TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

YORK
AGE
text e-row
NOS
ASSOTE
1898
OFFICE
&
the
GREAT
AGIS
in gaire
- 3 -
SLB
were
Y
Before the boats left I arranged with Commander A.L. Sanders Naval Officer in
70 Lowestoft for an advance of £200 to me so that some cash payments could be to these fishermen suddenly taken out of their daily earnings. The money ha accounted for in detail on the appropriate naval account form and the in view maistry of Shipping has been advised of the advances. I am informed tonight that ne Sea Transport Department is sending out a circular letter to all concerned so that they can make claims for their services.
Wilth the loss of only one boat and a few small damages the operation can be considered to have been a great success so far as boats were concerned which came from north of Lowestoft. This is attributéd to the ceaseless work put in by
Mr. Graham, Mr. Jay and Mr. Macmillan; work involving all night attendance at the office on May 31/June 1st as it was originally intended the little ships should sail at dawn June 1st. The fishermen's only regret is that they were not called on earlier so their long experience of working boats to an inch on flat beaches could have been better utilised. I would like official thanks to be sent to Major Hannam of the Salvation Army Hostel, who on my appeal at once found beds and fed some thirty fishermen making them most comfortable.
The a
ced as am onl
Dey
(805) 00 Hormoes exp

126
boat up and returnine to in the daylight. Much the same thing happened- bombs dropped around me and the machine guns rattled overhead, but I
was not so much worried about that as about keeping the engines running and I was thankful to have no more trouble with them.
I did not see my original "crew" again, SO I
dont know how they got on. No doubt they returned safe and sound, as I and the "Naiad Errant" did.... the job had been done.
NOTE
"Naiad Errant" a twin screw motor yacht of 9.12 gross tonnage (7.56 register tonnage) was built by William
Osborn Limited of Littlehampton for Major and Mrs R.K.T.
Nightingale and launched there in June 1939. She was registered at Littlehampton No. 167764 in 1939.
In May 1940 she was lying at Clarks Wharf Sunbury on
Thames when she was requisitioned by Admiralty during her owners temporary absence in Bath, and steamed down river the same night by Mr.H.C.H.Clark of Messrs Horace Clark
& Son, Sunbury - on -Thames assisted by a crew composed of members of the Sunbury Auxiliary Fire Service to Ramsgate where she was handed over to Admiralty.
On return from Dunkirk she was retained by Admiralty refitted at Clark's Wharf Sunbury on Thames and has since formed part of the "Mosquito Navy" engaged on coastal patrol service. Her Owner Major R.K.T.Nightingale M.C.
is one of the crew of M.L. "Lady Ruth" of the Middlesex
Flotilla of the Upper Thames Patrol (Home Guard) Able Seaman Samuel Palmer D.S.M is now serving on H.M.S.Jackal.

10 Burnham on Crouch
Silver Road
SEASALTER
INTERNATIONAL FIS ERIES EXHIBITION
SIX MEDALS
VICTORI
RECINA
LONDON 1883
156
FISHERIES
XHIBITION
THE SEASALTER & HAM OYSTER FISHERY
COMPANY
LIMITED.
WHITSTABLE,
TELEPHONE 2003,
TELEGRAMS "SEASALTER
DIRECTORS
WHITSTABLE
MAJOR A GARDNER, M.C. CHAIRMAN
COMMOR L.G.GARDNER R.N. LRETOI
E.W. LUCKHURST
H.W. M COX.
a RECEIVED 15/11/17
LONDON WAREHOUSE.
PRODUCERS OF THE CELEBRATED WHITSTABLE NATIVES
PUDDING LANE,
161/17
MONUMENT STREET, E.C.3.
SHELLFISH MERCHANTS
TELEPHONE: MANSION HOUSE
3965 & 3966
HEAD OFFICE
TELEGRAMS SEASALTER,
BILGATE, LONDON
WHITSTABLE.
REGISTRY
October 1st 1940.
Dear Sir, l
"SEASALTER" T.0.9144/STN.6B.
k id
Referring to your circular letter of above reference, we have pleasure in enclosing herewith an account of the
"Seasalter's" voyage to Dunkirk and back, written by the and
Master, Mr L.W. Salmon.
You will notice that our vessel was one of the first iculthree to arrive on the spot.
el
Your kind acknowledgment will oblige, my
Yours faithfully, per pre
The Seasalter and Ham Oyster
The Director of Sea Transport,
Fishery Company Limited.
Ministry of Shipping, he
Berkeley Square House,
Berkeley Square,
London. W.1.
Secretary, few troops to the engines failing we had to
Owing WE proceeded back to Dunkirk W here we took five more loads tide off and shore which we were now able to do owing to the rising being the Whilst these operations were being carried out we were

