TNA MT 40 66

32
/
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
MACBRAYNE. GLASGOW.' Louthern
TELEPHONE: CENTRAL 9956 33
(PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE)
ROM
DAVID MACBRAYNE, Ltd. General Managers
BIOD
REFERENCE
44 ROBERTSON STREET,
To
Waterloo
22nd Hation June, 1940.
MD/1855/40
GLASGOW, C.2.
HL/ET.
Private Secretary,
Minister of Shipping,
Berkeley Square House,
Berkeley Square,
LONDON, W. 1.
Dear Sir,
We have to acknowledge receipt of your favour of 19th inst.
enclosing letters from the Minister of Shipping to the Masters of the T.T.S.S. "KING GEORGE V" and S.S. "LOCHGARRY" in connection with their work in the recent evacuation from Dunkirk.
We much appreciate the Minister's speedy recognition of the services rendered by the Mercantile Marine, which appreciation is shared by our Masters, and we are indeed happy to know that two vessels emergency. of our Fleet were of some assistance in this national
Yours faithfully, Missin
Jun
DAVID MACBRAYNE LIMITED,
Baq Minis General W.1. Manager Hast
,apt R.
th er
1y
Fl of the g
ER
OH
shore now the naval
In/
ized.

-3-
nip.
Name & Address of Owners
Name of Master.
SS MAUD
London Midland & Scottish
Capt. H. Clarke.
IA
Railway,
Capt. W.H. Hughes.
L.M.S. Railway Headquarters,
Watford, Herts.
ST. SEIRIOL
Liverpool & North Wales
Capt. R.D. Dobb
S.S. Co., Ltd.,
40, Chapel Street,
Liverpool, 3.
/PRAGUE
London & North Eastern
Capt. C. Baxter.
Railway Company,
26, Glengall Road,
Woodford Green,
Essex.
KING GEORGE V
David MacBrayne Limited,
Capt. R.E. MacLean.
LOCHGARRY
44, Robertson Street,
Capt. E. MacKinnon.
Glasgow, C.2.
KILLARNEY
Coast Lines Limited,
Capt. R. Hughes.
2, Crescent Road,
Kingston-on-Thames,
Surrey.
ST. HELIER
Great Western Railway Co.,
Capt. R. Pitman c/o Chief Docks Manager,
Cardiff.
ST JULIEN
Great Western Railway Co.,
Capt.L.S.Richard
ST ANDREW
Paddington Station, W..2.
Capt. H.C. Bond
ST DAVID
Capt. C.Joy.
PARIS
Capt. E. Biles
ISLE OF GUERNSEY
Southern Railway Co.,
Capt. F.W. Hodges
DINARD
Waterloo Station,
Capt. P. Lewis
WORTHING
S.E.L.
Capt. C.J. Munton
ISLE OF THANET
>
Capt. A.J. Hammond
60
&
These Masters took over when original Masters were too exhausted to carry on.
x Evacuation of Calais.
+ This vessel was ordered to Dunkerque laden with B.E.F. petrol and did not actually evacuate, troops.
INED
orized.

H.XG.1929/40
T.M.6213/40.8.T.A.6 5th November, 1940
25
T.M.6213/40/S.T.A.6.
SIR,
I am obliged for your letter of 8th November, 1940.
the 1st November, and for the return of the original reports of the of our vessels which took part in the
Dunkerque evacuation.
Sir, id
I
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
(Marine Dept. abedient WP/JWA) of the 30th ultimo and to thank on ne you for the interesting reports of the heads of to es
Departments on board the S.S. "KING GEORGE V." and ond
S.S. "LOCHGARRY" on their experiences during the Dunkirk
The Director operations. of bea Transport,
Ministry of Shipping,
Berkeley Square House, Square am, Sir,
Berkeley
Your obedient Servant,
REGISTRY 7 RECEIVED nover 18
Director of Sea Transport.
The Marine Superintendent,
David MacBrayne, Limited,
44, Robertson Street,
GLASGOW, C.2.
On Tuesday the
Wednesday morning the ship was
TAVO
wips into Dunkist away a rull complement each time. Our ship seemed to have a charmed life. Ships were bombed and shelled ahead of us and alongside and astern of us, and yet apart from a few shell splinters and machine-gun bullets we did not receive any damage.
On Saturday the 1st June the Second Officer, Mr Macdonald, had a narrow escape. A piece of Shrapnel flew past him and smashed the glass of the docking telegraph aft alongside which he was standing. It seemed an unlucky day for him/

TELEPHONE: CENTRAL 9956
(PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE)
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS,
"MACBRAYNE, GLASGOW."
