TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

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could not get anybody to sign me on I was signed on and back
at the basin and by about 18.00 was making my way out of the
basin with a crew ar two young ratings, a full tank and deck
cargo of petrol, water breaker and enough provisions to last
my little gang for about a week, including of large lump of raw
beef, and two small sacks of potatoes - raw. The boat seemed
very overcrowded.
As we passed out of the basin the Commodore hailed us Romszate
and told me that we had got to tow a navy cutter to Sheerness.
These were brand now boats, fully souipped and weighing pretty
nearly as much as my own little craft and had very thick new
tow ropes. I must admit that I regarded this idea with
considerable misgivings and was truly grateful for the fact
that my boat had Samson p O sts and not leats.
Orders being orders we took the cutter in tow and dug
out for Ramsgate, having our own chart of the Estuary and
trusting to luck for the rest. The faster boats, which were
also the bigger and less burdened by their cutters, got out
of sight about dusk and another motor cruiser about the same
size as my own and an open launch were the only vessels left
in sight. The launch was having continuous engine trouble
but the other motor cruiser was having a little trouble so I
turned back and closed them so that we could keep together.
Before 1t became quite dark a drifter turned up from Sheerness
and informed us that she had been sent out to look after the
motor boats. Hor Captain decided to anchor for the night and
we tacked on to him. The occupants of the open launch went
on board the drifter for the night but my crew and myself
remained on my boat and slept between the intervals of popping
up on deck to be sick, as 16 was by no means a comfortable lie
for a 24 foot boat under five tons in weight.
We got under way early In the morning of the 29th and,
the drifter kindly suggesting that she should take the three
cutters and the defective launch in tow, the other motor eru
and mine sailed independontly but keeping more or less in
the reason these
company with the drifter until off the Foreland, when we word
ahead a bit as the course was clear and there was plenty of
has never been explained
bright auggestions
shipping to indicate safe channels. The mber of bury little
drifters about was amazing, one stopped us and suggested we
should go to Belgium but could not supply the potrol for the
to me, but it was very
trip, so we continued on our way until another stopped us and
nice weather anybox.
suggested we should go to Holland and offered to take us in
tow, and provide petrol from somewhere later. As this appeared
to be an order from a superior officer we accepted their tom
ropes and were towed some miles in the direction of Hol land
when a Destroyer had an "Aldis" conversation with the Drifter,
after which the latter informed us in a kindly manner that be
was really a mine-sweeper and had got to go and sweep mines,
so we had better double back to Ramsgate on our own and gave
us a course. We arrived at Ramsgate and got tied up 10 the
outer harbour in time for a late lunch and I then made
about the job in hand.
I found that the course to Dunkirk then in operation 1
grown to be a round trip of 140-150 miles and as such a to
would take me the best part of 24 hours, as I could not 00
on doing maximum speed and should have to consider petrol
or
any case, 1t seemed to me that a mere dash over to resoue
e
15 mon, all my boat would hold, was not good business. The
Commander whom I saw on the point, like all the Naval Office
with whom we had any dealings, was just as helpful as was
possible and agreed with me that the best use for my boat was
to go over with two Navy rowing boats in tow to a ship DO that
we could operate on the beach and fill the ship. After a few
enquiries I was told to rendez-vous outside the harbour at
09.50 on Thursday, 30th May, and accordingly had a good night's