TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

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TO 9144/STN
MADAME
POMPADOUR
Reply 11/11/20 H.
I, with another man (Morley Lawson), was asked to collect
to
a Motor Cruiser lying at Maidstone and deliver her to
82
-nu
Sheerness, and thence to Ramsgate if required. Our ship
turned out to be a small Diesel engined Motor Yacht named
"Madame Pompadour" which was lying out of use in the river
DOCU
just below Maidstone. By the time we got on board it was
too late to unlock, and it was not until darkness set in that
we were able to proceed, and in consequence had a somewhat
difficult time navigating down as far as Rochester without
charts, all aids to navigation being removed, and neither of
Io
us having had previous knowledge of that part of the river.
Despite the fact that navigation in the Medway was prohibited
after dark, we were able to pass Chatham Dockyard without
challenge, but found it impossible to continue on the tide,
and returned to Gillingham where we secured, unknowingly,
alongside an ammunition vessel, still unchallenged.
At
day-break we got under way once more, and duly arrived at
to 10
Sheerness.
After signing on the books of H.M.S. Wildflower, the
bne
depot ship, we were joined by 8. Skipper R.N.R., a volunteer
deck hand, and an active service stoker, without previous
experience of Internal Combustion engines, who had been sent
1
to act as Engineer and run our Diesel engines.
We set sail for Ramsgate with a convoy of other craft,
was preparing to keep ship going all night, when we heard many planes
overhead, so we stopped the Motor and relied on our Sails, while wj
still favoured us. But many times that night planes came in quit
close range. As daylight broke we could see where we were and
occasionally gunfire was heard, and planes above us. So we contr
with Sails to near Dover, and to get quickly by there seemed to b
motive, when it seemed just for the purpose the wind failed us, SU
lowered Sails. The Motor was our only chance now in this strong
and contrary wind.
So with the assistance of the Seamen, I tried starting, but fou
she was cold, and that the cold paraffin had given me a wet plug.
had to re-start on petrol and change a plug. I had taken some time
to localise our difficulty and to remedy it, that I felt very relieved
when she started, as without power, we might very well have been blown
P.T.O