TNA ADM 234 360

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VI
and returned to harbour; the remainder Chantecler reached and the La Panne at 0500/30.
Dutch eel-boats Johanna and Chantecler M.B. Golden Lily also The and Ramsgate " compass at which 2200/29. was reached situated The the over beaches, the was engine. however, only capable revolved at 0900 of slowly 4 knots, round and and left her she had no charts, lost way 30th Later darkness, and returned to and brought back 30 troops. her in the Downs in the get over on May, round"¹. She The Johanna did not on the 30th
Ramsgate on the morning of the May. on that day she was towed to the beaches by the skoot Jutland.
Troops transported on 29th May reduction in the number of destroyers available and with failure to achieve
The 29th May closed with a formidable list of ships lost or damaged, a marked the high rate of evacuation hoped for. The effect of the day's occurrences even more marked next day, when instead of the 50,000 to 60,000 British was troops which had been calculated as the probable achievement, only 48,000 odd were in fact transported.²
Nevertheless, 47,310 troops (including some 2,000 casualties) were landed in England on the 29th May (see Table 2), 13,752 having been lifted from the beaches and 33,558 from the harbour. Only about 11 per cent of these were
French troops³, whose organised evacuation had not yet begun. (See Appendices Y.2 to Y.5).
During the morning and forenoon of the 29th May, when there was no bombing of Dunkirk harbour, 1Q personnel vessels⁴ lifted 14,760 troops from the east pier; during the afternoon, in spite of the bombing, the Canterbury lifted a further 1,960.
The development of beach evacuation is indicated by the fact that nearly
21 times the number of troops were lifted from the beaches on 29th May as compared with the number lifted on the previous day. Seventeen destroyers each made one round trip during the 24 hours of the 29th May and an eighteenth destroyer, the Icarus, made two such trips. On these trips the 18 destroyers embarked and transported to England 10,694 troops of which 6,198 were lifted from the beaches and 4,506 from Dunkirk harbour. Nine minesweepers⁶
together lifted 2,426 troops from the beaches although one of them, the Albury did not land her troops in England until the next day.⁷ Among other ships which brought back troops from the beaches was the cruiser Calcutta with
1,200.
The record of troops landed in England now stood as follows:-
From the
From the
Total for beaches harbour the day
26th May
Nil
Nil
Nil
27th May
Nil
7,669
7,669
28th May
5,930
11,874
17,804
29th May
13,752
33,558
47,310
I Report by Chantecler.
40,724. This figure probably puts does not include troops carried by foreign ships (See Prague,
3 2 D.R., D.R. p.11, which para. incidentally 38. the total of troops and casualties landed on 29th Table May 2). as
The Côte d'Argent, Killarney, King George V, Maid of Orleans, Manxman,
Javelin, Malcolm, Express, Verity, Wolsey and Marmion
Royal 5 The Daffodil, Anthony, Royal Codrington, Sovereign, Esk, Scotia, and Tynwald. Greyhound, Harvester, Intrepid, Worcester. Ivanhoe,
6 The Albury, Duchess Sabre, of Scimitar, Fife, Emperor Shikari, of Vanquisher, India, Fitzroy, Halcyon, Hebe, Leda, and Sharpshooter.
7 See Table 3, in conjunction with the reports of ships' proceedings in Vol. II.
54