30th October, 1940.
DAVID MACBRAYNE, Ltd.
8/04
To
44 ROBERTSON STREET,
REFERENCE
Director of Sea Transport,
GLASGOW, C.2.
Ministry of Shipping,
MARINE DEPT.
Berkeley Square House,
WP/JWA. born ship left Berkeley Square, by the Ministry of Shipping, and LONDON, W.1.
28
Your Ref:.6213/40/S.' except for a
Our destination VAS T.A.6.®, NO
the port quarter. This was soon laft behind and to patrol boat off St Catherines. After 3 few days and the ship was fitted with D.G. and radio, and
Dear Sirvoops. "Nothing to report" Vas the things began to happen.
With reference to your letters of 7th and 14th August, we herewith enclose reports sent to this Office from the heads of id
At departments on board our T.S. "KING we GEORGE V" and S.S. "LOCHGARRY".
when troops a British We are enclosing two typed copies from each department, namely, on we Deck, Engine-Room and Catering. We trust this is what you require.
he platThe originals may be had if so desired. for t
es were not
We hit, regret and the delay back in sending you these reports, but this has ond been due to our General Manager's being to away from the Office on the entesick list. we were attacked by a German alams the port side. Our gunners let Yours faithfully, plane and he gradually lost height and dropped into by the B.B.C. that night, although over 1,500 refugees from Ostemi
On
Sunday, this work. On the Tues had 19th, Marine Super and intendent.
Monday and
Tuesday
20th explosive for demo tion purposes so bake to Boologas,
ENCLS: there the S.T.O. informed - that be could not bantle the staff and I had better go out to the roads and another. To do this the micide, as the German planse were sinking any skips that S did anaboe, informed the S.T.O. that I was not going to anchor and that if I
harbour I would return to Dover. Be then saked RD if I would to without be was very anxious to get away. I told him if bioke the risk after being tale what they ware sitting on,
With this British courage not one of them benitated, on board, and also about 1,000 we salled basiness falling everywhere, and just as we cleared
19110
or German bombers dropped a salvo which nearly 2030 ONE of the water, and 14 was tear was out of order. However the
RECEIVED
code to put the helm 3948
all the goar repaired.
Da Tuesday the ship DATE out of
Wednesday the ship morning proceed to was lato away a rull complement each time. Our THE ship wips seemed to have a charmed life. Ships were bombed and shelled ahead of and alongside and astern of us, and yet apart from a few shell splinters us and machine-gun bullets we did not receive any damage.
On Saturday the 1st June the Second Officer, Mr Macdonald, had a narrow escape. A piece of Shrapnel flew past him and smashed the glass of the docking him/ telegraph aft alongside which he was standing. It seemed an unlucky day for

Time
THE
145
to впогов
.
wode bus
OF
DUNKIRK OPERATIONS.
BLUOW
123RF
*
yous
RECEIVED
11111121
S.S. "LOCHGARRY"
-
bases DEVITIS Salamod TTTS Mod %
(Lirt
16
Report by Captain Ewen MacKinnon.
35
SW
BROW
The "LOCHGARRY" having been fitted out in Greenock for a special charter,
Les we were placed on six hours' notice, and having got over the ordeal of signing on for foreign articles, and the vessel really ready for sea - trimmed with ballast, and fitted with equipment of all kind, all of us were "straining
OF
at the leash" to get away from the Clyde, somewhere. It did not matter very
Sags Jedw much where, so long as we were away from the Clyde!
When the orders did come at last they came at the most unexpected and awkward hour - at 10 p.m. Proceed to sea, so and so. Nearly every one of
Juods the crew were now at their homes having waited till late, and all being satisfied that there would be no orders till next morning. But it was my lookout to sail
ONJ
the ship on time, and the crew had to be roped in someway. The P.O. was closed load for telegrams and telephone, but I managed to get in touch with them all by another method, and with one or two exceptions I got them all together before sailing time.
We then started off from the Clyde for an altogether different destination from what we expected, and what we fitted out particularly for. We arrived in
Liverpool in good order and waited for some days expecting to do some useful work, but in this we were disappointed, for the job we were hoping to do did not come off, viz., to carry Belgian refugees to a certain Island.
