Ministry of Transport records containing a Dynamo vessel list and reports from masters and crews engaged in the evacuation, covering 1940–1947.
Source: The National Archives, Kew, MT 40/66. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
1 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.
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Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 257.
(2) 132 hloaded as quickly as possible for the enemy was close, saying they would hold them if they got the stuff to do it with. All our men em turned to, and did their utmost to this end, the R.E's being more WEB This for Total or less played out, having we understood been at it for three days to 700 without a break. Our task was considerably hampered by recurring we 50 bombing attacks from the air, and later from shell fire from the BY The direction of the town, which we were told was from howitzers towed into the town by the advance tanks, and it was evident they were very close as men we had landed contacted the enemy within half an to on deck S.B. our hour of being put ashore. About 10 p.m. we had discharged part of were received to proceed to low our cargo, when Major Attway, who I may add was carrying out the to admirable work along with his S.T.O. colleagues, told me that things batteries, looked very black, and left it to me to leave when I considered it n to to necessary, but at the same time ordering me to stay and take off as the many men as possible. All preparations were made for a hasty departure, 30 on the I decided it but I gave my word that I would not leave till he ordered me to bank to the line of do so. Meantime the last train load of wounded arrived, apparently after we we to a very and rough passage, having been bombed heavily, and I am told French with of us. The the driver had to be forced to keep the train moving at the of a revolver. first point we to take the wounded, this I agreed to, By this were asked on a few of the As the hospital ship which was expected did not arrive, were being heavily shelled, all making over our lying in this time we precarious or 30 the position a the one. Attempts were made to discharge more cargo during night the or rather May early morning, as Officers from the front pleading for ammunition, and this was done till we started were the wounded. At to load about 2 a.m. we felt an extra heavy blow to the ship, der single The great majority of the buoys were unlit, TWIN a bi., Daigo were rowing off in their boat towards us. I picked them up, also boat and crew of barge "DUCHESS" that had anchored in the Roads, and then the next wave of bombers were overhead. (Continued)