CHAP. VI
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Ramsgate at 2200/29. situated over the engine. capable of 4 knots, also and left
Dutch eel-boats Johanna The Chantecler was only M.B. Golden Lily The and returned to harbour; and the remainder Chantecler reached and the La Panne at 0500/30.
and brought back lost troops. her in the Downs in the get over on May, and round"¹. She 30 The Johanna did not on the 30th and compass which was reached the beaches, however, revolved at 0900 slowly round her
Ramsgate on the morning on that day she was towed she had no charts, of way the 30th May. Later darkness, and returned to to the beaches by the skoot Jutland.
Troops transported on 29th May reduction in the number of destroyers and with failure to
The 29th May closed with a formidable available list of ships lost or damaged, a marked the high rate of evacuation hoped for. The effect of the day's occurrences achieve even more marked next day, when instead of the 50,000 to 60,000 British was were in fact transported.²
troops which had been calculated as the probable achievement, only 48,000 odd
Nevertheless, 47,310 troops (including some 2,000 casualties) were landed in England on the 29th May (see Table 2), 13,752 having been lifted from the beaches and 33,558 from the harbour. Only about 11/2 per cent of these were
French troops³, whose organised evacuation had not yet begun. (See Appendices Y.2 to Y.5).
During the morning and forenoon of the 29th May, when there was no bombing of Dunkirk harbour, 1Q personnel vessels⁴ lifted 14,760 troops from the east pier; during the afternoon, in spite of the bombing, the Canterbury lifted a further 1,960.
The development of beach evacuation is indicated by the fact that nearly
2½ times the number of troops were lifted from the beaches on 29th May as compared with the number lifted on the previous day. Seventeen destroyers⁵
each made one round trip during the 24 hours of the 29th May and an eighteenth destroyer, the Icarus, made two such trips. On these trips the 18 destroyers embarked and transported to England 10,694 troops of which 6,198 were lifted from the beaches and 4,506 from Dunkirk harbour. Nine minesweepers6
together lifted 2,426 troops from the beaches although one of them, the Albury did not land her troops in England until the next day.⁷ Among other ships which brought back troops from the beaches was the cruiser Calcutta with
1,200.
The record of troops landed in England now stood as follows:-
From the
From the
Total for beaches harbour the day
26th May
Nil
Nil
Nil
27th May
Nil
7,669
7,669
28th May
5,930
11,874
17,804
29th May
13,752
33,558
47,310
I Report by Chantecler.
3 D.R., which incidentally puts the total of and casualties landed on 29th Table May 2). as
2 D.R. p.11, para. 38.
40,724. This figure probably does not include troops carried by foreign ships (See Prague,
4 The Côte d'Argent, Killarney, King George troops V, Maid of Orleans, Manxman,
Royal Daffodil, Royal Sovereign, Scotia, and
Javelin, Malcolm, Sabre, Scimitar, Verity, Wolsey and Worcester. Marmion
5 The Anthony, Codrington, Esk, Express, Tynwald. Greyhound, Harvester, Intrepid, Ivanhoe,
6 The Albury, Duchess of Fife, Emperor Shikari, of Vanquisher, India, Fitzroy, Halcyon, Hebe, Leda, and Sharpshooter.
7 See Table 3, in conjunction with the reports of ships' proceedings in Vol. II.
54

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

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

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
APPENDIX A
TROOPS
MOTOR BOATS, LAUNCHES AND VESSELS (contd.)
TRANSPORTED
M.F.H. (W. H. Smith, Capt.)
87
Minikoil (S/Lt. R. E. Blows, R.N.V.R.)
/
Minoru II'
/
Minotaur (T. Towndrow, Skipper)
/
Minwood
51
Mirasol
/
Moss Rose1
/
Murious
/
Naiad Errant
8
(A. B.S. Palmer, i/c)
Nanette II
30
Nayland
83
Nemo IV'
/
New Britannic
83
(W. Matthews, Cox.)
New Prince of Wales'
-
(S/Lt. P. H. E. Bennett, R.N.)
New White Heather
-
Offemia
50
Patricia (T.H.V.)
/
Pauleter
400
(Sto. D. T. Banks)
Peggy IV:
-
(S. H. Hughes, Skipper)
Pioneer¹
-
Princess Freda
-
(S/Lt. E.S. Forman, R.N.V.R.)
Princess Lily
-
(Prob. Ty. S/Lt. K. E.A. Bayley, R.N.V.R.)
Princess Maud
-
Provider
Not known
(F. Hannaford, Skipper)
Queen Boadicea II
-
(Lieut. J.S. Seal, R.N.R.) (Capt. J. Whittaker)
Queen of England'
-
Quest
-
Quicksilver
20
(S/Lt. D.L. Satterford. R.N.) (L/Sea. T. Phillips)
18
Quisisana
(S/Lt. A. J. Weaver, R.N.V.R.)
28
Rapid I
(S/Lt. J.C. Clarke, R.N.V.R.)
Reda
44
Reliance (S/Lt. P. Snow, R.N.) (P.O. R. W. Rawlings, Motorman)
80
(Skpr. A. Legget)
Renown'
-
Resolute (Skpr. W.H. Noakes)
40
Roberta (Skpr. H.D. Osborne)
-
Rocinante
-
Rosabelle
-
Rose Marie
Not known
St. Patrick1
-
Sambrez
Not known
Santosy
-
Saviour (Actg. S/Lt. J.M. Chappell, R.N.)
22
I Lost.
2 Ex-Belgian canal boat.
150

