TNA / Unclassified 1

TNA Unclassified 1

Collection details

TNA Unclassified 1

A working collection of Operation Dynamo source material whose definitive National Archives catalogue reference is still being identified.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: Unclassified 1

Source: The National Archives, Kew, Unclassified 1. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 109–109 of this collection

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OCR is not a transcription. It is machine-generated text used to create research tags and help locate names and references within the source images; it should not be read as a verified narrative.

Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
109	Log in to enlarge	52 OPERATION "DYNAMO" H.M.D.B. "DESPATCH II" 51 1940 MAY 24th p.m. Commissioned at Poole. 1600 sailed from Poole for Portsmouth. 2100 Berthed at Portsmouth Dockyard. Ship "Wipped" during the night. 25th 0430 Left Dockyard for Spithead, Adjusted Compasses. Returned to Dockyard 1700 with defects. 26th 0400 Engines failed to start. 0420 Sailed from Portsmouth for Newhaven. 1400 Berthed at Newhaven. 27th 1130 Engines failed to start. Air Compressor broken down; Temporary repairs executed by Southern Rly by 21.45. 28th 0600 Engines failed to start. 0630 Sailed from Newhaven for Dover. 1740 Arrived off Dover. 2115 Anchored 29th 0410 Started to weigh Anchor; anchor foul of Sub. Cable; 0620 Weighed Anchor, proceeded to Downs for Route Orders. 0930 Left Downs for La Panne by Route "Y". Ship was not attacked by any of the large number of enemy aircraft seen being engaged by Naval Patrol vessels hear W.Hinder and Kwinte Bk Buoys, or by Aircraft seen engaged by Fighters off La Panne; none of the bad shots aimed? by Nieuport Battery at 2 Destroyers North of Nieuport Bk Buoy fell neared than a cable to this vessel. 2000 Anchored 2 miles west of La Panne, and commenced embarking French troops. 30th 0400 Weighed and Proceeded 0405 Engines broke down, reanchore Contact was made by Semaphore with a Destroyer close, who promissed a tow when he had filled-up with troops, but temporary repairs were eff/ected by 1030, and ship proceeded under own power. Course was set to return by Route "Y", but D.B. Paschol close ahead being heavily shelled by Nieuport Battery, in company with Paschol, course was altered NW, across the banks, to Buoy "Y". About 6 miles S of "Y" Buoy a low flying aircraft attacked with 2 bombs which went well over. About 1 mile further on Lewis Gun fire was opened on another low flying enemy aircraft, who did not attack. 1915 Berthed at Ramsgate. 31st 0915091 Left Ramsgate; set course by Route "X" for Dunkirke. 1640 Dunkirke abeam; air raid in progress, nearest bombs, aimed at Destroyer, to for cable from this vessel. 1725 Anchored 31 East of Dunkirke off Battery de Dunes; commenced embarking Middlesex Regiment. Constant High bombing Air Raids till dark; after dark low bombing and machine gun raids. 23.00 All available Middlesex Regiment embarked. June 1st 0001 Weighed, and set course by Route "X" for Ramsgate. 0100 Dunkirke abeam. 0900 Berthed at Ramsgate; Reported ship unable to proceed to sea without repairs. June 4th p.m. Operation "Dynamo" cancelled. 22.00 Proceed from Inner Basin to anchor in Roads. 5th 0400 Sailed from Ramsgate for Newhaven. 2000 Berhhed Newhaven. 6th 0705 Sailed from Newhaven for Poole. 1807 Amchored off Poole. 7th a.m. Proceeded into Poole Harbour. p.m. Paid Off: Crew returned to R.N.B Portsmouth by train. HWilmot-Sitwell Lieutenant Commander.	Broke Despatch II Newhaven Progress Banks De Dover Lewis May Miles Poole Roads West

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 109.

52
OPERATION "DYNAMO"
H.M.D.B. "DESPATCH II"
51
1940
MAY
24th p.m. Commissioned at Poole. 1600 sailed from Poole for
Portsmouth. 2100 Berthed at Portsmouth Dockyard.
Ship "Wipped" during the night.
25th 0430 Left Dockyard for Spithead, Adjusted Compasses. Returned
to Dockyard 1700 with defects.
26th 0400 Engines failed to start. 0420 Sailed from Portsmouth for
Newhaven. 1400 Berthed at Newhaven.
27th 1130 Engines failed to start. Air Compressor broken down;
Temporary repairs executed by Southern Rly by 21.45.
28th 0600 Engines failed to start. 0630 Sailed from Newhaven
for Dover. 1740 Arrived off Dover. 2115 Anchored
29th 0410 Started to weigh Anchor; anchor foul of Sub. Cable;
0620 Weighed Anchor, proceeded to Downs for Route Orders.
0930 Left Downs for La Panne by Route "Y".
Ship was not attacked by any of the large number of enemy
aircraft seen being engaged by Naval Patrol vessels hear
W.Hinder and Kwinte Bk Buoys, or by Aircraft seen engaged
by Fighters off La Panne; none of the bad shots aimed?
by Nieuport Battery at 2 Destroyers North of Nieuport Bk Buoy
fell neared than a cable to this vessel.
2000 Anchored 2 miles west of La Panne, and commenced
embarking French troops.
30th 0400 Weighed and Proceeded 0405 Engines broke down, reanchore
Contact was made by Semaphore with a Destroyer close, who
promissed a tow when he had filled-up with troops, but
temporary repairs were eff/ected by 1030, and ship proceeded
under own power. Course was set to return by Route "Y",
but D.B. Paschol close ahead being heavily shelled by Nieuport
Battery, in company with Paschol, course was altered NW,
across the banks, to Buoy "Y". About 6 miles S of "Y" Buoy
a low flying aircraft attacked with 2 bombs which went well
over. About 1 mile further on Lewis Gun fire was opened on
another low flying enemy aircraft, who did not attack.
1915 Berthed at Ramsgate.
31st 0915091 Left Ramsgate; set course by Route "X" for Dunkirke.
1640 Dunkirke abeam; air raid in progress, nearest bombs,
aimed at Destroyer, to for cable from this vessel.
1725 Anchored 31 East of Dunkirke off Battery de Dunes;
commenced embarking Middlesex Regiment. Constant High
bombing Air Raids till dark; after dark low bombing and
machine gun raids. 23.00 All available Middlesex Regiment
embarked.
June 1st 0001 Weighed, and set course by Route "X" for Ramsgate.
0100 Dunkirke abeam.
0900 Berthed at Ramsgate;
Reported ship unable to proceed to sea without repairs.
June 4th p.m. Operation "Dynamo" cancelled. 22.00 Proceed from
Inner Basin to anchor in Roads.
5th 0400 Sailed from Ramsgate for Newhaven. 2000 Berhhed Newhaven.
6th 0705 Sailed from Newhaven for Poole. 1807 Amchored off Poole.
7th a.m. Proceeded into Poole Harbour.
p.m. Paid Off: Crew returned to R.N.B Portsmouth by train.
HWilmot-Sitwell
Lieutenant Commander.