TNA ADM 334 83

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Birth the it Officers' pistols and the A.A.Lewis guns were unable but to
On two the way back to England we avoided a floating-mine, drifting pop so we informed another ship that was outward bound and it was duly popped in due course.
so
SECURITY
9
in the flbator nor the popping of it, it was first sighted on
The troops on board Laudania evinced no interest whatsoever off and passed behind it, the troops evidently regarded this as our starboard bady and as the tide was running that way we sheered up to see what happened to it.
entirely a naval matter and I do not think any of them even got
He whole course from Rams gate to
Off the Foreland we enquired of the local Policeman, a
Dunkirk waslike gentleman in his shirt-sãeeves on a drifter, as to which port the main strat would take us and were sent to Margate. Three other ships and
1: busy town.
two destroyers also had loads for Margate and we eventually saffee sweral tied up outside two destroyers and landed the whole issue abreast going each across each ethar about 17.30 on 31.24 may way.
I reported to the Naval Office with my crew of two and we were promptly put in a taxi and sent back to our own port at
Ramsgate, a matter of a few minutes which might have been a dreary Journey by train. As throughout, there was no red tape in the Navy at all, they had ready everything that was necessary and our general instructions were that if we were in any sort of trouble we could close any ship we saw as it would be one of ours.
On arrival at Ramsgate I reported to the Commander = the
Naval Office and within five minutes my crew had been taken off to the temporary barracks established by the Harbour and I was on my way to getting a bed for the night inaan Hotel.
On Saturday, 1st June, I reported at Pier Head abouto9.
and asked for another boat and before lunch time had taken over one which had only been brought into Ramsgate that morning and german put her into commission with a new crew. This boat was an old
Admiral's barge from the last war, to which the only conversion of any importance seemed to be that the steam engine had been fitted where the original funnel existed. The engine was a fourtaken out and a petrol engine substituted, a dummy funnel being cylinder engine with cylinders of enormous size, it had no self-starter and worked with a clutch, being in fact a lorry engine. The engine was a brute to start and the gear lever required a strong man to put it into any position, but the engine was started and run over for a few minutes by the man who stated that he had brought the ship round from the Thames pressing. and he assured me that it was good for 12 knots without undue is not got been over my new crew had
As we were all anxious to go over again, but I did not relish in fact.
the idea of being towed any more, the prospect of being able to in about six hours each way was very welcome, and I decided that go over under my own steam at 12 knots and so make the journey on this occasion we would do what most of the larger motor boats had been doing, namely run over under our own steam, pick up a boat-load and come back with them. I was informed that the new boat only drew 3'2" so that it would be quite possible for the troops to get to the boat without swimming. This still did not strike me as being a very efficient method of getting the troops off but I felt that some real work had been done with Constant
Nymph and I had been informed that morning shat 187, 000 were this boat could already off so that I felt justified in indulging in something men should think have taken 35
more in the nature of a pienic, especiably as cigarettes and other little comforts had been provided on the boat by the owner for the rescued troops. We had already victualled the boat and obtained our water supplies and directly after lunch we cast off to go across the Harbour and get petrol, having as a quite unauthorised passenger an old member of my own Club who

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.