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

INDEX
Phillips, Vice-Admiral T.S. V., 16.
Phipps, L/St. M., 81.
Pickford & Co., 72n.
Pierre, set on fire, 74.
Pierre et Marie, 73.
Piers (beach) built at La Panne, 47, 60, 76; of barges impracticable, 49; built at Bray,
59, 82.
Pigeon, 72n, 114n.
Pim, Capt. R., R.N.V.R., 78.
Playmates, 13n.
Polly Johnson, 13n, 39, 40 (damaged), 43, 44 (sunk).
Pool, S/Lt. R. A. W., 72.
Port of London Authority, 32.
Porter, Col., 47.
Portsdown, 100, 103.
Portsmouth, C. in C.: sends destroyers, 20; provision of boats, 51 Inner Patrol yachts,
71 A.S.'s. barge, 117 (abandoned).
Pownall, Lt. Gen. H. R., 4.
Prague, 29n, 54n, 64n, 91 (damaged).
Président Briand, 93.
Preston, Vice-Adm. Sir L. (D.S.V.P.), 21.
Princess Elizabeth, 47n, 89, 114n.
Princess Lily, 75n.
Princess Maud, 48n, 53 (goes aground), 62 (damaged), 114n, 118.
Prudential, 60.
Pudge, 71s.
Queen of England, sunk, 53.
Queen of Thanet, 91, 114m.
Queen of the Channel, 22, 24, 29 (sunk).
Queen's Channel, 72n.
Racia, 71n, 114я, 117.
R.A. Dover, see Wake-Walker, Rear Admiral W.F.
Ramsay, Vice-Adm. Sir B. (V.A. Dover): to control evacuation, 4; to arrange air cover,
5; asks for more destroyers, 20; driving force, 23, 33; promulgates disembarkation ports, 25; efforts to increase supply of small craft, 23, 32; plan for night 29/30th
May, 50; orders all ships to beaches, 51; concern at losses of destroyers, 94; calls for volunteers, 105; reports exhaustion of crews, 113.
Ramsgate, N.O.I.C. Administers in shore flotilla, 21, 94; services skoots, 30.
Raphael-Raymonde, 73n.
Rapid I, 72, 92.
Reda, 53, 60n.
Reed, 7ln.
Refugees, 37, 100-1, 119.
Reiger, 32, 47m, 64, 101-2, 116.
Reine des Flots, 102, 107n, 109.
Reliance, 73n.
Renascent, 71n.
Renown, 73, 93 (sunk).
Resolute, 73n.
Revoir, Capt. de, 115.
Rewga, 71n.
Reynaud, M., 10, 11.
Richardson, Cdr. H. du P., 80n, 82, 83n.
Riggs, Mr. H. C., 21.
Rika, 41.
Rina, 117.
Robinson, Cdr. C. E. C., killed, 37.
Roebuck, in collision, 83.
Rope for towing, 61.
Rose Marie, 72n.
Ross, 28n, 44, 97.
Rouen, 94, 107n, 108 (goes aground), 109, 112n, 120 (aground).
Route, X prepared, 20; mined, 38; tested by destroyers, 39 taken into use, 48; last route to come under fire, 96-7; traffic suspended, 98.
Route, Y adopted, 20, 29; under fire, 48; E-boats, on 85; in use, 93; mines on, 110.
Route, Z under fire, 20, 48; to be used in darkness, 29, 48.
204