We spent several days in Liverpool in the Stanley Dock in company with the
S.S. "KILLARNEY", and everything went very well until one night after 6 p.m.
orders were received to raise steam at once and proceed to Dover without a moment's delay on any account - get out of the dock by midnight and proceed at full speed on a certain track down channel. In this we were successful, but the "KILLARNEY" did not manage, so we missed her company that night! Pilot on board and all ready we left the dock on time, and proceeded to the Bar where we discharged the Pilot, shouting, "Good-Night, Captain, Good-Night, and the best of luck, for I know you need all the luck you can get tonight". So we plunged forth into a pitch black night without a speck of light, nor was there any light to be seen for some time after.
We got along very well that night, and at daybreak we got all the points of land we were looking for. We had hundreds of charts on board, but none of them was of any use to us for navigating through the Irish and English Channels except a magnetic variation chart of the British Isles, so when we got down as far as the Bishop Light we were so to speak "off the map". The magnetic variation chart was a rough guide, but surely we could get to Dover even without that itself, for Captain Pell took good care to see that we were supplied with Norie's Epitome and all other essential books and instruments on which we could "at a pinch" navigate on a blank sheet of paper. However, we got to Dover in record time and were all ready for action as soon as we had fuel and water.
We approached the Downs in the early hours of the morning before daybreak, and were picking out a suitable anchorage, when a hail of machine-gun bullets from either an enemy or one of our own, hit us on the vessel's port side - I
cannot say which as a fight was in process overhead at the time. The Mate, with a smile, commented that he did not think this was very healthy. "Well, whether healthy or not you better get the anchor ready for dropping!" This being done, we anchored until after breakfast time, when a Pilot came on board and put us in the right anchorage.
During/

- 2 -
56
During the time we were anchored in this place we could, during the day, hear the roar and fury of the guns and mines on the French coast, the concussion of which was shaking the "LOCHGARRY" at her anchorage twenty-one miles away, and at night the same pounding went on with the addition of immense fires shooting up in the sky - "Calais" on fire? I took bearings by compass to verify this; it came out to a degree and next morning we heard the wat" asid OMJ 202 STOW ent news. At night the dropping of magnetic mines round about was a common occurrence, and the rat-tat-tat of the Spitfires chasing the enemy away, until at last nobody was going to bother getting out of his bed to see them. But if you did get up you were sure to find you were not the only one, although they had faithfully promised to stick to their bunks. They would be in their stocking soles, keeking out in some corner. It would be like a great display adw dom of fireworks, and one would wonder how many tons of lead were active in the sky after the minelayer, or whether he would manage to get clear.
On May 28th at 4.30 a.m. orders were received to proceed to Dover for one fuel and water at 6 a.m., and at 7.5 p.m. same day we loaded provisions and made various preparations for going to Dunkirk. At 8.56 p.m. we cast off from one
Admiralty Pier bound for Dunkirk by a certain route. The night was dark and hazy, and when we nearly bumped up against the North Goodwin Light vessel, which was not lit, and after a bit of shouting to the light vessel, I dropped anchor and we were at stand-easy till 3 a.m. Having no light of any kind we had to keep a very good lookout. We felt a mighty wash rocking the ship fore and aft, and right close beside us five destroyers passed at full speed, without apparently taking the slightest notice. Shortly after another large ship was bearing down on us, and passed quite close, and after heaving up anchor we could still see her hull faintly in the gloom. We made up on her and afterwards learned this was the "CLAN MACALISTER" which I guessed to be going the same way as ourselves, as by now Dunkirk was the only place on the coast where she could be going.
At 6.48 a.m. on the 29th May we were at the West Hinder Buoy. Behind us, tearing along at top speed, was what well may have been termed the "Channel
Fleet". the swift steamers that had left Dover in the early morning, among them being the "KING GEORGE V". Each as they passed the "LOCHGARRY" gave us a hearty wave of hands and bonnets. All of them soon passed; on our port bow was a British Destroyer, and one which we recognised as the one funnel
Polish Destroyer. They were going round in a circle which was gradually getting smaller, both of them, I believe, taking cross bearing on a submarine.
When the circle got to the smallest possible round they each dropped several depth charges about the same spot. We were watching for wreckage, but did not successfully. see any. This would be the smallest depth at which a submarine could operate
A while later the Mate said he saw what appeared to be a spent torpedo on the surface, but I did not see it. But if there was a submarine in that circle he certainly is there yet! Now we were in the channel from which the enclosed photo was taken (bottom picture), and the Mate and I argued as to whether it was whin bushes or men that covered the sand dunes. On looking through the binoculars we found that what appeared to be whin bushes were really armies of the B.E.F. It was hardly credible, but true, the beach was strewn with wrecks of ships at all angles, and motor lorries which were hardly visible, being camouflaged, were dashing backwards and forwards.