DUNKIRK CLAIMS COMMITTEE
WINDSORA
his Rigin
EMBERA
VIKING
TELEGRAMS:-
TELEPHONES:
.M.SOUTHEND-ON-SEA.
SOUTHEND 2222 (2 LINES)
189
THE CREAT WAKERING BRICK CO. LTD.
BRICK MANUFACTURERS.
DIRECTORS:
SIR FREDERIC W.SENIER,J.P.
MAJOR A.P. WEDD,D.L.,J.P.
11,12,12A, WESTON CHAMBERS,
CALEB RAYNER.
PHILIP HENRY TRANTER,
MANAGING DIRECTOR.
SCHEA
WESTON ROAD,
ALL OFFERS AND SALES SUBJECT TO
THE USUAL WAR, ACCIDENT, STRIKE
AND/OR LOCK-OUT CLAUSES AND TO
ACCEPTANCE WITHIN SEVEN DAYS,
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED AS IN
THE COAL TRADE.
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, 17th September, 1940.
ESSEX.
The Ministry of Shipping,
Berkeley Square House,
Berkeley Square,
LONDON. W.1.
Ref., T.0.9144/STN.6B.
Dear Sirs,
I am in receipt of your letter of the 16th instant, and have much pleasure in enclosing a cutting from our local paper, which I think meets with your requirements,
Yours faithfully,
R
H
P. "Ardmore", H. Tranter Esq.,
8, Branksome Road,
Southend-on-Sea,
Essex.
1 SEP BI
after taking On
About 10.30 a.m., m we arrived at Southend Pier and
-975
were asked to take the vessel to Dunkirk as there were not sufficient Naval Ratings available. Provisions for three days and more petrol were taken aboard, and we were
-1-

Information supplied to F.S. 3N. bounty Hold
Blackpool 15.1.43
Dunkirk June 100L The on which May was 27th, the 1940,. official and was name concluded for the on
Transport Instructions Officers, had and been in given to local Naval Officers and Sea
Officers, might be used to search either their local some cases ports the for Fisheries any small Department as Tenders'on the English to go coast on to the shore at Dunkirk craft or to that serve the there quite operation. was sure just of time The in local the men excitement were for the given to larger a very ships free engaged hand, but on matter for addresses of the Owners. This, of took, and of the names and the names of the craft that instruct they them to make the Admiralty. our Executive side working in close course, co-operation was all with a
Department allowed to pay the piper, and we quickly realised the Finance if we
The operation concluded, it was the task of lengthy normal procedure to operate it might become that was due. and involved task to pay compensation to a very whom it immediately The matter was therefore put to the those to
Committee method would be to create a small and most straightforward agreed to the suggestion that the simplest Treasury, who would be to consider the whole affair. All Treasury Departmental difficulties representative from the Treasury.
overcome by the inclusion on that Committee of a to in the days following Dunkirk at two points on the French place
There were two other evacuation operations which took the west of Dunkirk, which were given the official coast
Operations Cycle and Aerial. The Departmental Committee names dealt of with less these concurrently with the Dynamo Operation. They is known, operations, and certainly much less dramatic, but were it of the cráft employed on the 3 operations.
well to of them as it was not possible to separate the names the Committee dealh with some involved in the three operations.
Altogether there wore 1,170 small craft of all descriptions
As a first step, on the 12th June 1940 a circular letter sent to all owners involved, advising them to forward any clas
House. The claims as receivèd were checked against reports then Was to the Ministry of Shipping, Berkeley Square coming in from the various ports, and were dealt with speedily and generally on broad lines. It will be appreciated that owing to the urgency of the operation there was no time to on-survey the craft, and there was no certainty as to their condition when taken over or to what stores and equipment might have been on board; and the Committee had to judge the claims for damage or missing equipment mostly on circumstantial evidence. Generall speaking the claimants acted in the manner one would expect of loyal citizens, and it was rare that an excessive or doubtful claim was made.
The claims received fell roughly into 3 major classes:-
(1) Hire and expenses. (2) Repairs and replacements.
(3) Compensation for Total Loss.
So far as expenses other than total loss were concerned procedure of the Committee was to authorise the Secretary to with clearly defined and straightforward cases in consultati with technical or other competent officers of the Department payments being scheduled and reported to the Committee for approval. It was also arranged, in the hope of avoiding the settlement of claims from fishermen whose boats were of prepare and stand by for the subsequent operations Cycle 8
that the Fishery Officers of the Ministry of Agriculture
8
Fisheries should be authorised to settle them on behalf of

