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 286.
COPY. EXTRACTS FROM LOG. 161 t.FOREMOST 87" Sunday, 26th May. Arrived at Portsmouth towing "O.R.P. BUZA" stern first at 10 p.m. Slight Fog. Monday, 27th May. Coaling and storing in Portsmouth Harbour. Tuesday, 28th May. Left Portsmouth Harbour 6-0 a,m. Steamed towards Dover Harbour, arriving and making fast 6-0 p.m. Wednesday, 29th May. Lying Submarine Dock Dover Harbour. At 3-30 p.m. Ordered to assist m.v. "RUYA" from berth to berth. Tooke hold of vessel at 4-0 p.m., finishing 4-15 p.m. At 4-20 p.m. took hold of S.S. "KING ORRY" and assisted from Eastern Arm Dover Harbour to Sea, eastern Entrance Dover, finishing at 4-50 p.m. Thursday, 30th May. At 8-0 a.m. received orders to proceed from Dover Harbour to Dunkirk. On nearing Dunkirk Harbour heavy bombing and shelling in progress. Went inside Harbour and received instructions to take barges "SARK" and "SHETLAND", which were at anchor off St. Malo beach, in tow and to beach same on the shore 100 yards apart on St. Malo shore,. Dunkirk, - Heavy aerial bombing and ground gunfire going on while doing this job, shrapnel splinters hitting deck very hard. Finished this and steamed inside Harbour again. Things getting worse but everybody happy. Troopship "PRAGUE" unable to get away from Eastern Arm Dunkirk Hatbour, loaded with troops, so took same in tow and towed out clear to Dunkirk Roads. Told to stand by and assist in any way. One or two little jobs leading Destroyers to berths in the dark rendered - heavy shelling and air raids still in progress. At 12 midnight told to return to Dover. Friday, 31st May. Returned from Dunkirk arrived Dover at 6-0 a.m. At 2-0 p.m. received orders to take two sailing barges in tow to Dunkirk. Took hold of same at 2-45 p.m. and towed to Dunkirk. Orders received were t beach them at St. Malo Beach. This was accomplished under heavy bombing and shelling. The beach was one mass of troops. Time of beaching barges was 11-0 p.m. The sky was lit up with fires caused through bombing and shelling. Returned to Dunkirk Harbour, told to keep clear of heavy barrage which was prevailing and to stand by out- side Harbour. Still steaming outside Harbour at midnight. Saturday, 1st June. At Dunkirk standing by. Assisting in anything and every- thing possible. At 2-0 a.m. received orders to return at once to Dover. Arriving at Dover at 7-30 a.m. Sunday, 2nd June. Lying at Dover Harbour. At 3-30 p.m. received orders to take lifeboats R.N.L.B. "CECIL and "LILLIAN PHILPOTT" and "R.N.L.B. THOMAS KIRK WRIGHT" in tow to Dunkirk Towed same to given position then did job of work with Hospital ship "PARIS" survivors who had been bombed and machine-gunned by Enemy aircraft. (Continued)