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TNA / MT 40 66

TNA MT 40 66

TNA MT 40 66
Collection details

TNA MT 40 66

Ministry of Transport records containing a Dynamo vessel list and reports from masters and crews engaged in the evacuation, covering 1940–1947.

Holding archive
TNA
Collection reference
MT 40 66
View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, MT 40/66. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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126
62
COPY.
S.S. "MAID OF ORLEANS".
13.6.40.
To
R.P. Biddle, Esq.,
Docks and Marine Manager,
Southern Railway,
Southampton.
EVACUATION OF B.E.F. FROM DUNKERQUE.
Sir,
I have to report that with reference to the above, I made two trips to Dunkerque. About 1500 Officers and men were carried.
On the first trip, I left Dover with 250 Officers and men, and also about 30,000 cans of fresh water. There was no escort, and when shelled by an enemy coastal battery, two Hospital ships bound for after arriving off the French coast just East of Calais, I was heavily
Dunkerque, under the same shelling, returned to Dover, but I carried on up to the West Pass approaching Dunkerque. There was an extensive
Air Raid in progress on the Port and I was being bombed myself. I
was unable to effect an entrance and returned to Dover, being shelled again on route, and after about 2 hours returned to Dunkerque accompanied by a Destroyer. On arriving in the West Pass approaching the Port, both vessels were bombed and machine gunned, but this time
I managed to get in, with difficulty owing to the pall of dense smoke blowing across thefairway. Fresh water cans were landed, being man -
handled by all available ships' Company. Officers and men were embarked and I returned to Dover, was again bombed along the French coastal route.
I made no more trips to Dunkerque as owing to previous pressure of work, acting on medical advice, was obliged to report sick, suffering from exhaustion.
the
I
am,
Sir, the
Yours obediently.
for
A.E. Larkins.
Master.
left
20.30, by
P.T.O
Maid of Orleans Progress Dover Larkins West

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 185.

126
62
COPY.
S.S. "MAID OF ORLEANS".
13.6.40.
To
R.P. Biddle, Esq.,
Docks and Marine Manager,
Southern Railway,
Southampton.
EVACUATION OF B.E.F. FROM DUNKERQUE.
Sir,
I have to report that with reference to the above, I made two
trips to Dunkerque. About 1500 Officers and men were carried.
On the first trip, I left Dover with 250 Officers and men, and also
about 30,000 cans of fresh water. There was no escort, and when
shelled by an enemy coastal battery, two Hospital ships bound for
after arriving off the French coast just East of Calais, I was heavily
Dunkerque, under the same shelling, returned to Dover, but I carried
on up to the West Pass approaching Dunkerque. There was an extensive
Air Raid in progress on the Port and I was being bombed myself. I
was unable to effect an entrance and returned to Dover, being shelled
again on route, and after about 2 hours returned to Dunkerque
accompanied by a Destroyer. On arriving in the West Pass approaching
the Port, both vessels were bombed and machine gunned, but this time
I managed to get in, with difficulty owing to the pall of dense smoke
blowing across thefairway. Fresh water cans were landed, being man -
handled by all available ships' Company. Officers and men were
embarked and I returned to Dover, was again bombed along the French
coastal route.
I made no more trips to Dunkerque as owing to previous pressure
of work, acting on medical advice, was obliged to report sick,
suffering from exhaustion.
the
I
am,
Sir,
the
Yours obediently.
for
A.E. Larkins.
Master.
left
20.30,
by
P.T.O