TNA ADM 334 83

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ONTINUATION SHEET No 2.
starting our trip from our own moorings to Dunkirk as
the troops started their retreat towards the coast. At
the portion of the beach on which I was working, the
troops had only arrived about the time we got there and
we did not know as'a fact whether they were there or
whether Jerry was there until we had been to find out.
(5) -- I think this point has been covered in the
Notes. I think everybody who took a motor boat to that
Show will agree with me the Navy, in all ranks and
ratings, exhibited an astonishing degree of courtesy,
tact and efficiency, the supplies of petrol, water and
provisions in suitable containers were awaiting us at
Sheerness and Ramsgate, there was ample of everything and
no time was wasted in getting it on board, the raw meat
and potatoes issued at Sheerness were not very suitable
but there were ample dry rations issued at the same time
and at Ramsgate there was a properly devised motor boat
scheme of rationing with suitable articles that involved
very little cooking.
At Sheerness all the fueling, watering and provisioning
was done in the Basin where we assembled and all the
stuff was brought there. At Ramsgate there were dumps
of fuel andwwater at various points round the harbour as
well as the two petrol pumps of the harbour's normal
equipment. Provisions were drawn from the pier head at
Ramsgate but it only took about five minutes to collect
what you wanted. There was no red tape, no formality,
the Navy gave you the number of ratings for crew that you
asked for, they simply said "How many do you want" and
detailed them accordingly. When you wanted provisions
you just went in and said how many you had on the boat
and were provisioned accordingly without any delay. What
the official rating of a"charge hand'is I do not know,
I gathered that he ranks as a sort of Petty Officer,
but my own experience, and that of others with whom I
have spoken of the motor boat owner-masters, was that we
were invariably treated as if we were officers.
As an example I may say that I was taken off to the
Captain's quarters on Laudania to be fed when I was ordered
off duty and made the return trip to England in the combined
bridge and chart room.
Cairngorm On reporting back at Sheerness with my crew on
I had to make a report on my movements to
the Commander-in-Gharge of the motor boats there and I
had to add a report on the conduct of my crew, a thing
which I had not presumed to do, considering they were
regular naval ratings. The two boys who crewed on my
own boat had been four months in the navy and neither of
them had ever been to sea and were stoker ratings anyway,
but they got down to it like ducks to water, one of them
was a natural steersman, and worked steadily and efficiently
throughout, reporting everything that they saw and
never making a mess with the ropes, even in the dark.
Yours sincerely,