TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

The MOTOR BOAT and
42
YACHTING
The M
Dunkirk Cruise
"Sea Roamer's" Work in the Evacuation
By J. E. W. Wheatley
TIN-HAC lifebelt, and harnessed into a Mae West pneuthe inflation tube of which hung out comically in front, I stood on the after trunking of
43-ft. cruiser "Sea Roamer," leaned on the wheelhouse my roof and contemplated the dull red glow on the horizon astic Lieut. R.N.V.R.
that was Dunkirk. Beside me stood a young and enthusi-
It was 10.30 and we had an urgent appointment could the B.E.F. make at midnight. With less than 12 miles to with it easily. There was no moon but the go we sky was ablaze with stars. From astern came a summer extra-large lighted for identification. stars, moving through the sky-British group planes, of
A destroyer loomed past at about 30 knots, her knocked more. We bucked and dived in the wash followed wave by several shooting out like twin fountains. She was bow from up and took some water down the forward they snug way, Lewis which the cover had been torn to hatchalong. It gun emplacement. But Sea Roamer make plugged a
That was no new thing for her to be in the
Dunkirk's pall broken tafrail. behindround afternoon, in a South Coast harbour, the Navy.
gone on this that none but 18-knot craft would be order had claim for Sunday night show, so, for the first time, I allowed
-high speed. Sea Roamer a virtue that she does not possess had to between Leaving them and And and and and and and a And and and and and and a sheet of w f over matter Even
The author (centre) with two of the French soldiers rescued by Sea Roamer.
phone every fow We a the be like still in flame, derricks stretching for miles, against which the lised on the mole and inner harbours stood cranes and silhouette. Above the flames and rolling to out the in trel reservoirs. The green light on the end of the mole, probward hung a black pall of smoke from the burning west oil as ably supplied by a portable gas bottle, was still gleaming, more. were had probably ranged properly the the desultory she but targets during them the a t
Channel. were several buoys in the roadstead and the Dunkirk
Roamer's starshells and from
As we turned eastward and came the mouth of the harbour a destroyer was just gliding across in to take off her load of French troops lined up on the Suddenly her observing to the Germans in a were few rounds. on no
Bren guns spouted streams of coloured quay. tracer bullets into invisible to us, followed suit and in a minute or so the sky the sky. A second later all the ships in the vicinity,
B.E.F. decided Two gave and to up a search head half hope miles popped the of wre find was pierced with a shower of golden rain like firework night hear at Henley, In the noise and darkness I could neither nor see the enemy plane, but better trained than she dropped her bombs.
through the wheelhouse and rattled our doors told when mine had found her and the whoof of hot air that eyes pushed
THE Anglais against her Anglais against ha A voice
A grim view through the wheelhouse window.
Four Naval ratings, in charge of the Lieut., fixed up the tions wrecks that encumbered the roadstead. way Our instruc-
In the light of the flames we picked our between her machine gun, stowed the ammunition and rations and impede east bigger ships, and to go to the beach the we northwere to keep out of the harbour, where might hitched a suitable boat astern. Soon, with relief, we slipped out of the harbour beyond recall.
plan and locate and take off troops there. Following to this before.sen They by the the last enem of ag
After the destroyers had passed I am afraid we looked the beach we passed the mole, turned in as close as possible to crossed-eyed at the official route instructions for deepertide and crawled eastward towards La Panne. The draught craft and shaped a course of our own, directly was able was high, and Sea Roamer," drawing only 4 ft.,
THE next. said:
THE days ha across the shallows and the west end of the Breedt Bank, starshell to get within 50 yards of the A German
So we left the fleet of French fishermen, Dutch schuits, scene. hung for minutes in the sky, lighting shore. up the whole trawlers and other vessels to follow the deeper channels.
To the north-east we could hear the crump, crump, of megaphone, Any more for the Mudlark?" yelled through the heavy gun fire and hoped it was the Navy shelling the
There Any more for Blighty?" we ing up on us.
German advance, The sight of Dunkirk, as we approached, was truly unforgettable. The whole place was a wall of above recognized the Casino and the beach at all. road
I was no sign of life upon the the beach. As I looked an incendiary Kursaal on shell the burst opere being about the fathom mega- light,

