TNA ADM 334 83

DUNKIRK NOTES
from
Lt. J.A.Simson.
In Command of Unit of M/S Trawlers
"Lord Grey" & "Clythness." "
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DUNKIRK NOTES
From Lt. J.A.Simson. In Command of Unit of M/S Trawlers
"Lord Grey"&"Clythness"
Based on Dover we had heard and seen a good deal of what was afoot over the other side. Tragic stories, humorous stories, stories of great courage.
As we were engaged on sweeping for magnetic mines with ships & gear that were then a well-guarded secret, we did not actually anticipate being sent over unless magnetic minelaying took place off Dunkirk. As the Germans did not know then how to deal with the clearance of their own magnetic mines we did not think they would lay them except in the last resort.
However on Thursday the unit was given 1 hour's notice to sail for
Dunkirk and sailing & route orders were duly supplied. We sailed out at 15.30 on a dull, cloudy day and the sea was as calm as a lake.
We had instructions to contact H.M.T. Fyldea if we met her homeward bound, and ask for any information which might enable me to judge whether our original orders should be modified. As our route was changed twice in the course of the voyage - by wireless signal - it is perhaps not surprising that we missed Fyldea.
Dunkirk was visible about 30 miles distant as it was burning furiously. On the way across we had met numerous British & some French
Destroyers going 'full bat' for home, their decks a mass of khaki &
all their guns at maximum elevation - ominous! We seemed to be the only people going our way and I suspected the worst - that we were too late. My orders were to enter the harbour and make fast to the most convenient stone quay, and report to Capt. Tennant.
As no one aboard the ship had been to Dunkirk before, we approached s/o/
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very gingerly to the accompaniment of the most outrageous din and guided by a furious blaze. Hell itself could not put up a better show, I am pretty sure.
Various Destroyers & about six Yarmouth drifters were off the entrance, but owing to the presence of numerous wrecks they were (like me) a bit chary of entering. A 'schoot' however came boldly past us and entered with great confidence and I then hailed 'Clythmess' and told her to follow 'Lord Grey' in at a respectable distance, so I
would have room to come astern & manoeuver if necessary. As I went ahead the aforesaid schoot returned & shot out of the harbour entrance as if he had definitely decided that it was no place for him.
However we proceeded slowly in and tied up just ahead of the wreck of
H.M.T. Polly Johnson - alongside the Eastern mole. Clythness lay astern of us. We now had time to survey thesituation by the eerie light of numerous oil fires & the flaming wreck of a British Destroyer. Bombing was continuous as was the whine of whistling bombs.
There was no sign of anyone on the quay, which was - I now saw - completely severed just shoreward of us. Damage done probably by the same bomb that sank 'Polly Johnson'. This of course meant that we should have to move further into the inferno before I could land &
endeavour to report to Capt. Tennant. I may say I had the gravest doubts about that officer's safety, for it looked impossible to exist anywhere nearer the town. However I felt an effort must be made without delay to carry out my very vague orders and so we moved - with great difficulty - to the other side of the mole in the quay & again made fast.
My opposite number in Clythness was no other than Tony Heckstall-
Smith, sub-Lt R.N.V.R., son of the famous Major - the pivot round which all yachting seemed to revolve in the good old days of peace.
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Armed to the teeth we now both clambered ashore and found the quay piled high with equipment of every description. Rifles, Bren guns, petrol, bicycles, ammunition, kitbags, coats, belts, gas masks, in fact every conceivable variety of gear. Aircraft were flying low over us and we felt no inclination to delay and examine some of the stuff.
Alongside the same quay & nearer the town was the transport H.M.S.
King Orry, whom we hailed. The O.O.W. was helpful and told us that the quay was broken in a second place shoreward of him and he believed there were no officers to be seen there. On the strengthlof that I decided to remain alongside where we were until the first streak of dawn when one ship would move further up if possible & I would make another attempt to see Capt. T. The time was now about 2 a.m.
Soon after we returned aboard there was some shouting up the quay and
King Orry who had been badly damaged by near-misses proceeded astern
& disappeared out through the harbour entrance. She was one of the
Isle of Man packets in peace time.
Things now were a little quieter and in preparation for an arduous day I decided to take a short rest. Hardly had I sat down and put my feet on the wardroom table, hopefully closing my eyes, when I was awakened - or rather disturbed - by the announcement that people could by heard calling for help, apparently just off the harbour mouth. Both ships immediately slipped & sailed in the direction from which the shouts came, and as they got louded we could faintly discern part of.
the funnel & foremast of King Orry. Both ships launched their boats &
together rescued 14 of her crew including the Captain, who despite his awful experiences & having been the last man to get aboard the boat, stepped aboard the Lord Grey with a cheery "Good evening, thanks.
