TNA MT 40 66

30
21st June, 1940.
DearMaia
You have perhaps seen in to-day's Press that I have written letters to the Masters of ships engaged in the recent operations off Dunkirk and Calais in order to express to them the Government's high appreciation of the courage and endurance displayed.
I have written to Chief Officer E. Irvine of the "Firth Fisher"
and asked him to convey the Government's appreciation to the surviving members of the ship's company, but I feel I cannot let the occasion pass without writing to you to express my profound sympathy in the great loss which you have suffered in the death of your husband, Captain J.O.Roberts in this action.
I hope you will be able to draw comfort from the thought that he was killed in action in the face of the enemy doing his duty to his country and his comrades.
YOURS SINCERELY,
I
Mrs. Roberts.
of the S.V. "ROYALTY". "ETHEL
158
Yours faithfully,
85
F.T. EVERARD FSBackur & SONS LED
Director.
LORINA
NORMANNI
WOR
/CANTERBU
MAID OR
London,
YEWDALE
John Stewart & Co. Shipping Lou.,
/BIARRITZ
308 Clyde Street,
/AUTOCARRI
Glasgow, C.1.
YEWGLEN
John Stewart & Co. Shipping Ltd.,
Capt R.
308, Clyde Street,
Glasgow, C.1.
010536 80m In all 6/418. & Co. 745(8)

NE
Temporary Addres
TELEGRAMS:
CONSTANT MIDDLESBROUGH
Telephone:
AMOUNT NUMBER &SCOTTISH PATIENT
L.M.S. Headquarters,
TELEPHONE 3445
17
WATFORD,
HERTS.
EUSTON 1234.
TELEPHONE WATFORD 6051-8
***
Ext.29
GLYNNE ROBERTS,
Secretary of the Company
Custon Station, London, P.OULI.
YORK HOUSE,
&Assistant to President.
MIDDLESBROUGH.
20th June, 1940
1
20th June 1940.
Dear Sir,
3
I desire to acknowledge and thank you for your letter of yesterday's date transmitting sealed letters from the Minister of
Shipping to the Officers who had command of the "Princess Maud" and
"Scotia" in the recent evacuation from Dunkirk, which I have had much t of your letter of the pleasure in passing forward to the
O note that the Minister
Officers concerned.
e the services of the ng the evacuation from
Yours faithfully,
Oseyme Robert
1 appreciated by the ws of these vessels.
aged for Chartering
Secretary.
aken the liberty of
#
vest Shipping Co., Ltd., r. to forward this to their
The Private Secretary to
The Minister of Shipping,
The Ministry of Shipping,
Berkeley Square House, ly,
Berkeley Square,
LONDON, W.1.
MSHIP LINE LTD, for
SECRETARY.
(J.LAMB.)
Is
CITY
LORINA
WORTHTOWN
3, Lime Street
London, E.C.3.
Capt. E.
NORMANI
John Stewart & Co. Shipping Ltd.,
/CANTERI
MAID OF
YEWDALE
308 Clyde Street,
John stewart & Co. Shipping Ltd.,
Glasgow, C.1.
Capt R.
/BIARRIT
/AUTOCAR
YEWGLEN
308, Clyde Street,
Glasgow, C.1.
(4182)
Wt.15908/5536

Master of the
17th Juno, 1940.
R.
I write on behalf of the Government to convey to you and to the members of your Ship's Company the gratitude olfenden by and admiration felt for the help frecly given and the courage and endurance displayed by you all in the ton.
evacuation from Dunkirk.
This operation, in which the Merchant Navy joined as vor.
partnor of the fighting services, was carried to a
Hughes.
successful conclusion in the face of difficulties never mpson.
before experienced in war.
y enemy
J.O.Roberts
I am proud to pay tribute to your share and that of ng Chief
Irvine.
your Ship's Company in a great and humane adventure
Mastin.
K
destined to occupy a place of honour in the pages of
Linn.
history.
Young.
Stewart s
Minister of Shipping.
West, &
Dickenson.
Dickinson.
ST
ST
Vilson.
ST
F. Roberts
S
PAR
ISL
DIN
MacDonal
WOR
sunk by e
ISLI
¥. Roberts
FENELI
London, D.V.
MANXMA
F.T. Everard & Sons Ltd.,
SO ALITY
22-23 Gt. Tower Street,
TYNWAL
London, E.C. 3.
Capt. R.A. Shan
Comben Longstaff & Co., Ltd.,
WESTOWN
3, Lime Street Square,
BEN-MY
London, E.C. 3.
Capt. M. McInn
Comben, Longstaff & Co., Ltd.,
WILLIAMSTOWN
3, Lime Street Square,
LADY OF
Comben Longstaff & Co., Ltd.,
London, E.C.3.
Capt. R. Th enemy acti
LORINA
WORTHTOWN
3, Lime Street Square,
John Stewart & Co. Shipping Ltd.,
London, E.C.3.
Capt. E.
NORMANN
/CANTERBU
YEWDALE
308 Clyde Street,
MAID OR
John Stewart & Co. Shipping Ltd.,
Glasgow, C.1.
Capt R.
/BIARRITZ
YEWGLEN
308, Clyde Street,
/AUTOCARR
Glasgow, C.1.

