TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

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Dunkirk Operations may Houre 1940
hote of movements by Smith dama shaster M.e. Constant Nymph
hittle Club
Rough Deary set down on whom to hondon. 8/8/40
00.10, 27th May 1940, Admiralty rang up to confirm that my
boat was ready for sea, and arranged for four hours' notice.
Not being a subject of good habits I did not have to get up
to answer this call!
08.45, Admiralty rang up again and asked me to go to the boat.
Having already put a few things in a bag I went to Isleworth
as soon as possible and arrived there between 10.00 and 11.00.
It was obvious that some form of permit would be required as
my own permit only carried to Middle Blythe Buoy, and my
instructions were to take the boat to Sheerness, I found at the
Boathouse that a Naval Officer was expected who would issue
the permits and was requisitioning other boats in the same yard.
When the Officer arrived he did not seem to think there was
any tremendous hurry and wanted the boats to go down together,
but separate permits were issued by the afternoon so that I
was then ready to start at any time, and the others did not
look like being ready for several hours.
At about 17.30 I tried to ring up the "Mate" as I felt
sure he would want to be in on this game and might at least
be able to help me work the boat down to Sheerness. Luckily
he was home early and put such a jerk into things that he
got his things together and arrived from Tulse Hill to Islowor BS
before 19.30, and we started at 20.00 without waiting for the
other boats.
Soon after midnight we were pulled in by the Naval Contro
at Tilbury, who examined our permit and told us to anchor 012
the south side until daylight as we should not be allowed t
Lie
enter Sheerness during darkness. By the time we had found
suitable anchorage it was already about01.3 on the 28th May,
and we had no riding light, so decided that it was not worth
while either of us going to sleep as one would have to keep
anchor watch and dawn would be early.
As 1t was quite light by03.00 we weighed reised anchor and proceeder
slowly to Sheerness and after a little chasing around there
found the basin where the motor yachts were to collect, report
our arrival and went to breakfast at an Hotel near the dockyai
gates. Other boats from Isleworth were nearly all present by
the time we got back from breakfast. We were informed that W
could sign on for one month but did not then know for what
purpose we were required, although I had been told by the
pleasant voiced man who spoke to me from the Admiralty that
it was dangerous.
Of the boats which had come down from Isleworth mine WA
the only one in charge of its owner so far as I know, and
that time we had rather got the point of view that there THE
nothing very urgent in the wind and most of the men who had
brought boats down from up river had done so without any
previous knowledge that they would be doing so and had had n
opportunity of making arrangements with employers, etc. so
that few of them folt able to sign on for a month and wont
back to town very regretfully by train.
40
or
The opportunity of playing boats for a month with the
.e
seemed to me too good to miss in any case, and I had beed
able to warn my partners that I should be away for a bit
but there was some difficulty in getting signed on and 1-10
toured Sheerness Dockyard interviewing mumerous people 18
late in the afternoon and by about 17.00 had formed a not was
accurate 1dea what the job was and was quite determined 30 that
to be put off, so appealed to the Commodore himself wise a few
supervising the fuel and victualling of the motor be at
the basin. Within half-an-hour of explaining to
night's