Drenched in oil & shivering with cold the survivors were suffering from shock, & we dosed them all with rum & changed their clothes for s/o/
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kets etc. The first streak of dawn was now appearing and a Destroyer who had also picked up some of King Orry's crew was dodging off the Harbour. Lord Grey hailed her & asked her to take those we had picked up.
She was the Vivacious and hove to while we transferred the survivors.
The Captain asked if we could go in & fetch troops off for him as he wanted to fill up & be off as soon as possible. I explained to him as politely as I could that we were here for minesweeping, and there were other ships engaged on ferrying. However as I was going back to the Harbour I
would report & do my best. He was not impressed - and I didn't blame himwith my reference to minesweepingm I was frankly gravely worried as the actual gear streaming 500 yards astern of the ships with everybody, Destroyers, schoots, M.T.B.s, rowing-boats & paddle steamers dashing about at full speed, would have presented a serious hazard to the hard job in hand. Besides, in a mined area the gear is far more dangerous to a degaussed ship than a mine.
We then proceeded back to harbour intent on finding Capt. Tennant, & went as far along the Eastern mole as we could, dodging the various wrecks. As soon as we were fast again I got ashore & started walking down the quay against a steady stream of Tommies and a few officers. At last I reached the end of the quay where a number of naval Officers sat. Their uniforms were covered in dust and they all looked extremely tired. They were quite indifferent to the proximity of bombs and the itermittent spatter of machine fun bulletsm an indifference which I did my best to share, though I
am certain I failed to disguise my nervous & profound anxiety. The senior officer was a Commander and to his silent enquiry I replied: "Unit officer of Lord Grey & Clythness to report to Capt. Turner, Sir." "What have you come for?" Here we were, having come over minefields & through a regular deluge of bombs, and our arrival was apparently of no consequence!
Capt. Tennant it appeared was not available.
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then the Lord Grey, the less handy of the two ships, swung round before making fast so she could be got away quickly if need be. The ebbing tide made it very difficult to bring her alongside & I regret to say the operation was not as neat as it could have been. Clythness went straight alongside and troops began immediately to pour on to her but before she was anything like full Lord Grey got her stern wedged in between Clythness & the quay and parted her moorings much to the annoyance of the embarkation officer. I had by this time got ashore and was again proceeding to the naval "base", such as it was, when the embarkation officer told me I was wanted.
I had to explain that unless the exact position of a mine was known it was useless for me to search alone in Lord Grey. As no details were available a signal was made to Dover for two more sweepers & we were told to fill up with troops & go home. By the time I got back to the ship Clythness was free & just pushing off in anticipation oft the orders. She took about 350 men I believe. Owing to the state of the tide it was necessary fob the troops to come aboard on improvised ladders and the operation was not very fast, and struck me as being very precarious. The ship would not lay alongside quietly & soldiers with heavy kit, rifles & various oddments of gear found it very difficult to get aboard dead tired - as they were - and under more or less continual aerial fire. However they did very well, encouraged by our crew and the naval ratings on the quay. In fact to tell the truth the only man who fell was myself! I tried to jump on to the whale-back but fell back and was saved from a sticky end between the ship and the quay by Providence and our leading seaman.
When the ship was crammed full, including 3 stretcher cases & a few
'walking' we were ordered to push off & I confess so far as I was concerned, it was none too soon. When we left the harbour seemed to be
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about the same as when we arrived, but owing to the presence of numerous ecks and the incessant bombing of ships in & around it, I did not think it would be possible or sensible to embark more troops from there.
When embarkation was actually in progress the quay was a tight mass of troops & they were an easy target to machine guns & bombs. The most remarkable thing was that though there were 2 machines 'attending' to us when the troops were comfing aboard, I did not see a single man hurt, though bullets were flying all round, not to mention chunks of shrapnel.
Our own fire was I am sure pretty telling as we were armed with 4 Lewis guns and a special A.A. gun firing 480 shells a minute. It certainly made the attackers keep their distance. A Lt-Colonel who was the senior officer aboard Lord Grey, said we had 450 men aboard. They came down the quay in batches of 50 & we took on 9 batchest, so he said. All were dead tired & had no idea where they were being taken. Many of them never imagined they were behing home, they were quite ready fo us ton take them along the French coastwhence they would continue the fight.
There was a mist on the sea and the homeward voyage was uneventful save for 4 or 5 colossal splashes as of heavy shells which fell round us soon after we has left. We sighted one floating mine which we reported to a sweeper that seemed to be interested in such things.
It was late afternoon when we got back to Dover and the congestion was terrific but quite understandable. As we disembarked our troops I came to the conclusion, half asleep as I was, that there were about 4,500!
Loaded as we were the voyage took 6 hours & we were passed by destroyers returning full of troops who discharged at Dover & passed us again outward bound for more.
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also,