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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.
s/o/
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I explained that we were magnetic M/S and had come to clear the harbour.
or so I supposed. The 4 or 5 officers present looked sleepily at each other & then at me, and relapsed again into silence as though they were too weary to try & raise their voices above the chaotic din of aerial bombardment. Something I felt should be done so I told of my encounter with "Vivacious" and said he wanted troops brought outr. For various reasons already outlined I did not wish to press the minesweeping business, as I could not but think it would seriously hamper the already colossal task of getting the troops away. However it seemed we should have to do our best, for the Commander asked everyone in general: "Where did those mines drop?" The small assembly of 5 or 6 each indicated a slightly different direction and the Commander - striking the mean - pointed
North-east & said: "You better sweep out by that wreck"(5 wrecks in sight on line of bearing indicated) "I fancy there were some dropped there." It would have been unkind apart from insubordinate to explain that we were not fitted with wheels, and mines where he indicated could not possibly have troubled anything larger than a rowing boat. I asked if we should take troops out on our way and transfer them to destroyers.
To this suggestion the Commander agreed and with a smart "Aye, aye Sir"
I saluted and with a relief which I did my best to conceal, I again set off for the ship.
I found both ships already practically full of troops and after outlining
Smith the situation to Heckstall- and another Commander who was on the quay in charge of embarkation, we let go and sailed.
It is of course unnecessary to say that despite continuous activity in te the air there was no suggestion of disorder. The embarkation was carried out smoothly & quickly and the naval officers and ratings who were on the quay and actually assisted in making fast the ships, letting go ropes &
putting ladders aboard etc. were amongst the best chaps I ever wish to s/o/
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most. Hungry, tired & constantly under fire, they had a cheery confidence and the ratings an endless flow of repartee which I shall never forget..
Though probably at that time slightly more than half the final number had left, there was always the possibility that the weather or something else would prevent the task being completed.
Off the harbour there were two British destroyers visible, one of which a was our old friend Vivacious. I signalled him that I wished to transfer troops and to my intense annoyance he replied that he had all he could take. Fortunately Whitehall, the other destroyer, was empty and Lord
Grey & 6lythness went alongside each side & in an amazingly short time had transferred 900 troops to her.
I confess my previous doubts about the minesweeping had grown to such an extent that I was really at a loss to know exactly how to begin. One point which troubled me a lot was the destruction of the ship & gear if by any chance we grounded, as I felt certain one of us would. The mines -
if they existed at all - were in very shallow water and the tide was now ebbing. It was just when my doubts were darkest that Clythness signalled that her dynamo had packed up & she was therefore not degaussed and could not sweep. What a relief! The fact that she was hovering about with no protection against magnetic mones caused me, I must admit, no anxiety at all. I signalled the shore station that she was out of action & asked for instructions. In due course both ships were ordered to return alongside the quay. The signal was passed to Clythness and the two ships headed again for the harbour. As we went in a bomber released a stick of bombs at Clythness just as she was in the harbour mouth. Out of 5 bombs she was straddled by numbers three & four and had they been any closer they would have done her no good, and if she had been hit it would successfully have bothled up the ships in the harbour at a most awkward moment. However she wasn't so we did not worry. We went as far along the quay as we could &
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