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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 Swift Wing. 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 95–230 of this collection
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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
160 Page 160 Log in to enlarge
OCR table 1 from document page 160
APPENDIX TROOPS TRANSPORTED
DRIFTERS (contd.) 610
Starlight Rays (Lt. W. R. Hutcheson, R.N.V.R.) (Skipper, A. Buchan, R.N.R.) 243
Strive (Skipper H. A. Catchpole, R.N.R.) Not known
Swift Wing (Tempy.-Skipper G. Frosdick, R.N.R.)3 162
Taransay (Tempy.-Skipper G.S. Peek, R.N.R.)³ /
The Boys (Skipper A. Buchan, R.N.R.) 1
Thomsons (Skipper S.J. A. Drake, R.N.R.) 350
Three Kings (Skipper G. W. Smith, R.N.R.) (Skipper A. V. Long, R.N.R.) -
Thrifty (Tempy.-Skipper G. Corney, R.N.R.)³ II 302
Torbay (Tempy.-Skipper W.B. Jenner, R.N.R.)3 Tweenways 126
(Skipper E. Fawcett, R.N.R.) Unicity 225
(Skipper W. A. George, R.N.R.) Ut Prosim 457
(Skipper W. Reaich, R.N.R.)³ Yorkshire Lass 469
(Ty. Lieut. E.H. G. Hope, R.N.V.R.) (S/Lt. M. A. A. Chodzko, R.N.V.R.)
Young Mon 120
(Tempy.-Skipper A. W. Lockwood, R.N.R.)3
Total 12,370
SPECIAL SERVICE VESSELS. Total of 3, of which 1 was lost. Crested Eagle -
(Tempy. Lt. Cdr. B. R. Booth, R.N.R.) Golden Eagle (Lt. Cdr. C.O.) 1,751
(Lt. W.L. Lucas, R.N.R. (navigator) ) (Lt. J.C. Newman, M.B.E., R.N.V.R., in command) Royal Eagle 2,657
(Cdr. E. C. Cordeaux, M.B., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., R.N.) (sick) (Ty. Lr. Cdr. E.F.A. Farrow, R.N.R.)
Total 4,408
M.A./S.B.'s ETC. Total 7.
M.A/S.B.5 (Lieut. E. M. Thorpe, R.N.)3 -
M.A/S.B.6 (Lieut. W. G, Everitt, 26
M.A.S.B.7 R.N.) (S/Lt. A. Ecclestone, 38
M.A/S.B.9 R.N.)
M.A/S.B.10 -
(Lieut. R. G. H. G. Eyre, R.N.) -
Crested Eagle Golden Eagle Royal Eagle Starlight Rays Strive Swift Swift Wing Taransay The Boys Thomsons Three Kings Thrifty Torbay II Tweenways Yorkshire Lass Young Mon Booth Buchan Catchpole Chodzko Cordeaux Corney Drake Everitt Eyre Farrow Fawcett Frosdick George Hutcheson Kings Long Lucas Newman Smith Swift Young
230 Page 230 Log in to enlarge

INDEX
Silver Moon, crosses to France without charts or compass, 53.
Silver Queen, 53, 60n.
Simpson, Ch. Skpr. D. W. L., R.N.R., lost, 34.
Simson, Capt. D. J. R., Capt. D. (19), killed, 9.
Siroco, 39, 43, 62n, 69 (sunk), 85.
Skipjack, 20, 28n, 31, 60, 86, 90 (sunk).
Skipwith, Cdr. L. P., handling of Royal Sovereign, 108.
Skoots: Commissioned, 7; return to Downs in error, 20; reach Dunkirk and beaches, 29;
continuous service, 30.
Skylark, sunk, 72.
Small craft: provision of 5, 15, 17, 21, 32, 51 manning difficulty, 17; sent to Dover, in error, 21, 22; shortage of, 24-5, 32-3, 61, 76, 80-82, 127 losses of 32, 36; difficulties due to weather, 36, 48, 69-70; overcrowding, 36; supply increases, 51, 61, 71
ordered to move towards Dunkirk, 86-7; return empty to England, 100.
broached to and stranded, 58, 69-70; cast adrift and lost, 60; all vanished, 86;
Snaefell, 100-1.
S.N.O. Afloat, see Bush, Capt, E. W. and Wake-Walker, Rear-Adm. W. F.
S.N.O. Dunkirk, see Tennant, Capt. W. G.
Solomon, S/Lt. M. B. H., R.N.V.R., 73n.
Spanish refugees, 100-1.
Speedwell, 86, 90, 107n, 109, 114n, 117.
Spurs, 32n, 69 (hunts S/M.), 110 (damaged).
Starlight Rays, 60n, 107n, 108.
Stella Dorado, 34n, 69, 85 (sunk).
Stella Reigel, 85.
Stephenson, Vice-Adm. G. O., 49 (act. Cdre.), 58 (takes charge off La Panne), 66-7, 79,
83; effect of his arrival, 126.
Strathelliot, 72, 101.
Stubbs, Lt., 81.
Submarine Chaser 6, 107n.
Submarines (German): believed minelaying, 38; sighted, 69.
Sunshine, 60n, 75n.
Sun IV, 71n, 104n, 117.
Sun V, 32, 36 (put out of action).
Sun VII, 71n.
Sun VIII, 71n.
Sun X, 107n, 111.
Sun XI, 71n, 107n, 111.
Sun XII, 71n.
Sun XV, 71a, 104, 114n, 117.
Sunny Isle, lost, 110.
Surcouf, 62n.
Sursum Corda, 29n.
Survivors, machine gunned, 44, 90, 92.
Sutton, 28n, 31, 42, 47, 86 (attacked), 101.
Swallow, 69-70, 72n, 114n.
Swift Wing, 7In.
Tanga, 71n, 88, 114n, 117.
Tanks, British worn out, 6.
Taransay, 71n.
Taylor, Rear-Adm. (act. Cdre.), A. H., (Dynamo Maintenance Officer), 21, 97.
Tennant, Capt. W. G., 16, 50 (appointed S.N.O. Dunkirk); 21-22 (assumes duty)
22 (sends dramatic signal) 24, 48 (asks for all ships to be sent to Dunkirk); 50 (responsible England). under R.A. Dover); 50n (false report sent in his absence); 108 (embarks for
Thark, lost, 117.
Thele, 71n.
Thérèse Compas, 73.
Thérèse Louis, 62n.
Thirlwall, A/Ldg. Sea. R., 93.
Thomas Bartlett, sunk, 34.
Thornton, Lt. Cdr. M., 47n.
Thuringia, sunk, 34, 38.
Thurston, Lt. N., mortally wounded, 86.
Thyra, 71n.
Tibbits, Lieut., 79.
206
England Queen Royal Sovereign Silver Moon Silver Queen Skipjack Skylark Speedwell Spurs Starlight Rays Strathelliot Sun Sun IV Sun V Sun VII Sun VIII Sun X Sun XI Sun XII Sun XV Sunshine Sursum Corda Swallow Swift Swift Wing Tanga Taransay Thark Thele Thyra Bush Ch. Dover Simson Solomon Stubbs Swift Tennant Thirlwall Thomas Thornton Thurston Wake Wake-Walker Walker