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Dynam 195. 369
HR
Car. Troup's report
347
I left Ramsgate on the night 2nd - 3rd June in
War Ministry fast motor boat "Haig" with three other fast
W.M.M.B's. I took with me the French Naval Attache Captain
de Revoir who came over to see how the embarkation was going
on on the pier. I gave instructions to the Officers in
charge of boats to act independently and ferry troops to
ships taking a final boat load back to Ramsgate.
I entered Dunkirk harbour and proceeded alongside
the centre pier and with great difficulty persuaded 40
French soldiers to come aboard. These I took to 8 big
ship outside and returned for more. After loading 39
I again proceeded out and just in the entrance was
rammed by a French tug on the prto beam; as the hole
was a good foot above the water line I went on. I had
not gone more than 200 yards when another French tug
altered course and rammed me in the forecastle, cutting
halfway through the upper deck and right up to the keel.
I managed to get clear quickly and took the boat alongside
the "Westward ho" and got the soldiers out, one of whom
got his shoulder smashed in the collision. A destroyer
coming across the bow of the "Westward ho" caused her
to go astern and the wash from her paddle filled the boat
up with water and washed her away from the ship. Asx soon
as the ship stopped I again got alongside and as it was now
three oclock and the Captain had been ordered to clear out
everyone else having gone, I decided to abandon the boat
and get on board the ship with my crew and return to
Margate. On the way over Captain de Revoir told me there
was some difficulty on the pier and suggested he should go
there the following night and help. I therefore arranged
to take him.
On night on 3rd- 4th I left Rangsate in the
W.M.M.B. "Swallow" at 2000, but I left without Captain
de Revoir who missed the boat, arriving at Dunkirk at
2230 going straight alongside the centre pier where I
landed and sent the boat off ferrying, with orders to
come back at 0330 for me.
I found I could be usef as was suggested by
Captain de Revoir in making ships fast, finding out the
number of men they could take and then getting the French
Officers to help me embark the troops quickly, So I
decided to make myself Piermaster and everything else
combined. The French soldiers were very loath to be
separated from each other, their companies or their
Officers but by promising them they would only be
separated for two hours and would meet again in England
they moved quicker. I embarked at least 10,000 troops.
The French ficer Captain le Comte leChartier de Sedouy
on the staff of General Lucas of the 32nd Division was
very helpful and I arranged with him to take the general
and a staff off with me not later than 0330, I had some
qualms about the boat returning for me as her engines were
somewhat groggy I instructed the Officer in the boat if he
was in any doubt to close one of the other boats and order
him to come in by 0300 at the latest. It so happened
that he broke down altogether and told no one and it was
into harbour about 0305 just at the time I was beginning
Just by luck that the motor boat which took me off came
to wonder.
I would like to put on record the wonderful
discipline of the French troops when the last ship left
about 0300.