant passed over it. Out of control and listing to port, the ship continued to steam ahead towards the sandbanks opposite Dunkirk. The engine room and No. 2 boiler room were on fire, there was a heavy escape of steam and all auxiliary machinery was out of action, resulting in a failure of the electric supply. It was impossible to enter the engine room, but Chief
Stoker M. Gallon, in spite of the fire, let the steam out of the boilers and the ship was brought up in 4 fathoms by the starboard anchor.
The Saltash and Grive came alongside and the Havant's troops were transferred during almost continuous bombing. The Saltash took the Havant in tow, but further concussion from near misses increased considerably the destroyer's list to port, so the majority of her ship's company were transferred to the skoot Aegir. A bomb fell between the Havant and the Saltash followed by another close to the Havant's port quarter. By 1000 the list had increased and the decks were almost awash. 'Abandon ship" was ordered, the tow was slipped and the remainder of the ship's company were transferred to the Aegir.
At 1015 the Havant rolled over and sank. 1 officer and 7 men were killed,
25 wounded.
Third air attack, 1009. Prague damaged
The enemy air attacks had not been confined to ships off the beaches. At
1009 the personnel vessel Prague, which had embarked about 3000 French troops from Dunkirk harbour, was attacked by dive-bombers between W and V
buoys and suffered severe damage astern from 3 near misses which put the starboard engine out of action.
The majority of the troops were transferred, whilst the ship continued to go ahead on the port engine, to the Scimitar, the minesweeper Halcyon and the paddle minesweeper Queen of Thanet, the later taking on board no less than
1,500 and the Scimitar 376; and at 1331 the tug Lady Brassey took the Prague in tow to the Downs, where the remaining troops were transferred to the trawlers
Olvina and Lady Philomena. The Prague had ended her service in Operation
' Dynamo", for to save her from sinking she was beached off Sandown Castle,
Deal, at 1730 that day. In three trips, she had taken out from Dunkirk over
6,000 men.
Sinking of the Foudroyant
Before the morning was out yet a fourth destroyer, the French Foudroyant, was sunk by air attack. The ship had sailed from England at 0800. She
91

Aegir Boat Deal England Grive Ivanhoe Lady Brassey Lady Philomena Olvina Prague Queen Sandown Day Gallon

157

OCR table 1 from document page 157
	TROOPS TRANSPORTED
TRAWLERS (contd.)	-
Spurs (Skipper H. H. Jarvis, R.N.R.)³	120
Edwina (Skipper P. Bedford (?) )	130
Evelyn Rose (Tempy-Skipper (F.R.) A. J. Lewis)³	180
Fyldea (Lieut. R. Bill, R.N., Asst. to Cdr. M/S Dover) (Lieut. J. K. M. Warde, R.N.V.R., Unit Officer) (Skipper G. Whamond)	502
Gava (Lieut. F. J. Jordan, R.N.R.) (Skipper Day, R.N.R.)	[ ] 1
Grimsby Town (Lieut. W. C. Riley, R.N.V.R.)³	[ ] -
Inverforth (Lt. Cdr. A. A. Martin, R.N.R. (Group Officer) ).	[ ] -
Jacinta	-
Jasper (Lieut. A.® Johnson, R.N.V.R.)3 Cattling	77
John (Ty. Lt. G. St. C. Rideal, R.N.V.R.) (Ty. Skipper G. W. Aldan, R.N.R.)	[ ]
Kingston Alalite (Ch. Skipper A. H. Foster, R.N.R.)³	[ ] -
Kingston Andalusite	-
(Skipper J. Bruce (Act.) R.N.R.)3	[ ]
Kingston Galena	-
(S/Lt. J. L. Pringle, R.N.V.R.)	[ ]
Kingston Olivine (Lieut. G. W. Gregorie, R.N.R.)³	[ ] -
Lady Philomena	-
(Skipper J. Hodson, R.N.R.)³
Lord Grey	400
(Ty. Lt. J. A. Simson, R.N.V.R.) Proby. Skipper W. J. Tiller, R.N.R.)
Lord Inchcape	240
(S/L S. J. Longsdon, R.N.V.R.) (Unit Officer)	[ ]
Lord Melchett	-
(Skipper R. C. Raylor, R.N.R.) (Group Officer Lt. W. H. Ward, R.N.V.R.) Malabar	26
Nautilus1 (Lieut. W.E. Gelling, R.N.R.) (Skipr. R. Maclean, R.N.R.)	[ ] -
Ocean Reward	-
Olvina	347
(S/Lt. J. H. Cooper, R.N.V.R.) (Unit Officer, 40th A/S Group)
Our Bairns	200
(Skipper J. H. Miller)	[ ]
Polly Johnson1	-
(Skipper Lieut. L. Lake, R.D., R.N.R.)	[ ]
Relonzo	-
(Skipper Slater) Restrivo	[ ] -
(Tempy.-Skipper J. Fountain, R.N.R.)³	[ ]
St. Achilleus1	-
(Ty. Lt. H. A. Gellett, R.N.V.R.) (S.O. 11th A/S Group)
Saon	359
(Lt. Com. A. G. G. Webb, R.N. (Ret.) )³ Sphene	[ ] I
Saturn (Skipper C. Pennington, R.N.R.) (Ty. Skipper H. C. Watson, R.N.R.)	1,177