We steamed along the channel which was some ten miles to Dunkirk Breakwater.
The Breakwater was fully occupied when we arrived there - two and three steamers abreast. They were the steamers that had passed on the way in, and as many destroyers, and who would be at the outer end of the Breakwater but the
S.S. "KILLARNEY" our sparring partner. This was a great surprise. How did she get there? We left her in Dover, and they certainly did not pass us on the way. But the secret was that the "KILLARNEY" was not degaussed and for that reason they came by a different route from us! She was loaded with troops to full capacity and had a very heavy list to starboard, away from the Breakwater, and it was apparent that there was something wrong. Her belting had caught on the Breakwater with the falling tide; eventually the belting gave way and she was free to go, and backed out of the Harbour, closed up to us and waved, then full away the way she had come good luck to them.
The/

- 3 -
37
code is Doe to
The tide was low, and falling, and we had to wait our turn in the offing.
The channel was narrow and shallow. My ship was very slow to respond to the helm in such shallow water. The current was fairly strong and sweeping us or
STORE BALL CBP & STATE STATES ROZ
in a westerly direction. I was greatly concerned as to whether there was sufficient water alongside the Breakwater for the "LOCHGARRY" as we were drawing 16 ft. of water by the stern, and if there was a possibility of
JBP
sticking in the entrance to the Breakwater, for if the vessel grounded in that particular part not only would I have to wait till she floated again, but the entire traffic to the Breakwater, in and out, would be suspended. This would be disastrous when every moment counted a day. There were much larger vessels than the "LOCHGARRY" at the Breakwater, but they were shallow drafts. But the "KILLARNEY" was in and out, and there was not much difference between our drafts. A shallow draft vessel which was in the offing with us quickly
OF
manoeuvred and nipped into the "KILLARNEY'S" berth which should have been ours
1991
by turn. The next available berth I could see was well up the Breakwater e.b.e.
where the water was even more shallow, so we slipped into it without any mishap and immediately commenced embarking troops on three gangways which were used rigged up temporarily fore and aft.
know
There we met two very brave and cheerful men - the Commander and the
Lieutenant Commander, who were carrying on their work and directing operations as if no danger existed. There was no bustle or commotion, but everything was orderly and well regulated. The Jerry shells were dropping in the
Harbour about 50 yards from the bow of the "LOCHGARRY" at 11.25 a.m. when we were fixed in our berth, but they did not appear to explode, and all of them could be heard coming, screaming through the air, through the smoke and haze, and dropping in the very centre of the harbour. They had the range perfectly.
Well, it was all right so long as they did not alter it a degree the one way or the other. There was nothing but thick black smoke and fire everywhere round the harbour, and parts of several sunken vessels were projecting in the inner harbour at low water.
A destroyer came alongside of us and loaded his complement over our vessel. While this was taking place we had our first sample of an air raid, as the pall of haze to the westward had now cleared up and the sun was breaking through the clouds, and the day generally was brightening up and getting warm.
The Jerry planes we saw as mere specks in the sky, working sunwards to get in a straight line between us and the sun, then swinging round and,
"Ere he pounces in the ring,
Selects the object of his spring".
When they started on the dive, down sun, you could hear the death zoom getting clearer and clearer, down and down they came, the A.A. guns on the destroyers going like electric sewing machines. In a fraction of a second, about the time the bombs were due to arrive, there was a mighty roar and a blast of hot air which nearly carried us off our feet. The destroyer had fired one of his heavy guns which burst a shell in front of the enemy and shattered him and his bombs to matchwood. I don't think that pilot had time to jump in his parachute at least I did not see him!
The next wave came along shortly after, and the tactics on both sides were somewhat similar to the first. Then the embarking went on as before.
I had hoped to count the exact number that came on board, and told the Mate to place a man at each gangway to count. The man who was placed at the forward gangway had a yarn with every one that came on and soon forgot the count. The man at No. 2. gangway, which was constructed of oars across the lifeboat, told me when I asked him for the count, that it took him all his time to keep the men from falling in the water, far less count them. The man at No. 3. gangway did not know he was supposed to count until nearly half the troops were on board; and then what about the ones that were passing through to the destroyer? It was hopeless! However, the estimated number on board the "LOCHGARRY" was about 2,500, and we cast off the Breakwater at
2.00 p.m.

