TNA ADM 334 83

LITTLE SHIP CLUB
at
COCKFOSTERS: HERTS.
DUNKIRK. 1940.
Jan 18th. 1931
Name & Address.
INET 3391.
Ship
Dr.B.A.Smith
(Tel:Malden 1461) (Tel:Malden 1461) (Tel:Malden 1461) (Tel:Malden 1461)
Malden,
"Constant Nymph"
Penera
Dear Luard, with an know utterly - and who of I indectiphers
Brought
Commdr.C.H.Lightoller The R.D. "Sundowner"
D.S.M. off name 251 Upper - life include
Cottage, know make him it but being it.
E.J.Wilkins Esq.
body 1611
Ludgate Hill,E.C.4.
a story the the He the THE THE THE it you back or that make We
"Lady Pamela"
did not go but
Lost ship, here sort till says to he they put one got next want of his
C.G.Thompson. Esq.
himself. OVE
Jerminus Court. 4411 / Beluine Rd. Banked! "Thark"
Court
Lieut.F.y. Grenfell, R. N. V.R.
Lost ship.
some commission the Roger He's class in a the this also so and the too. but get old if he went Over?
week,gecond stripe done him for
Avenue, Court, N.W.6
as On Active Service
R.N.V.R.
Sundowner believe ___???___
Esq.
times Went over several
Rd.Ruislip,Middx.
"Letitia"
the the the the this we but blooked from the mad a
Lost ship.? if
The about second was that of best he went over.
(Holborn)
"Spinaway"
yours
Scottie
Downing G.Kimber Dominions Esq. office Jemple Bar 9262
St.s.W.1 Esq.
(12.8.40) House,
4044) W.1
A.R. (now Zoccola abroad) Esq.
difficulties were experienced in regard littl that other side on the morning of the 31st th there was a bit of a breeze and a Ma;
"Bonny Heather"
the difficult to embark troops, except water on very the ship, during the previous night the used.
that it did not matter which side was first warned for duty, that the Navy collecte
(4) It is quite clear, from the time a
boats by way of intelligent anticipation, man

DUNKIRK
MAY/JUNE 1940
LOG OF "LETITIA"
"LETITIA" was an ex-naval harbour launch conversion, 52-ft.
long, 12-ft. beam and 4-ft.9-ins. draught, schooner rigged, fitted with twin screws driven by Thornycroft R.A.4 petrol-paraffin engine.
She attended the Pavillon d'Or Rally at Liege, Belgium, in
July 1939 her number being 73. After the Rally she returned to her moorings in Chichester Canal just before war broke out and was laid up there until requisitioned by the Ministry of Shipping on the 30th of May 1940 for the Dunkirk Evacuation.
EXTRACT FROM LOG:
"Friday - 31st May 1940. In Chichester Canal, painting yacht grey, preparing for sea and getting crew together.
h.
Saturday - 1st June 1940. Filling up tanks with petrol and paraffin. Orders came through at 6 p.m. to proceed to Ramsgate. Waiting tide until 10 p.m. when locked out d
of Canal and proceeded to moorings outside awaiting daylight. Went ashore for final orders.
er-
Sunday - 2nd June 1940. Left moorings at 6 a.m. and proceeded down Harbour in company of yachts "FALCON", "WARRIOR"
and "IDAHO". Clear of Chichester Harbour at 7.15 a.m., proceeding up Channel, Owers Light Vessel abeam at 10 a.m.
-
Beachy Head abeam 3.45 p.m. Wind strong from the east with some swell. "ROYAL SOVEREIGN" abeam 5 p.m. Swell getting h
worse. Noticed some trouble on board "IDAHO" and nearly rammed by same. "WARRIOR" standing by "IDAHO" at 5.15 p.m.
age
"FALCON" came alongside and gave us instructions to proceed
.ved on passage at 5.30 p.m. "IDAHO" in tow of "WARRIOR" 6 p.m.
Lost sight of them at 6.30 p.m. Lost sight of "FALCON" at the
7.15 p.m. Proceeded on passage alone. Ship dipping nose
40 p.m under swells with smart breeze. Dungeness abeam 9 p.m.
Darkness came on; we went in close to the coast and anchored in 10 fathoms of water off Hythe at 10.15 p.m.
Monday - 3rd June 1940. Hove up anchor at 4 a.m. and proceeded on passage. Wind and swell abated in the night.
Dover abeam at 6.35 # a.m. Reported to the Admiralty the arrival of the "LETITIA". Sub-Lieutenant and three sailors came on board and took over. Proceeded alongside oil wharf to get more fuel on board and alongside another wharf to get a machine gun and ammunition on board. Taking out ship's masts and putting on quay and fixing machine gun on deck - -
all ready to sail at 2.30 p.m. Orders came to proceed 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.