Edwina Evelyn Rose Fyldea Gava Grimsby Town Inverforth Jacinta Jasper John Cattling Jordan Kingston Alalite Kingston Andalusite Kingston Galena Kingston Olivine Lady Philomena Lord Grey Lord Inchcape Lord Melchett Malabar Olvina Our Bairns Polly Relonzo Restrivo Rose Saon Saturn Sphene Spurs Aldan Bedford Bill Ch. Cooper Day Dover Foster Gellett Gelling Johnson JOHNSON R Jordan Lake Lewis Longsdon Maclean Martin Miller Pennington Pringle Raylor Rideal Rose Simson Slater Tiller Ward Warde Watson Webb Whamond

225

INDEX
Johanna,54, 60.
John, and Norah, 71n.
39, 43-4. D.
G., 76.
G. de S. (P.S.T.O. 60. Dover), 48.
Jutland, 47n, 54,
Keith, at Boulogne, 9-10; In Dynamo, 55, 64, 66, 67 (flag of R.A. Dover), 71, 74, 76, 86,
Kaap Falga, 20, 29.
88-90 (sunk).
Kellett, 28n, 32, 41, 46, 97, 107n, 89. 109, 114n, 116-7, 119.
Kenward, Lt. (E) W. H., killed,
Kestrel, 72n.
Kingfisher, 60, 87, 89 (damaged), 114n, 116 (rammed), 117.
Killarney, 29n, 54n.
King George V, 54n, 94, 107n, 108-9, 114n, 116, 119.
King Orry, 16, 19, 28, 45 (sunk), 97 (damages Dunkirk pier).
Kingston Alalite, 34n, 110.
Kingston Andalusite, 34n.
Kingston Galena, 34n.
Kingston Olivine, 110.
Koeltz, General, 19.
Kuno, 20n, 24n.
Lady Brassey, 28n, 36, 91, 104.
Lady Haig, 72n.
Lady of Mann, 48n, 87, 107n, 109 (sent back empty), 114n, 118.
Lady Philomena, 34n, 91.
Lady Robinson, 94 (sunk).
Lady Rosebery, 71n.
Lady Sheila, 60.
Lady Southborough, 72n.
La Flore, 107n, 109.
Lahloo, 66, 71n.
Laidsell, Lt. Gen. W. G. (Q.M.G.), 8, 26, 59, 90.
Lambart, Capt. Hon. L. J. O., R.N. (ret.), lost, 93.
Lansdowne, 72n.
La Panne. See Beaches.
Lark, 71n, 95 (sunk).
Laroc, 60.
Leda, 28n, 32, 54n, 97, 114n, 116 (sinks Maréchal Foch), 118.
Lena, 20, 24, 27-8, 100, 116 (lost), 117.
Léopard, 73, 99, 107n.
Letitia, 73.
Lewes, Lt. Cdr. J. H., 45.
Lewis, Cdr. E. R., 106.
L.H.W.D., 114n.
L'Impétueuse, 62.
Llanthony, 71n.
Lloyd, General, 84.
Lochgarry, 29n, 39, 41.
Locust, 46, 58, 87, 107n, 108, 114, 116, 119.
Lord Barham, 71n.
Lord Cavan, 32n, 98 (sunk).
Lord Collingwood, 32n, 47n.
Lord Grey, 45.
Lord Hood, 71n.
Lord Howard, 23n, 107n.
Lord Howe, 13, 23n.
Lord Keith, 32n, 47n.
Lord Melchett, 85.
Lord Rodney, 47n.
Lord St. Vincent, 32n, 47n.
201

Haig Johanna Jutland Kestrel Killarney King George King George V Kingston Alalite Kingston Andalusite Kingston Galena Kingston Olivine L.H.W.D. Lady Brassey Lady Haig Lady of Mann Lady Philomena Lady Robinson Lady Rosebery Lady Sheila Lady Southborough Lahloo Lansdowne Lark Laroc Lena Letitia Llanthony Lochgarry Lord Barham Lord Cavan Lord Collingwood Lord Grey Lord Hood Lord Howard Lord Howe Lord Keith Lord Melchett Lord Rodney Lord St. Vincent Sheila TS King George V De Dover George Haig King Lambart Lewes Lewis Lloyd Mann Robinson