STATES
woll and
- 4 -
38
LETER
SEW
A tug boat was told off to give us a lift off the Breakwater by the due of ern, as there were three destroyers abreast astern of us. He made fast r starboard quarter rope to his bow and pulled sternwise. He did his job
TO
one
DO well, pulled us well out, and when he thought we were going too far across
DEPARTMENT
sit.
e endeavoured to straighten us up in the channel by giving us a "nose off"
DEPARTMENT
under the counter and thus cutting our D.G. in two places. I did not want his "nose off" the pitch of the propeller and the helm would have straightened us up nicely - and if that was not sufficient then I could have given her a kick ahead on the starboard helm, which would certainly have done the trick. But and the tug boat captain did not have the necessary patience. A Clyde tug boat master would never have done that. What a mess! The D.G. wire having been cut in two places quickly short circuited, and caught fire under the counter.
and
X
Some French soldiers on the opposite pier head noticed it first and raised the
HTUS
alarm. My toes began to tingle in my boots. Fire, with so many troops on board, fanned by a fresh westerly wind on the stern! Would it be possible to bassin get her round in the channel and head the wind before it caught hold, or would
I require to beach her on the sands and give them a chance to swim ashore?
I ordered the current to be cut off, by 'phone to the engine-room, and I
think it was already cut off, as the engineers had noticed something amiss on the switchboard. The mate and the second engineer were soon on the job with a fire spray, and the flames extinguished. It is true that we had all the fire apparatus fixed ready for action, and the sailors at their stations duri ng the time the troops were on board, but it happened so quickly and at a time when any person could not move about the decks on account of the crush.
The report that the fire was under control came with a great relief. All this happened while we were backing out of the harbour to add to other difficulties, and being under the counter of the vessel it was well nigh inaccessible to get at.
The mate and second engineer deserve every credit for having dealt with it so effectively and efficiently. I believe the mate was hanging like a monkey on a rope, directing the fire spray on the seat of trouble. However, that having passed over, everything was normal for a few moments.
I would here mention that we were at a disadvantage through the second mate leaving the ship at Dover the previous morning, so that the mate and myself had to share his duties between us in addition to everything else.
Having manoeuvred the vessel into the channel we were for a few minutes waiting for our escort, H.M. Destroyer F.34. "THE GREYHOUND", and on clearing the Breakwater he closed up on us and asked which route we intended going by,
Route X. or Route Y. or --, and while we were thus talking it was cut short;
the destroyer jumped, as it were, and made a series of twists and zig-zags in front of us. Well, I thought to myself, if you are going at that speed there's damn little hope of me keeping up with you! The next moment there was a terrific explosion close to the destroyer on her port side, but it was a miss.
Another moment and a column of water shot up ahead of us about 50 yards away.
No. 1 salvo for the "LOCHGARRY" also a miss! But the third salvo caught the destroyer fair amidships and ripped her side open, causing many casualties, I
would say, but the Commander was still on the bridge and her guns were active peppering away. It was apparent the vessel was out of action. I heard the telegraph to the engine-room ringing but could see no response from the engines.
I passed by the destroyer close to. The Commander shouted, "Carry on"; we then tore away full batter with a double ring on the telegraph, and zig-zagged so far as the channel would allow us.
We were left alone for a while. I was told before leaving that "the
Germans were shelling from the shore, but they were not very accurate". We were not shelled from the shore. We passed the vessel in whose company we had done part of the voyage going over - the "CLAN MACALISTER". She was evidently in a bad way her after-hold on fire and clouds of black smoke rising from her. I would say that she had received a salvo somewhere about her stern, and was either at anchor or not under way!
We had now overtaken and passed a small steamer very like the "LOCHSHIEL"
crammed with troops, her hold and decks quite full. On our starboard bow was the "GRACIE FIELDS", a minesweeper, full of troops going out, and a hospital ship going in on our port bow. They were both zig-zagging vigorously, as we were ourselves, but the "GRACIE FIELDS" got one salvo which stopped her engines, and she stopped, lifeless, and limped somewhere around the Kwint Buoy. The hospital/

Date use
PUBLIC
alde
SECURITY SEAL 8
- 6 -
40
was told the Bren gunner was hoping to get a shot at him when we closed
OF
up, but unless he had done this on his own bat I am sure that his superiors would not have told him to do so, as an enemy airman was much more useful
STA
to the authorities alive than dead. What would really have happened when nei we closed up to him is a matter of conjecture! The patrol boat signalled
"Alone in the plane" as we passed on.
I had an idea that the soldiers, when lying on their backs on deck, you would all fire a volley at an approaching bomber and get about a thousand now bullets into him at once - as there was heaps of ammunition on board but and the Commanding Officer objected to this, as their rifles were full of sand and rust, and would explode on board, which was very feasible. The Spitfire had just caught the bomber in the nick of time and saved us any further trouble!
