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15th August, 1940.
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Vice-Admiral, Dover.
A record is being compiled in the Ministry of Shipping of the part played by the Merchant Navy in the Dunkirk operation, and the owners of the vessels concerned have been approached for copies of any reports they may have received from the Musters.
The Southern Railway state that reports from the Masters of their steamers have been submitted to you through the P.S.T.O.
In the circumstances, would it be possible, please, for you to supply copies of the reports, or, alternatively, to loan the originals for inspection? The names of the Southern Railway steamers in question are:-
LORINA, NORMANNIA, CANTERBURY, MAID OF ORL ANS, BIARRITZ,
AUTOCARRIER, PARIS, ISLE OF GUERNSEY, DINARD, WORTHING,
ISLE OF THANET, HYTHE and WHITSTABLE.
(Sgd.) B. E. BELLAMY.
for
La
Director of Sea Transport.
o ship)ii p.s. "GOLDEN
SOVEREIGN"
channel
#
cl
#
S.S. "ABUKIR"
passenge for by steamer G.S.N.
r the Ministry)
Lo in
GS an our
Newmar entrance enemy ---
A call for th an es bombs. the British Mission had previously would be waiting for me off consisting port. This of attack two destroyers lasted for half an hour when the airc returned to Ostend.

Mr. Dilke
36
COPY FOR - MR. W. G. HYNARD,
Director of Sea Transport,
Ministry of Shipping,
Berkeley Square House,
Berkeley Square, W.L.
197
WJP/LK
13th August, 1940.
The Right Hon. Ronald H. Cross, M.P.,
Minister of hipping,
Berkeley Square,
LONDON, W.L.
Dear Bir,
EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Further to our Chairman's letter of the 27th ultimo, we understand that you wish to collect information
Navy in connection with the evacuation of the B.E.F. from regarding the services rendered by the ships of the Merchant for THE GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION CO. LTD.
e
Northern France and Flanders and we, therefore, take the
,wo which liberty of attaching copies of a few confidential reports we have received from various sources. If it would
Yours faithfully, be of interest to you we should be pleased to forward the
Company when we are able to obtain same.
similar information regarding other vessels owned by this so perience coasting and home trades, and the special knowledge and passenger vessels of this Company operate chiefly cargo in the
As you are aware, in normal times the and tense ming and which our Masters and Officers have of the channels exut under them to find their way to the beaches and berths coasts, enabled approaches to the Northern French and Belgian
15.0
y to and their ships, their shallow draft was also of the pleasure the difficult conditions. In the case of a
journeys good bunker capacity enabled these vessels assistance make backwards and forwards with a minimum of delay. to
O t.
The copies of reports enclosed, refer to:-
ship)iight m.v. "ROYAL SOVEREIGN"
m.v. "QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL" (cross channel
O.
ch the
19
p.s. "GOLDEN EAGLE
(cargo vessel managed by G.S.N.
(Passenger paddle steamer
" passenge cut
S.S.
"ABUKIR"
rd in-
Lowed for the Ministry)
ing the is and
Newman of th an escort our entrance bombs. enemy A waiting for me aircraft off the the consisting British the the the half be an hour when the port. returned to Ostend.

Nywari hand durect colleg P
Mr. Dilke sent have would him your is
37
14th August, 1940.
vigation Company Ltd 6
14/8
are P 16th
I understand you collecting
15, Trinity Square,
Dear Sir,
Mr. Cross has asked me to thank you 198 london.Ec.3.
for your letter of the 13th August and for the enclosed copies of confidential reports
13th August, 1940.
199
which you have received. As you say, Mr.
Cross is anxious to collect as much informa- M.P., tion as possible about the services rendered
LTD.
by merchant ships, and he would certainly be very interested to see any similar informa- M
DUNKIRK
CO.
tion which you may be able to forward about ish 's letter of the 27th to collect information other vessels owned by the Company.
the ships of the Merchant tion of the B.E.F. from e
Yours faithfully, e, therefore, take the
Yours faithfully
F. H. KEENLYSIDE
ew confidential reports
C
sources. If it would pleased to forward e
Company
Private Secretary.
vessels owned by this
,WO
same.
:
W.J. Philpott Esq.,
The General Steam Navigation Company Ltd.
nal times the cargo and the erate chiefly in the so for THE GENERAL
and enabled approaches them to the Northern French and of the channels our Masters and and the Officers special have knowledge and exunder the difficult to find their way to the beaches Belgian berths coasts, tense pleasure conditions. In the and ming and their ships, their shallow draft case of the jut journeys backwards good bunker capacity enabled was these also of assistance make
15.
and forwards with a minimum vessels of delay. to y tb
The copies of reports enclosed, refer to
L a m.v. m.v. "ROYAL "QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL" (cross channel:-
)
to
SOVEREIGN"
p.s. "GOLDEN
"
O t.
s.s. "ABUKIR"
" passenger ship)iight for the Ministry)
by steamer) G.S.N.Co.
ch the cut rd in-
Lowed agreed.
my cluding out lines of the crew, and port sailed soldiers aircraft by the and British flew Belgi over S.S. was dopping "MARQUIR" sent out Verey as Mr. lights Newman and of ing the entrance bombs. enemy A for assistance informed me for that me an off escort the the consisting British This be an waiting hour when the aircraft port. returned to Ostend.

