TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

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all night stripping her down of everything movable, masts
included that would tend to lighten her and make for more room.
WAS
My son, as previously arranged, to pack the men in
and use every available inch of space - which I'll say he carried
out to some purpose. On deck I detailed a naval rating to tally
the troops aboard. At 50 I called below "How are you getting on?"
Getting the cheery reply, " Oh plenty of room yet". At 75 my son
admitted they were getting pretty tight for room - all equipment
and arms were being left on deck.
I now started to pack them on deck having passed word
below for every man to lie down and keep down; the same applied
on deck. By the time we had 50 on deck, I could feel her getting
distinctly tender, so took no more. Actually we had exactly 130
on board including 3 Sundowners and 5 Westerly's.
During the whole embarkation we had quite a lot of
attention from enemy planes, but derived an amazing degree of
comfort from the fact that the Wocester's A.A. guns kept up an
everlasting bark overhead.
Casting off and backing out we entered the Roads
again, there it was continuous and unmitigated hell. The troops
were just splendid and of their own initiative detailed look-outs
ahead, astern and abeam for inquisitive planes as my attention
was pretty wholly occupied watching the steering and passing
orders to Roger at the wheel. Any time an aircraft seemed inclined
to try its hand on us, one of the lookouts would just call quietly,
"Look out for this bloke skipper", at the same time pointing. One
La runna WITTON --
Owing to the engines failing we had to leave with only a few tr
WE and proceeded back to Dunkirk W here we took five more loads of
the shore which we were now able to do owing to the rising tid
Whilst these operations were being carried out we were being