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
58	Log in to enlarge	9 No damage was done, but we gazed up the side of a seemingly endless estroyer, reaching quzxfxz 10 or 15 fifteen feet above us, and saw vaguely the figures of ratings rather helplessly waving collision mats. We went up to the side of the pier, and ran our ladders alongside, taking off some 150 or 200 French soldiers. Our own particular job, however, was limited to tending the two warps of our motor yacht, to prevent them fouling the tug's propellers. We were only beside the pier two or three minutes, and then turned round and made for home at full speed. Unforžunez tunately, it was not possible to tow the motor yacht at this pace, and she was finally cut adrist, carrying with her, amongst other things, my best black hat and umbrella, and office suit. Just at dawn there was a sudden scare when an aeroplane was sighted. The the Lewis guns from our own, and two other, vessels were immediately brought to bear on her, and as tracer bullets were being used it was easy to see the cone of fire all I concentrated on the one target. As a scuttered for cover, I felt a patter of metal on to my back, and thought for a second that my last hour was come, until I realised that it was the empties falling onto me from one of the guns. After firing for only a few seconds, the aeroplane crashed into the sea astern, and we continued on our way unmolested. Much of the return journey I spent drinking tea in the galley (a broiling hell, whose presiding demon was a small and helpful boy of about 14) and sleeping in the forecastle of the tug, whose crew was most kind to us. We the a machine in gun and of ammunition ease on at with 4 us, quay 2.30 p.m. the other under p.m. to strain the yachts.35 of Tug of "SUN Three p.m. tow ropes. gun broke to other to Engines proceed be towed and yachts Slight running they tow ropes of under two own the yachts Arrived in off 1 1 swell. were at 11.30 told p.m. Mole, to off from Tug. for to on about take board troops Frenchmen. 2 board. past Could find the the no	Broke Dawn Sun Black Few Last Lewis

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 58.

9
No damage was done, but we gazed up the side of a seemingly endless
estroyer, reaching quzxfxz 10 or 15 fifteen feet above us, and
saw vaguely the figures of ratings rather helplessly waving
collision mats. We went up to the side of the pier, and ran our
ladders alongside, taking off some 150 or 200 French soldiers.
Our own particular job, however, was limited to tending the two
warps of our motor yacht, to prevent them fouling the tug's
propellers. We were only beside the pier two or three minutes,
and then turned round and made for home at full speed. Unfor-
žunez tunately, it was not possible to tow the motor yacht at
this pace, and she was finally cut adrist, carrying with her,
amongst other things, my best black hat and umbrella, and office
suit.
Just at dawn there was a sudden scare when an aeroplane
was sighted. The the Lewis guns from our own, and two other,
vessels were immediately brought to bear on her, and as tracer
bullets were being used it was easy to see the cone of fire all
I
concentrated on the one target. As a scuttered for cover, I felt
a patter of metal on to my back, and thought for a second that my
last hour was come, until I realised that it was the empties
falling onto me from one of the guns. After firing for only a
few seconds, the aeroplane crashed into the sea astern, and we
continued on our way unmolested. Much of the return journey
I spent drinking tea in the galley (a broiling hell, whose presiding
demon was a small and helpful boy of about 14) and sleeping in the
forecastle of the tug, whose crew was most kind to us. We
the a machine in gun and of ammunition ease on at with 4 us, quay 2.30 p.m. the other under p.m. to strain the yachts.35 of Tug of "SUN Three p.m. tow ropes. gun broke to other to Engines proceed be towed and yachts Slight running they
tow ropes of under two own the yachts Arrived in off 1 1
swell. were at 11.30 told p.m. Mole, to off from Tug. for to on about take board troops Frenchmen. 2 board.
past Could find the the no