TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

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In the meantime the convoy had gone out of sight, but I had taken its bearing and proceeded at full speed, confident that we should be able to catch it up as it was not proceeding at more than about five knots.
At 9.15 p.m. I could see the convoy on the horizon through a slight sea mist, but then the petrol trouble started again and the engine stopped. It was now nearly dark and without a light I could not attempt to take off the carburetters and clean them, and we drifted about out of control for about half an hour whenwe were taken in tow by an armed trawler, which towed us to the North Goodwin Light Ship where we spent the night. During the night a Motor Boat called
"Singapore II" in charge of three Naval Ratings moored to the Light Ship as they had lost the convoy, and were intending to make their way back to Ramsgate at daybreak.
I had intended to clean the carburetters in the morning and to join the next convoy from Ramsgate, but as the sea had turned from dead calm to quite fresh, I
realised it would be impossible to do so in the cramped space available, so I accepted a tow by "Singapore II"
back to Ramsgate. On arrival there on Friday Tuesday the
3/15 May I reported to the Duty Officer and informed him that it would not take long to put the vessel in commission again, but he stated that no further small craft would be required as he had received a message that all troops would have been evacuated by 12 p.m. on that day. I accordingly arranged to leave "Wolsey" in the inner harbour at Ramsgate, after informing a Naval
Engineer that the petrol supply system needed seeing to in addition to a few minor repairs.
It would appear that the statement that all troops would have been evacuated by 12 o'c. on Friday was
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