TNA ADM 334 83

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Ised
OF
90
08
Dunkirk Operations
People
Sex
abrabba EN
may 1940
OF
hote of movements by B. A. Smith
Durn masher M.C.Countant hymph"
IRX
hittle ship Club
of
bad
OZEN
ever
boat 00.10, was 27th May 1940, Admiralty rang up to
EAT
Homey
nam
are
to answer this a subject call! of good habits I did not have to get notice. up
Not being ready for sea, and arranged for four confirm hours' that my
BLONDS
BIT
and
Having as already put a few things in a bag I went go to Isleworth the
08.45, Admiralty rang up again and asked me to to boat.
STATE
ITE
It soon as possible and arrived there between 10.00 and 11.00.
my own permit only carried to Middle Blythe Buoy, and
was obvious that some form of permit would be required as
Boathouse that a Naval Officer was expected who would issue
instructions were to take the boat to Sheerness, I found my at the
the permits and was requisitioning other boats in the same yard.
When the Officer arrived he did not seem to think there was
but any tremendous hurry and wanted the boats to go down together,
separate permits were issued by the afternoon so that I
was then ready to start at any time, and the others did not
look like being ready for several hours.
At about 17.30 I tried to ring up the "Mate" as I felt
he was home early and put such a jerk into things that he
be able to help me work the boat down to Sheerness. Luckily
sure he would want to be in on this game and might at least
before 19.30, and we started at 20.00 without waiting for the
got his things together and arrived from Tulse Hill to Isleworth
other boabs.
the south side until daylight as we should not be allowed to on
at Tilbury, who examined our permit and told us to anchor
Soon after midnight we were pulled in by the Naval Control
enter Sheerness during darkness. By the time we had found
and we had no riding light, so decided that It was not worth
suitable anchorage it was already about on the 28th May, a
while either of us going to sleep as one would have to keep
anchor watch and dawn would be early.
slowly to Sheerness and after a little chasing around there
As it was quite light by03.00 we raised weighed anchor and proceeded
found the basin where the motor yachts were to collect, reported
the gates. Other boats from Isleworth were nearly all present by
our arrival and went to breakfast at an Hotel near the dockyard
could sign on for one month but did not then know for what
time we got back from breakfast. We were informed that we
purpose we were required, although I had been told by the
pleasant voiced man who spoke to me from the Admiralty that
it was dangerous.
Of the boats which had come down from Isleworth mine was
the only one in charge of its owner so far as I know, and at
that time we had rather got the point of view that there was
nothing very urgent in the wind and most of the men who had
brought boats down from up river had done so without any
previous knowledge that they would be doing so and had had no
opportunity of making arrangements with employers, etc. so
that few of them felt able to sign on for a month and went
back to town very regretfully by train.
The opportunity of playing boats for a month with the Navy
seemed to me too good to miss in any case, and I had been
able to warn my partners that I should be away for a bit,
but there was some difficulty in getting signed on and I
toured Sheerness Dockyard interviewing numerous people until
late in the afternoon and by about 17.00 had formed a pretty
accurate idea what the job was and was quite determined not
to be put off, so appealed to the Commodore himself,who was
supervising the fuel and victualling of the motor boats at
the basin. Within half-an-hour of explaining to him that I