TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

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SE A HAWK
RECEIVED JAN P.M.
41
T.O.9144/STN.6B
December,
1940
18
Sir,
0116
150
Dunkirk Evacuation Motor Boat "See Hawk".
I refer to your letter my asking for details as to the use to
which the above boat was put and have pleasure in giving you the
following
particulars.
I got in touch 1th the Admi Ity Friday morning Clst May,
1940, and offered my boat. She being seaworthy 30 ft. cabin
cruiser the speed of 9 knots lying in the River Thames at
Cadogan Pier. I was informed that they had plenty of boats but
manned boats CHAS what they wanted so immediately volunteered to
go myself to the Mr. had 10.30 to leave our to
and atI4got underway down river from Chdogen Pier at 1.30 p.m. the
same day handling her myself. Pickedcup Mny R.I. Grierson (of
the Royal Ocean Recing Club) at Westminister Mr. J.A. Hyde
Howard et Tower Piertand, on stores at
Greenwich left at 10.30 p.m. for Southend. Southend in
Micompany at 4.30 a.m. Saturday 1st June, 1940, and arrived Ramsgate
with disabled craft (motor boat in
his
service
Though if larger end any possibly Mater boats mere sent over to
Dunkirk because of our suitability we were kept by the Navel
Authorities to act as nicket boat to the ships in the
Downspeto take wounded sshore, etc.8 On oneooccasion sent
the the which hedrb endeached at Deal:
turned out to be S.S. Prague whichhhad been bombed and from
wewhichtwe took some 30 of various nationalitie
The manoeuverability and of the bont very handy for the
purpose particularly as Mr. Howard had to leave me at Southend.
Mr Hyde when we arrived at Ramsgate also left and Mr. Grierson
butwast note always. available being engaged on navigation jobs with
K
boats going other and
who We the ropes, constantly this engaged one another and always expected/
On we were told to
we primed ourselves for the 100 but, on reporting to
were more on picket boat duties. We
and to
too
and numbers 01 trawlers, etc for their Cmdrs.
giving them their sailing orders - a job far different to what I
wanted or expected to do but as it seemed to be so greatly appreciat
by all concerned, I consoled myself by its apparent usefulness.
On Monday night on one of these runs I again lost my one and
only member of the crew who jumped aboard a Dutch Schut and went
over with them to Dunkirk. He returned on Tuesday and we reported
to C.O. Davies who informed us that as the weather had deteriorated
no more small boats would be used and he had no further use for our
services. We obtained our clearance paper and, with a borrowed
chart and compass started for London.
Here began one of the worst experiences of the whole job for a
heavy sea was running and our little boat was tossed about like a
cork but we made it and at 10 p.m. Tuesday night we anchored in the
Swale. An early start was made on Wednesday morning and, after
being/