hea
The MOTOR
We
TIN HATTED cruiser and harnessed astic It B.E.F. was V.R. trunking of out which est
"Sea Dunkirk Cruise Work D. Wheatley the Evacuation
The MOTOR BOAT TING and
___???___ B.s Shawer Shather ___???___ THE to far gun on from She was ___???___ ___???___ bows. had each it was m struck me togoing She she to could the was ake that roof it at with "Sea twin had sky-British a Mae planes, orders by wave extra-large ablars, several extra-large sky stars, the was 4 4 T2 I
Proceeded vicinity of ___???___ Soung buoys the over fol we the snug way, knocked bucked a claim for along. this That Sunday Lewis It Sea was in new thing But had Sea been the was her came high speed. a So, craft order Navy, the over smoke view flame not possess allowed
The author (centre) with between Leaving Dunkirk's them area and pall spreadher ands broken sheet series beach fire ___???___ the through ___???___ about along 1,000 the line and flame, Sea two Roamer. the French
The 43-ft. cruiser avoidingy "Sea Roam the and still in as as were soldiers but of of at rvoirs, The the rescued
___???___
___???___
___???___
___???___
___???___
just
PROPERTY
___???___
our
Bren load the harbour French we turned several destroyer by eastward buoys in the & on roadstead and more.
were had
___???___
the reluct the the our do
Paud
___???___
rope
A
beach and of hear night invisible the sky, us, spouted second troops streams ver was just came up of on gliding in the the the Bleaming her of
THE
from few nearer
___???___
the siat
THE her our Naval charge the wheelhouse window, in were finding
We rail we wrecks over and swell off.
line
Darted and the from
THE THE left shallows and the was THE ammunition instructions I of with the afraid relief, Lieut, we rations looked slipped fixed and up was the plan east impede tions the she through In mine wrecks were dropped the the to wheelhouse and plane, noise rattled whoof but all her shoulded
___???___
4
ou
___???___
the home been we heavy
Finally
Anglais we her iron in in against the
OM7
were fiends, had and bigger locate ships, keep out bered flames of when whether very like them the
___???___
___???___
19
starshell tide able beach was we hung for togh, passed and crawled and the and mole, take castward and off troops
___???___
___???___
told
Finally have
They we this read:
water megaphone, scene. Any for within minutes Sea in beforeied the days wreck this came man, on
Lieut.
creepenter two the the bit, for looked like
Panne, above recognized the beach. sign yelled up A German only A whole The beachawn as the Having
14
the all through the incendiary on the shell burst road ing up
Whilst these operat ions were being

Vessel.
Type
Repairs and Replacements.
Total Loss
Claimant.
Paper No.
Hire & Exs.
£.
S.
a.
S.
d.
£.
£.
S.
d.
"ST. PATRICK"
M.V.
Not CO
W.B. Thompson
TO 9153/40
5.
7.
6.
"SALLY FORTH"
M.B.
T. Taylor & Sons
TM 3774/40
6.
6.
6.
"SPINAWAY"
96
8.
M.V.
3.
Figg Kaygee
TO 9161/40
$
in
"SANTOSY"
Contracts
12
11
3
M.Y.
L. Odell
TO 9285/40
15.
5.
2,200
0.
O.
5.
H.F. Jury
16.
5.
0.
"SATYR"
M.Y.
A.P.S.
C.H. Masters
TO 9360/40
5.
0.
O.
L.N.E.R. Co.
2.
O.
E.L. Woods
7.
13.
3.
"SCENE SHIFTER"
S.E. Longman
TO 9173/40
850
0.
0.
"SEA AIR"
M.B.
P. Newall Petticrow
TM 4451/40
8.
6.
"SEA FALCON"
M.V.
Wm. Osborne Ltd.
TO 9207/40
14.
12.
O.
875
0.
0.
"SEA FOAM"
M.B.
50.
10.
W.T. Cayton
TM 3895/40
8.
4.
2.
2.
A.P.S.
43.
3.
13.
14.
3.
9.
"SILVER FOAM"
P.M.B.
W.T. Cayton
TM 3901/40
16.
77.
15.
9.
5.
6.
A.P.S.
"SEAGULL"
M.L.
E.G. King
TM 3900/40
22.
18.
2.
3.
10.
0.
58.
1.
0.
"SEA ROAMER"
M.V.
J.E.W. Wheatley
TM 3741/40
7.
13.
4.
A.P.S.
"SEA SALTER"
M.O.D.
Seasalter & Ham
TO 9291/40
12.
0.
3.
Oyster Fish. Co.
"SEYMOUR CASTLE
'M.V.
River Dart Steamboat
TM 4192/40
80
2.
3.
10.
8.
0.
Co.
"SHAMROCK"
A. Barrell
250
0.
0.
Not completed.
"SHANNON"
S.Bge
A.J. Peters
TM 3915/40
200.
O.
O.
400.
0.
0.
"SHEILA"
DINGHY.
R.E.WHITELEY
TM 18799
14
-
- (allaims)
"SILVER SPRAY"
M.F.B.
R.A.Newman
TO 9342/40
2.
19.
6.
"SINBAD II"
M.V.
E.W. Hare
TM 4076/40
4.
18.
11.
"SMUGGLER"
M.B.
G.D. Layte
TM 3757/40
15.
19.
9.
M.L.
T.E.Brockman
TM 5874/40
4.
17.
6.
"SKYLARK"
P.M.B.
J. Mears Ltd.,
TM 3890/40
4.
10.
0.
"SKYLARK" &
147.
0.
11.
"SKYLARK II"
Tough Bros.
Myall Ltd.
1161
13.
57.
15.
0.
4.
If
83.
0.
64.
11.
6.
If
0.
Tough Bros.
30.
0.
0.
M.V.
Geo. Hammond & Co.
TO 9738/40
3.
6.
6.
"SKYLARK I"
Knight, Manzi &
Stephenson.
301
0.
O.
Speciallocated
4.
17.
9.
120.
0.
0.
W.H. Harvey,
Serviceiralty
Knight, Manzi &
13.
2.
0.
Stephenson
28.
0.
O.
F.P. Collins
TO 9739/40
12.
10.
0.
950
0.
0.
"SKYLARK LL"
M.V.
III
TO 9203/40
8.
"SKYLARK III"
M.V.
W.T. Corson
7.
8.
Not completed.