DUNKIRK
MAY/JUNE 1940
LOG OF "LETITIA"
"LETITIA" was an ex-naval harbour launch conversion, 52-ft.
long, 12-ft. beam and 4-ft.9-ins. draught, schooner rigged, fitted with twin screws driven by Thornycroft R.A.4 petrol-paraffin engine.
She attended the Pavillon d'Or Rally at Liege, Belgium, in
July 1939 her number being 73. After the Rally she returned to her moorings in Chichester Canal just before war broke out and was
$
laid up there until requisitioned by the Ministry of Shipping on the 30th of May 1940 for the Dunkirk Evacuation.
EXTRACT FROM LOG:
r
"Friday - 31st May 1940. In Chichester Canal, painting yacht grey, preparing for sea and getting crew together.
ch.
k
Saturday - 1st June 1940. Filling up tanks with petrol and paraffin. Orders came through at 6 p.m. to proceed ed to Ramsgate. Waiting tide until 10 p.m. when locked out of Canal and proceeded to moorings outside awaiting dayrerlight. Went ashore for final orders.
Sunday - 2nd June 1940. Left moorings at 6 a.m. and proceeded down Harbour in company of yachts "FALCON", "WARRIOR"
and "IDAHO". Clear of Chichester Harbour at 7.15 a.m.,
S-
proceeding up Channel, Owers Light Vessel abeam at 10 a.m.
Beachy Head abeam 3.45 p.m. Wind strong from the east with th some swell. "ROYAL SOVEREIGN" abeam 5 p.m. Swell getting worse. Noticed some trouble on board "IDAHO" and nearly sage rammed by same. "WARRIOR" standing by "IDAHO" at 5.15 p.m.
ived
"FALCON" came alongside and gave us instructions to proceed on passage at 5.30 p.m. "IDAHO" in tow of "WARRIOR" 6 p.m.
t the
Lost sight of them at 6.30 p.m. Lost sight of "FALCON" at
6.40 p.
7.15 p.m. Proceeded on passage alone. Ship dipping nose under swells with smart breeze. Dungeness abeam 9 p.m.
Darkness came on; we went in close to the coast and anchored in 10 fathoms of water off Hythe at 10.15 p.m.
Monday - 3rd June 1940. Hove up anchor at 4 a.m. and proceeded on passage. Wind and swell abated in the night.
Dover abeam at 6.35 # a.m. Reported to the Admiralty the arrival of the "LETITIA". Sub-Lieutenant and three sailors came on board and took over. Proceeded alongside oil wharf to get more fuel on board and alongside another wharf to get a machine gun and ammunition on board. Taking out ship's masts and putting on quay and fixing machine gun on deck -
all ready to sail at 2.30 p.m. Orders came to proceed 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 Dunkir 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.

-2-
Left the quay and proceeded outside the Mole to H.M.S.
"Wahus ", who took troops on board. Swell from other craft made ship dash into the side of war-ship, tearing rails down and breaking ropes. Had orders to load on board about 400-lbs. of T.N.T. in two barrels. Five naval ratings came on board and proceeded to wreck of
H.M.S. Mhoquto ". Went alongside and put on ratings and T.N.T. Waiting there for ratings to fix charge to blow up the wreck. When all was ready naval ratings jumped on board and we got away from wreck in quick time.
Engineer reported that port engine not running very well.
Put ratings on board H.M.S. " Walrus " ". Swell from other ships did more damage to topsides while lying alongside war-ship. Received instructions to proceed back to
Ramsgate.
During the operations inside Dunkirk and on the work outside we had no enemy aircraft overhead but plenty of gunfire with bursts overhead and falling shrapnel. The town of Dunkirk was all# on fire with explosions at intervals which gave enough light to distinguish markings in and around Dunkirk and to see the masts and funnels of ships which were sunk outside the Harbour.
Proceeded on passage back to Ramsgate when a big paddle steamer overtook us and we obtained a tow; also towing astern of the paddle steamer was one of the naval fast torpedo boats which had broken down. The paddle steamer increased her speed to about 15 knots, the wash from the paddles caused us to sheer into the naval launch and in doing so two sailors were thrown overboard from the launch.
Our tow rope was cut and after a while we managed to pick up one of the men who had fallen overboard. A little later a Dutch fishing vessel reported that they had picked up the second man; so we proceeded on our passage back.
The port engine continued to give trouble and we were overhauled by a large Tug which came up close to us and the naval officer in charge of same gave orders to us to abandon ship as owing to daylight coming on we would be exposed to danger from enemy aircraft.
We transferred the guns and ourselves to the Tug and discovered a wounded French soldier in the after cabin who had been left behind. We took him on board the Tug with us. While we were transferring to the Tug three enemy aircraft flew overhead. The Tug proceeded on the passage back to Ramsgate leaving "LETITIA" abandoned. We arrived at Ramsgate at 7.20 a.m. and awaited further orders.
Eventually we received our orders to return and caught the
10.36 train from Ramsgate, arriving at Chichester at 6.40 p.H
SIGNED: E.A. LEPPARD.
MASTER.