Before dusk we sighted the North Goodwin Light Vessel and felt at home, although navigation through the Downs channel with so many sunken wrecks and other dangers was by no means a matter to be treated with a lesser degree of caution now in the darkness and haze, and with a compass that was at least a point and a half of westerly variation, unreliable and continually swinging on account of the degaussing wires having been cut. It was nothing better than a rough guide, and not to be trusted. And so we passed on through the Downs and passed the dangerous Goodwin Sands where, if a vessel once touches and ebbs for a tide, she is doomed to stick for ever on account of the shifting sands. From pillar to post we were getting the buoys in their order, until finally to the last, and then Dover Harbour.
On leaving the last buoy there was not a single object to give us any indication of Dover Harbour, or the entrances. Now, here was a problem!
I wished to goodness there was an air raid on and a flare of searchlights.
I would only have dropped the anchor outside the Harbour as a last resource, with so many aboard and eager to get ashore. Outside the Breakwater at
Dover was the danger spot of the channel magnetic mines and bombers occasionally. I did not have long to wait for my wish to be fulfilled. A
trail of tracer bullets, like rockets, and a hundred searchlights in the skye in the penumbra of which I could easily distinguish the entrances to the
Harbour, and by good fortune we were just on the dot, and a turn of the ship's head put her at a proper angle for the tide, and in we went, moving slowly towards the Admiralty Pier, where we berthed at 1.10 a.m. on the 30th May, 1940., and commenced disembarking the troops.
Finishing disembarkation about 5.30 a.m. we then shifted to the Outer
Harbour at 10.32 a.m. and were brought in to Ferry Jetty at 5 p.m., 31st May
1940, where the degaussing wire and other repairs were carried out before the vessel again sailed for the Clyde.
I herewith enclose a photo not of the "EOCHGARRY", but of a ship going through a similar ordeal of baptism. The arrows show, with respect to position, the points at which the "LOCHGARRY" got the two closest hits one over the fo'csle head, and the other by inches clear of the teak wood rail on the starboard quarter. The others were as wide off as those shown in the photograph. The value of zig-zagging a vessel under such circumstances cannot be too strongly stressed. I believe it saved us on all occasions when we were attacked. The Lewis guns are certainly a help, but a ship would require to have them in sufficient numbers. A vessel of the size of the "LOCHGARRY"
would bomber at least require as many more on her to have any chance with a diveto ward them off before actually coming down to the mast heads.
During the time in Dover at the Ferry Jetty where the repairing was carried out, the usual routine work of the vessel was being carried on without any special occurrences, and when finished and we finally took our departure for the Clyde I was sent for to see the Principal Sea Transport Officer, who complimented me on the piece of work we had carried through, and said, "It was grand". I felt that we had at least done something for our country, and if we were only once across the channel we had a real good load and got along with it without a hitch.
In/

TOTAL
ared ese and will S.LOS
- 7 -
4
THE STATE TE
DOE DEPARTMENT
In coming from the English Channel to the Clyde there was no great excitement. Passing the Isle of Wight on a beautiful afternoon we could hear machine-gun fire overhead, and could see shells bursting very
I
high up, but did not see any aircraft. This was the last we saw of the fighting in the channel. Going on our routing instructions we arrived on the Clyde the following afternoon, and berthed the "LOCHGARRY" snugly in
East India Harbour, Greenock, where we had joined her, and all's well.
eas the
August,
58d
Dear Sir,
What struck me most BD Dunkirk was the contross and office stay Xith which the N.T.O. and his mon moved about the narrow wharf shepherding the Stred troops 68 they slowly noved down towards the ships. While - W67% lying alongaide the where under continuous bombing they moved about gafee
It WOR certainly B good example to us,
We were amused at three soldiers (old timers) coming down the sharf arm-toare singing with a bottle stieking out of their pocket, they were not the least bit upset. An old firemen I bad wondered where they had been 20 lusky.
These three soldiers decided they would travel with us insteed of a destroyer that was loading beside us, and their Inck was still holding as that destroyer
W&B hit shortly after leaving Dunkirk, and B big number killed. This destroyer was our escort, 00 we had to carry on alone.
Our ship was filled up; 2,700 came dom the gangway, but meny more jumped aboard at other parts of the ship. No were alorgeide the whard from about 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. When we were leaving the what BD armed trueler, who was assisting us out of our berth, damaged our D.G. cable and set fire to the starboard belting aft. Mr Wallace, the 2nd Engineer, went art and ear the fire out. After be examined the eable he cene back to ISS is the englaeroom and reported the cable wes beyond repair, 30 we had to leave with no
D.G. gear.