(2.)
94
to No.7 berth. 8 a.m. commence discharge winches and cranes all through the day we were bombed. The French crane drivers refused to drive cranes. Our own men were put in their place at 8 p.m. discharge. Enter Lonks 4 a.m. 24th heavy bombing all through the night.
2.30 a.m. received a note from Naval
Officer to be in locks prompt at 4 a.m. take 240 trops on board and be clear of locks at 4.30 a.m. Entered locks at 3.50 a.m. went ashore to make enquiries about trops but could find no one, took on board 6 men waited until 5.15 a.m.
then seeing no one about decided to cast off and proceed on voyage came down narrow channela the same way as we went up.
When off Calais we were shelled from shore altered course to seaward and got well out of range when hauling in to No.5 bouy we were again shelled from shore all dropping a mile short. At noon landed 6 men soldiers at Dover by tender and proceeded on voyage
9 p.m. made fast at Deptford Victualling Wharf.
8 a.m. 27th commenced loading
6 p.m. 28th loading completed cast off and proceede d to
Deptford to discharge. Arrived at Deptford 10 p.m.
June 1st, 1940 Commenced discharging
June 2nd 6 p.m. discharge completed cast off and proceeded to Greenhithe for orders and remained there until off
Charter.
(Sgn.) R. ROBERTS.
MASTER.

eport from J.McNamee. Chief
165, isiington, fficer. "St.Selrioi"
Liverpool.3.
13th June, 1940.
To.mr.T.G.Brew. To.
234
Dear Sir,
1 submit the following report as equested by you.
Monday 2/ th May. at 1.30 pm. We proceeded to Dunkirk and arrived alongside the Pier about 7.30 pm. There was an Air Raid in progress. Our guns with others were in action. We landed a man on the Pier to hang on our Ropes. About 8.0 pm. Lieut.Comm.Williams.RN
came on board and told the Captain to proceed out of the Harbour, lower his boats and get the men on board from the beach. We got to the Anchorage. I lowered the first boat i/c 2nd Officer H. Roberts A.B.
J. Wishart Fireman. The 2nd boat i/c R. Thomas. J.Kelly A.B.
J. Lewis Signalman. The third boat was taken by the crew of a Trawler.
When 1 was about to lower the 4th boat we received information that there were a number of troops arriving at the Pier.
With the remainder of the Crew we still had on board we proceeded alongside the Pier. We got about 600 men on board, they were arriving in batches, about 11.0 pm. we were told there were no more men in the vicinity, so we cut our mooring ropes. On hearing more men running along the Pier we got the ship alongside the Pier again and got about ou more men on board. During our stay alongside the
Pier we had four Air Raids. While we were leaving the Pier the enemy dropped illuminated parashutes which lit up the whole sea front. Our Captain backed the vessel up the Harbour under the smoke screen made available to us from the burning town of Dunkirk.
We then proceeded to try and pick up our boats and crew, but was ordered by a destroyer to proceed to Dover via Calais. When off Calais we were attacked by bombs and Machine gunfire, the plane coming doen to the level of the Navigation Bridge, but fortunately for us a Destroyer was passing at the time and came into action and the plane was destroyed.
About 5.0 am. Tuesday 28th May. We arrived at Dover and were ordered to disembark at Folkestone.
We remained at Folkestone all day getting Fresh Water, Oil
Fuel and Stores. At 9.0 pm. we went to Anchor East of Pier at
Folkestone.