COPY.
June, 1941.
The Secretary,
Ministry of War Transport, this arrange
Sir,
The Committee appointed by authority of your minute of the tostantialth corres-11
of
7th "Dynamo", has now finished its work, subject to the exceptions
June, 1940, to deal with claims arising out of the Operation mentioned at the close of this report.
Committee has met on nineteen occasions, and, with the in for receipt the of a
July throughout. The Committee also appended claims exception on the latter's departure for Blackpool, has dealt with
The that Mr. G.J. Allen succeeded Mr. W. Robson retained as Chairman its those to cases apply original from membership operations "Cycle" and "Aerial". The statement and the hire was arising shows the number and character of the cases dealt with, period service expenditure authorised.
The claims received fell roughly into three major classes:-
1. Hire and expenses.
lost longshoremen
2. Repairs and Replacement.
was
Found made
3. Compensation for Total Loss.
compensation arrange as expenses other than total loss were concerned, to deal with the for and was procedure clearly defined So of far the and Committee competent straightforward was officers to authorise cases, of the in the Department, consultation Secretary payments with approval. made some
150
being technical scheduled or other and reported Committee's to the Committee agenda for being covering crowded by he to masses be met expeditiously. It was also arranged, nature from of
This procedure of items prevented on which no the question of principle arose in and the enabled hope total avoiding claims to delay in boats the were settlement ordered of to claims prepare of the and the stand Fishery by for the only to fishermen whose "Cycle" and "Aerial", that authorised Officers to
Taunches, subsequent Ministry operations of Agriculture and Fisheries should the experiment be was and of the of the Department. But part not of traffic settle them on as behalf was hoped, owing to some reluctance, without specific on the
They do were authority; the operation. officers and In the it was end, some however, time of before it correspondence, worked the well scheme and by came enabled officers claims full who were to so successful concerned, to deal with claims into etc.
which be the considered best position with the to minimum deal with cases evidence. where decision often depended in on circumstantial rather than direct dealt with by the Committee direct, it was generally possible In cases to obtain of evidence dealing of with payment claims in was the comparatively case of wages and stores and regards the process the loss of equipment, however, it was a their fairly general of everything portable, what was owing on simple. experience As that while vessels were there re-delivered was no evidence, to board to the in the first instance. of such The Committee a nature as had to to justify the advice assumption of the owners conditions stripped under which they were taken up, as decide to whether articles claimed would probably for were have been on board, and, with offer. the The that technical they felt officers, bound to in arrive most cases at a reasonable to give to the sum to claimant desirable the benefit
Committee what was aboard. This was particularly had been since, of the doubt owing as to the to omission of an on-survey, the claimants relieved of their onus of proof.
/A

10 June, 1941.
The Secretary,
Ministry of War Transport.
Sir,
The Committee appointed by authority of your minute of the 7th June, 1940, to deal with claims arising out of the
Operation "Dynamo", has now finished its work, subject to the exceptions mentioned at the close of this report.
The Committee has met on nineteen occasions, and, with the exception that Mr. G.J. Allen succeeded Mr. W. Robson as Chairman in July on the latter's departure for Blackpool,
Juny every has retained its original membership throughout. The Committee also dealt with claims arising from operations "Cycle" and
"Aerial". The statement appended shows the number and character of the cases dealt with, and the expenditure authorised.
The claims received fell roughly into three major classes:-
1. Hire and expenses
2. Repairs and Replacement
3. Compensation for Total Loss.
So far as expenses other than total loss were concerned the procedure of the Committee was to authorise the Secretary to deal with clearly defined and straightforward cases, in consultation with technical or other competent officers of the
Department, payments made being scheduled and reported to the
Rc
Committee for covering approval. This procedure prevented the
Committee's agenda being crowded by masses of items on which no question of principle arose and enabled claims to be met expeditiously. It was also arranged, in the hope of avoiding delay in the settlement of claims of this nature from fishermen whose boats were ordered to prepare and stand by for the
Officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries should be subsequent operations "Cycle" and "Aerial", that the Fishery authorised to settle them on behalf of the Department. But the experiment was not so successful as was hoped, owing to some reluctance, on the part of the officers concerned, to deal with claims without specific authority; and it was some time before the scheme came into full operation. In the end, however, it worked well and enabled claims to be considered with the minimu of correspondence, by officers who were in the best position to deal with cases where decision often depended on circumstantial rather than direct evidence.
In cases dealt with by the Committee direct, it was generally possible to obtain evidence of payment in the case of wages and stores and the process of dealing with claims was comparatively simple. AB regards the loss of equipment, howev
/it