After leaving the whard we 1n the engine-room SSW DO more of what vas happening on deck. However, we had plenty to Yeap us busy, as It turned out.
We could hear the planes swooping down, and 48 the boaths deopped round 738
electric bulbs and parts of the glass from the engine-room skylights caph falling down on us. The concussion and vibration was bad every time a salvo would drop us.
During this time every one on watch just kept moving about surrying out their various dubies, Our only discontert was the fact that we all bad our
Life-belts on. This made us very wash. The reason se has them on was the fact that the decks were 80 erowded, if anything had happened we could not got.
neer oux rooms. This bombing kept on will thout anything compening until about 5.45 p.m. when efter & heavy sheck the firemen on watch in the stokshold essa rubbing into the engine-room to tall me something was buret about the stants pipes, I ran into the stokehold, and to my great relief I found that all that mes wrong was a drain firem one of the steem pipes had opened with the shock, and was allowing steam to escape. When I weat back into the sogineroom and told Mr Waliace what this serong we had a good laugh.
Rowever, shortly after this WO received an artre beavy shock. I was area abo wes hit as the seemed to be lifted unt of the water. 1 was just coming out of the stokehold when I hourd the fireman shout. Whom X gob back Late the stokehold all the fixes were out and fuel oil sproving all aree the stotahold.
I sant word into the eagine-groom to Mr Bullece to slow the main angines does and take charge of the engine-recm 00 as wo would not loss the stumm 0,00 tao bollers, I managed to get the damaged oil with isolated and got the stand-by unit under way. WIthin tax intentes we were may full speed again. the concession/

Sa
143
OF
at and
S.S. "LOCHGARRY" AT DUNKIRK.
42
R
190
TOTAL
Letter to Mr J. L. Roxburgh, Superintendent Engineer, from Wm. McKillop, Chief Engineer, "LOCHGARRY".
25th
August,
1940.
way
Dear
Sir,
What struck me most at Dunkirk was the coolness and efficiency with which the N.T.O. and his men moved about the narrow wharf shepherding the tired troops as they slowly moved down towards the ships. While we were lying alongside the wharf under continuous bombing they moved about quite unconcerned.
It was certainly a good example to us.
We were amused at three soldiers (old timers) coming down the wharf arm-inarm singing with a bottle sticking out of their pocket; they were not the least bit upset. An old fireman I had wondered where they had been so lucky.
These three soldiers decided they would travel with us instead of a destroyer that was loading beside us, and their luck was still holding as that destroyer was hit shortly after leaving Dunkirk, and a big number killed. This destroyer was our escort, so we had to carry on alone.
Our ship was filled up; 2,700 came down the gangway, but many more jumped aboard at other parts of the ship. We were alongside the wharf from about 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. When we were leaving the wharf an armed trawler, who was assisting us out of our berth, damaged our D.G. cable and set fire to the starboard belting aft. Mr Wallace, the 2nd Engineer, went aft and saw the fire out. After he examined the cable he came back to me in the engineroom and reported the cable was beyond repair, so we had to leave with no
D.G. gear.
After leaving the wharf we in the engine-room saw no more of what was happening on deck. However, we had plenty to keep us busy, as it turned out.
We could hear the planes swooping down, and as the bombs dropped round us electric bulbs and parts of the glass from the engine-room skylights kept falling down on us. The concussion and vibration was bad every time a salvo would drop near us.
During this time every one on watch just kept moving about carrying out their various duties. Our only discomfort was the fact that we all had our life-belts on. This made us very warm. The reason we had them on was the fact that the decks were so crowded, if anything had happened we could not get near our rooms. This bombing kept on without anything serious happening until about 3.45 p.m. when after a heavy shock the fireman on watch in the stokehold came running into the engine-room to tell me something was burst about the steam pipes. I ran into the stokehold, and to my great relief I found that all that was wrong was a drain from one of the steam pipes had opened with the shock, and was allowing steam to escape. When I went back into the engineroom and told Mr Wallace what was wrong we had a good laugh.
However, shortly after this we received an extra heavy shock. I was sure she was hit as she seemed to be lifted out of the water. I was just coming out of the stokehold when I heard the fireman shout. When I got back into the stokehold all the fires were out and fuel oil spraying all over the stokehold.
