TNA ADM 334 83

Collection details

TNA ADM 334 83

Little Ships Club correspondence and personal accounts relating to the Dunkirk evacuation, covering 1940–1941.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 334 83

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 334/83. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
51	Log in to enlarge	2 all gear except, fortunately, the galley stove, and one or two lates and cups and one knife. Life, therefore, was to be very simple. We arrived at Gravesend at about 1800, and on finding "Eternal Wave" deserted, reported to the Naval Control Office immediately above where she was moored. We were sent across the river to wait for instructions at the River Emergency Service, where we were given a warm welcome by the two Jeffreys brothers in the motor yacht to which they were attabhed. Our principal need was tea, which they satisfied nobly. Shortly afterwards we received instructions to collect petrol from the River Emergency Service stores, and then hold ourselves in readiness. As there was no accommodation on board, we were to stay at the Tilbury Hotel. Sunday, 2nd June There we remained until the following mornining until, just as we were about to sit down to lunch, we were given instructions to take on board necessary provisions, and proceed immediately to Sheerness. The Jeffreys brothers had fortunately been allowed to join us. We crossed over to X Gravesend, took on provisions (for which we had been given a voucher) and our duties were detailed by the officer in charge of the Pier: the elder Jeffreys (they always addressed one another as Jeff, so I never learnt their names) as Skipper, the other as Mate, Brown as Engineer, and myself as cook and deck-hand. We set off at about 1400 with a strong tide under us against a fresh North Easterly wind. In spite of the unpleasant chop, the vessel behaved extremely well, and we made excellent progress to Sheerness, which we reached at about tea-time. There a machine gun and ammuni tion - masts and putting on quay and fixing machine all ready to sail at 2.30 p.m. Orders came to proceea outside harbour at 4 p.m. to the Tug "SUN XV" to be towed across in company with other yachts. Three other yachts make fast astern of us, under way 6.35 p.m. Engines running at half-speed to ease the strain of the tow ropes. Slight swell. The tow ropes of two of the yachts broke and they were told to proceed on under own power. Arrived off Dunkin at 11.30 p.m. and cast off from Tug. Proceeded into Dunkir past the Mole, and up the Canal for about 2 miles. Moored alongside the quay and proceeded to take troops on board. Could find no Englishmen so took on board 40 Frenchmen.	Broke Jeff Progress Sun Sun XV Welcome Brown Cook Jeffreys Miles Tilbury

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 51.

2
all gear except, fortunately, the galley stove, and one or two
lates and cups and one knife. Life, therefore, was to be very
simple.
We arrived at Gravesend at about 1800, and on finding
"Eternal Wave" deserted, reported to the Naval Control Office
immediately above where she was moored. We were sent across the
river to wait for instructions at the River Emergency Service,
where we were given a warm welcome by the two Jeffreys brothers
in the motor yacht to which they were attabhed. Our principal
need was tea, which they satisfied nobly. Shortly afterwards we
received instructions to collect petrol from the River Emergency
Service stores, and then hold ourselves in readiness. As there
was no accommodation on board, we were to stay at the Tilbury
Hotel.
Sunday, 2nd June There we remained until the following mornining
until, just as we were about to sit down to lunch, we were given
instructions to take on board necessary provisions, and proceed
immediately to Sheerness. The Jeffreys brothers had fortunately
been allowed to join us. We crossed over to X Gravesend, took
on provisions (for which we had been given a voucher) and our
duties were detailed by the officer in charge of the Pier: the
elder Jeffreys (they always addressed one another as Jeff, so I
never learnt their names) as Skipper, the other as Mate, Brown
as Engineer, and myself as cook and deck-hand.
We set off at about 1400 with a strong tide under us
against a fresh North Easterly wind. In spite of the unpleasant
chop, the vessel behaved extremely well, and we made excellent
progress to Sheerness, which we reached at about tea-time. There
a machine gun and ammuni tion -
masts and putting on quay and fixing machine
all ready to sail at 2.30 p.m. Orders came to proceea
outside harbour at 4 p.m. to the Tug "SUN XV" to be towed
across in company with other yachts. Three other yachts
make fast astern of us, under way 6.35 p.m. Engines running
at half-speed to ease the strain of the tow ropes. Slight
swell. The tow ropes of two of the yachts broke and they
were told to proceed on under own power. Arrived off Dunkin
at 11.30 p.m. and cast off from Tug. Proceeded into Dunkir
past the Mole, and up the Canal for about 2 miles. Moored
alongside the quay and proceeded to take troops on board.
Could find no Englishmen so took on board 40 Frenchmen.