The General Iteam Navigation Company Ltd
ALEGRAMS-GLYCONIC TELEX LONDON
ELEPHONE-ROYAL 3200.7 (23 LINES)
CLORE
CODEs-PRIVATE
15, Trinity Square,
BENTLEYS PHRASE
SCOTTS 10TH EDTN.
A.B.C. 5TH EDTN.
BOE
London.E.c.3
Bofons
20mg
OUR REFERENCE WJP/LK
only
NUTOP
YOUR REFERENCE
13th August, 1940.
199
SECTO
The Right Hon. Ronald H. Cross, M.P.,
Minister of Shipping,
Berkeley Square,
LONDON, W.1.
Dear Sir,
EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Further to our Chairman's letter of the 27th último, we understand that you wish to collect information regarding the services rendered by the ships of the Merchant for THE GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION M.Philpott CO. LTD.
Navy in connection with the evacuation of the B.E.F. from
Northern France and Flanders and we, therefore, take the liberty of attaching copies of a few confidential reports
Yours faithfully, which we have received from various sources. If it would be of interest to you we should be pleased to forward e
Company when we are able to obtain same.
similar information regarding other vessels owned by this
,WO
As you are aware, in normal times the cargo and the passenger vessels of this Company operate chiefly in the
10
coasting and home trades, and the special knowledge and perience and which our Masters and Officers have of the channels exenabled approaches to the Northern French and Belgian coasts, tense them to find their way to the beaches and berths ming under the difficult conditions. In the case of the ut and pleasure ships, their shallow draft was also of
15.
journeys backwards and forwards with a minimum of delay. to their good bunker capacity enabled these vessels assistance make y to
L a
The copies of reports enclosed, refer to:-
)
m.v. "ROYAL SOVEREIGN"
m.v. "QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL" (cross channel to
"
o t.
p.s. "GOLDEN EAGLE
(cargo vessel managed by G.S.N.Co.
(Passenger paddle steamer)
" passenger ship)
S.S. "ABUKIR"
for the Ministry)
ch the cut
.rd in-
Lowed ing the agreed. my cluding out entrance lines of the crew, and enemy A port sailed soldiers the and British Belgi S.S. was dopping "MARQUIS" sent informed waiting out Verey as me for Mr. that lights me Newman an off and escort the of bombs. the consisting British the be an hour when the aircraft port. returned to Ostend.

COPY.
REPORT ON LOSS OF H.M.T. "ABUKIR"
May 24th for the Downs for orders, arriving there in the
We cleared from Southampton on the afternoon of morning of May 25th where we received orders to proceed to
Ostend, to land supplies for the B.E.F., arriving off that port about 20.00 of the same day.
The town was then in flames and the majority of the buildings on the sea front were in ruins, the quays and signal stations being absolutely deserted. The pilot boarded me when I was almost in my berth and informed me that apart from a few French Naval Officers there was no-one of any authority in the port.
I interviewed these Officers who apparently had no knowledge of my ship, but suggested that I should start discharging at day-break.
On the way back to the ship I met a British Army lorry driver who told me that a Lieut Harris with 38 British troops who were adrift from their units were standing by at a farm about five miles outside the town. We went out and brought them in but on our arrival back at the ship we were bombed SO intensely - the quay being the target - that I
decided to abandon the ship until daylight. At 02.00 on May
26th I managed to get into telephone communication with the
British Mission at Bruges, who instructed me to commence discharging, which I did with the assistance of the troops and the ship's crew. We were bombed off and on throughout the day.
Later on the British Mission informed me that a British bomber had made a forced landing at Ostend and would I try to make contact with her crew. Lieut. Harris and myself located these men at the Stane Aerodrome. After firing the machine, the two officers and two men who formed her crew joined my ship later on in the afternoon, bringing with them the machine guns and instruments of the destroyed bomber. On the way back from the
Aerodrome we picked up another 25 British troops who had also been separated from their units, also two wounded R.A.F. men.
At 20.00 on the 26th May the bombing became so intense that once again we abandoned the ship until day-break, resuming work with the assistance of Dutch Army deserters. Throughout the day German aircraft were continually bombing us and at 15.
they started dive bombing and machine gunning us so heavily tb once again I decided to abandon the ship, having had two casualties, one being an R.A.F. gunner shot in the arm and a
Belgian civilian shot in the left eye. Getting through to
Bruges again they instructed me to cease discharging and to what Army vehicles I could, the rest to be destroyed, also t.
British Mission had decided to evacuate by my ship that night
I suggested sailing after dark at 22.00 to which the agreed. The Mission boarded me and at the stated time I cut my lines and sailed with approximately 220 people on board including crew, soldiers and Belgian refugees. I was followed out of the port by the British S.S. "MARQUIS". On clearing the entrance enemy aircraft flew over dopping Verey lights and bombs. A call for assistance was sent out as Mr. Newman of the British Mission had previously informed me that an escort consisting of two destroyers would be waiting for me off the port. This attack lasted for half an hour when the aircraft returned to Ostend.