I sent word into the engine-room to Mr Wallace to slow the main engines down and take charge of the engine-room so as we would not lose the steam on the boilers. I managed to get the damaged oil unit isolated and got the stand-by unit under way. Within ten minutes we were away full speed again. The concussion/

and
141
not
DUNKIRK OPERATIONS
OF
S.S. "LOCHGARRY"
Letter to Mr J. Purvis, Catering Superintendent,
From Mathew Pandelus, Chief Steward, S.S. "LOCHGARRY".
DOVER.
Dear Sir,
Just a note to let you know what we are doing down here. We have just got a message to go into the Harbour for fuel and water, after lying off
Deal for more than a week. All my men are doing fine and all seem glad we are going to get something to do.
There are air raids here every night which means we don't get much sleep, as we must be ready for anything that may come along. At night you can see the French coast all alight with fire and black smoke, and can hear the boom of the big guns quite easily.
I'm getting all the stores I require and everyone is very obliging.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) M. Pandelus.
Chief Steward.
Well, Mr Purvis, I didn't get this letter posted as we didn't get alongside, and no one is allowed to take letters ashore while we are in the
Harbour.
We have just arrived back from Dunkirk and what a time we had! We left
Dover on a certain date about 9 p.m., and sailed out to the roads. We waited there until about 3 a.m. when we weighed anchor and sailed for Dunkirk. We followed a steamer which I learned was the "CLAN McALLISTER". We kept behind her until about 9 a.m., when we passed her, and on looking back about twenty minutes later we saw her being bombed and set on fire. It started on the after well deck. Not long after that she went down.
We carried on to Dunkirk; we had to wait quite a while to get inside the harbour as other ships were loading troops as fast as possible. We got in at last and started loading troops. This would be about midday. Shells were pouring into the harbour from shore batteries. Then about 1 o'clock we had our first air raid. About eighteen raiders came over and dropped bombs all around us like raindrops. We were very lucky we were not hit. We had our two Lewis guns replying as hard as they could; also a British destroyer alongside of us was giving them all they wanted. After dropping dozens of bombs they flew away and we were untouched. In about an hour's time they came back - only thirteen this time - and they gave us another dusting and again we got clear.
As these raids were going on there were four of my stewards and myself in the dining-saloon keeping the soldiers from rushing the doors, as they all right/ wanted to see what was going on. We assured them everything was all

COPY
S. Y. "KILLARNEY"
40
Anchored in the Downs, one fine day in May, we received orders to proceed to Dunkirk to assist in the
194
evacuation of the B.E.F. We were given alternative routes, one for daylight and one for night time. As we left at night, we took the darkness route, which took us round past Calais and then along the coastline eastward.
Owing to misty weather, and all navigational aids being obliterated, we were compelled to anchor off Gravelines till daylight. This we did without trouble. With the break of day, we hove up and proceeded to Dunkirk. The sky was absolutely black with the smoke from burning oil dumps and tanks, which had been set on fire by the military to prevent their being of any use to the enemy. Arriving off Dunkirk
Breakwater, we had to lay off for some hours, while other vessels were filling up with troops. During this time, we were keeping a look-out for the "LOCHGARRY" one of our Company's ships, which was also on the same mission.
We saw a steamer much resembling her come up astern of us, using the daylight route. Whilst we were watching her, trying to ascertain who she was, there was a terrific explosion, and the centre part of her disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared away, her stern portion from the mainmast aft had vanished, and in about two minutes the forward part heeled over and sank. So passed the "MONA'S QUEEN" as a result of a magnetic mine.
About an hour after this, we went alongside the
Breakwater, and immediately commenced embarking troops of all regiments, and including several stretcher cases. Some of these cases had been carried by their chums for four days and four nights. Whilst embarking the troops, we had extreme difficulty in preventing what appeared to be the whole canine population of France and Belgium from taking a passage with us. These animals had attached themselves to the Tommies, as their own people had fled, and it was rather pitiful to see them trying to get aboard after their new friends. Hundreds were shot on the quay to prevent their starving to death.
Whilst we were alongside, we witnessed an attack on a ship just outside, by German aircraft. Bombs fell all round her, but none registered a hit. Eventually our fighter planes drove them off.
On completion of loading troops we returned by the same route as we had taken to come in, and on passing
Gravelines again the fun started. Sailing quietly along, the tired and weary troops stretched out all over the ship, snatching their for the Ministry) maged by
G.S.N.
Lowed ing the
GS and our
Newman of entrance enemy bombs. A call for assisted an escort the British of Mission two destroyers had previously would be waiting hour when for the me aircraft off the consisting port. This attack lasted for half an returned to Ostend.