TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

COCKFOSTERS,
HERTS.
SUNDOWNER
391.
ctober 9th 1930
173
172
5 ft draft. 26 tons redd.
Director of Sea Transport.
Ministry of Shipping.
ing a speed of 10 Knots.
erkeley Square House.
Berkeley Square.
Scout (Gerald Ashwell)
at 41
Yacht Basin. Chiswick
:0 instructions
Sir,
T.0.9144@STN.6B.
irst of about 40 boats
I received your letter of Sept 16th and as requested have drafted out a story in company with five embodying particulars of my trip to and was instructed
Dunkirk with my motor yacht Sundowner, arts were somewhat which I enclose herewith.
rounge one a little
I have the honour to be presented with a ing - - as I expected -
Sir,
Your obedient servant.
6 W.Lightston aid down. Half way
Comdr D.S.C. R.N.R. (Ret)n, but having no we had to leave to someone better equipped. A few minutes later we had our first introduction to enemy aircraft, three fighters flying high. Before they could be offensive, a British Destroyer - Wocester
?
I think - overhauled us and drove them off. At 2 25 P.M., We sighted and closed the 25 ft Motor Cruiser "Westerly"; broken down and badly on fire. As the crew of two (plus three naval ratings she had picked up in Dunkirk) wished to abandon ship - and quickly - I went alongside and took them aboard giving them the additional pleasure of
La runna
Owing to the engines failing we had to leave with only a few troop and WE proceeded back to Dunkirk W here we took five more loads off the shore which we were now able to do owing to the rising tide.
Whilst these operations were being carried out we were being

SUNDOWNER
173
M. Y. "SUNDOWNER".
A Motor Cruiser of 59 ft over all. 12 ft beam. 5 ft draft. 26 tons redd.
32 tons gross. 72 hp 6 cyl Gleniffer Deisel giving a speed of 10 Knots.
My son F.R. Lightoller and I with one Sea Scout (Gerald Ashwell)
took her out of her winter quarters at Cubitts Yacht Basin. Chiswick on May 31st at 11 a.m. and proceeded according to instructions towards Southend where we arrived at midnight, first of about 40 boats which mustered at Westminster.
At 3 15 a.m. of April 1st we left Southend in company with five others. Arriving off Ramsgate I asked for orders and was instructed
"Proceed to Dunkirk for further orders". As my charts were somewhat antiquated, I asked - fortunately if I could scrounge one a little more up-to-date, and on entering the harbour was presented with a set complete with Secret Sailing Instructions, giving = as I expected -
route, buoys, channels etc.
We left Ramsgate at 10 a.m., by the route laid down. Half way across we avoided a floating mine by a narrow margin, but having no firearms of any description - not even a tin hat we had to leave its destruction to someone better equipped. A few minutes later We had our first introduction to enemy aircraft, three fighters flying high. Before they could be offensive, a British Destroyer - Wocester
100
I think - overhauled us and drove them off. At 2 25 P.M., We sighted and closed the 25 ft Motor Cruiser "Westerly"; broken down and badly on fire. As the crew of two (plus three naval ratings she had picked up in Dunkirk) wished to abandon ship - and quickly - I went alongside and took them aboard giving them the additional pleasure of a runna
Owing to the engines failing we had to leave with only a few tro
WE and proceeded back to Dunkirk W here we took five more loads off the shore which we were now able to do owing to the rising tide.
Whilst these operations were being carried out we were being

-2-
174
ice again facing the hell they had only just left.
We made the fairway buoy to the Roads shortly after the sinking of a French transporttwith severe loss of life. Steaming slowly through the wreckage we entered the Roads.
For some time now we had been subject to sporadic bombing and machine gun fire but as the Sundowner is exceptionally and extremely quick on the helm, by waiting till the last moment and putting the helm hard over - my son at the wheel - we easily avoided every attack - though sometimes near lifted out of the water.
on
It had been my intention of going right/to the Beaches, where my second son 2nt Lt R.T. Lightoller had been evacuated some
48 hours previously; but those of the Westerly informed me that the troops were all away, so I headed up for Dunkirk piers. By now dive bombers seemed to be eternally dropping out of the cloud of enemy aircraft overhead. Within half a mile of the pier heads a two funnelled grey painted transport had overhauled and was just passing, us to port when two salvoes were dropped in quick succession right along her port side. For a few moments she was hid in smoke and I certainly thought they had got her. Then she reappeared still gaily heading for the piers and entered just ahead of us.
The difficulty of taking troops on board from quay high above us was obvious, so I went alongside a Destroyer (Wocester again
I think) where they were already embarking. I got hold of her captain and told him I could take about a hundred (though the most I had ever had on board was twenty one). He. after consultation with the military C.O., told me to carry on and get the troops aboard. I
may say here that before leaving Cubitts Yacht Basin, we had worked
La ranna WITHOR
Owing to the engines failing we had to leave with only a few to
WE and proceeded back to Dunkirk W here we took five more loads o the shore which we were now able to do owing to the rising tid
Whilst these operations were being carried out we were being and

H.O.
179
SUNSHINE
S
ECEIVED
144/5.T.N. 6.B.
180
wance Road
SEP.M.
21
16th October, 1940.
Pamsgale
STABLISHED
820
191
Sir,
July 4th 40
I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 9th October, she was liaken
183
1940, enclosing reports on the
(30
(30th)
rey.
Dunkirk operations insofar as your ay 29th to help vessel "Sundowner" took part in these operations and to thank you near Dunkerque for the most interesting information you have been good enough to supply,
= wich 7 others
This report will be of great value to the Department in drawing up bringing hoops reports on these operations.
on board of
I an, Sir,
Your obedient Servant, m to various
N.
continuouly ine.
Director of Sea Transport.
largert, some y that of
Commander C.H. Lightoller, D.S.C.R.N.R.
and severely damy craft a
Cockfosters,
HERTS.
with greatly myself a
chem tions to and some got over by
/
and left no an out of the lay 310r) there was by one hey had a
swen on the a and we put er the claimed live of our crew in the "sunshme" and dropped too good he large the sumotine" in m the shore with 90
send and fachons of veering line and pulled chem nt and off to che life boot till we loaded, then cook ch rifle the soldiers
Thames.
touch
With une will go on record.
Yours faithfully, la Panna which is about nine miles further round the coast.
Owing to the engines failing we had to leave with only a few troops
WE
and proceeded back to Dunkirk W here we took five more loads off the shore which we were now able to do owing to the rising tide.
Whilst these operations were being carried out we were being