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.

Showing only pages tagged with the vessel name Thrifty. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

5 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 300–431 of this collection

A note about image and OCR quality

Every reasonable effort has been made to present these document images as flat, straight and accurately cropped as possible. Historical records can be difficult to photograph or scan because of tight bindings, deep gutters, page curvature, folds, creases, fragile paper, uneven edges, shadows, glare, skewed pages, fading, stains, tears, attachments and restrictions on how a document may be handled. These conditions can distort parts of an image and consequently affect the OCR transcription.

Considerable post-production work has been undertaken to crop, align, flatten and enhance the images where practicable, but the results represent our best effort rather than exact facsimiles. Text showing through from the reverse of a page, printed backgrounds, stamps, ruled lines, marks and text visible from neighbouring pages may confuse or spoil OCR output. Handwriting is not reliably recognised and, in most places, may be missing, incomplete or incorrectly transcribed. Always check the page image and, where accuracy matters, consult the original record held by the identified archive.

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

300

OPERATION DYNAMO
ENCLOSURE NO. 14m
21%
Ship: R.N.L.B. "WALTON AND FRINTON" E.M.E.D.
Written up by Petty Officer Tel.Cooley
Officer Reporting: Commanding Officer Lt.R.H. Mead, R.N.V.R.
Sat. June 1st. 0400
Manned Walton Life Boat RNLB - EMIND.
0500
To sea.
0536 Made to signal Station "where are drifters that are going to tow lifeboats". From signal station "go alongside".
0550 Lay off drifters. Proceeding to make enquiries as regards intentions.
0600 Small boats informed what we are doing.
0614 Secure alongside P.O. steps; Captain ashore for enquiries.
0630
Left P.O. steps.
0645 Lay off drifters.
0715 Taken in tow by drifter "Thrifty". Ships in our tow Southend-on-Sea Lifeboat
"Abdybeauclark", lifeboat Walton E.N.E.D.
Lifeboat P.E.42 "Summer" Maid" Motor Boat
"White Bear".
0725 Left Dover.
0729 Tow slipped second from end.
0733 Tow O.K. Under way - sighted South Goodwin
Light Vessel at 0730.
0900 To passing sloop "are there many more to take off".
0901 Reply "Yes".
0910
Destroyers wash parted tow.
0928
Tow O.K. Under way.
1027 Passed E. Goodwins.
1256
Captain H-M passed.
1404 Destroyer H-15 passing broke tow on last boat in line.
1407 Tow O.K. Under way.
1502 Tow broken on last boat in line.
1516 Tow O.K. Under way.
1517 3 planes attacked around. Sloop bombed.
1522 Mine sighted floating. Mine fired at.
Result uncertain.
1537 Ybonne et Moabe of Gravelin French Flag with one English soldier with Brenn Gun onboard heading England. Turned on communicating with us and headed towards Dunkirk.
(Boat just mentioned was sunk about 1615 by bombs direct hit.)
1550 Searching around among very large wreckage.
1605 Turned back for few miles while drifter reports and await results of message by W/T
regarding ship in distress further up main
1615 channel. Bombed by (about 30) many planes - 1 trawler sunk (not in our company). Bomb dropped by our trawler and broke tow throwing men in water. Men picked up. Our planes arrived.
1624 Proceeding to investigate Trawler.
1635 Air attack still on.
1640 Departed planes.
1652 Bombs heard dropping Drifters heading home without leaving orders. Tried to communicate with drifters to ask their intentions with
Aldis but could get no reply. Tried to collect small boats and motioned life-boat to stop (scored out in log "Comd. Gunner onboard") Lifeboat went on but stopped by
Aldis.
1710/

Boat Broke Drifter England Thrifty White Bear Aldis Cooley Dover English Few Last Light Mead Miles White

326

OCR table 1 from document page 326
GUNBOATS 257	H.M. DRIFTERS.
LOCUST 258	DORIENTA 339
MOSQUITOV	BEN & LUCY 2339
263	KINDRED STAR 344
CORVETTES.	THRIFTY 344
SHELDRAKE 263	FLARE BURNING DRIFTERS. 319
KINGFISHER 265
GUILLEMOT 270	[X] EILEEN EMMA
	FORECAST
THAMES LOCAL DEFENCE	273 GERVAIS RENTOUL
FLOTILLA.	[X] GIRL GLADYS
	[X] GIRL PAMELA
ROYAL EAGLE 282	[X] GOLDEN GIFT
GOLDEN EAGLE /291	GOLDEN SUNBEAM 351
CRESTED EAGLE 293	LORD HOWARD
	LORD HOUSE
PORTSMOUTH INNER 299 PATROL.	MIDAS NETSUKIS PAXTON
[X] ANKH ,305	BOY ROY
315	SHIPMATES
BOUNTY	UT PROSIM
CARYANDA 303	THE BOYS
LAHLOO 311	TORBAY II.
THELE 301	YORKSHIRE LASS
SERIOLA 1308, 306	YOUNG NUN
[X] EILA II.	[X] MUN
[ ] [X] AHOLA 1304	SHEERNESS REPORTS.
[X] [ ] NONETA 1321
323 HARWICH FORCE.	RENASCENT MONARDA
PADDLE M/S.	ARONIA STRATHELLIOT
[X] WAVERLEY	ALOUETTE 2. & men.
ORIOLE	Recommendations for officers special
[X] DUCHESS OF FIFE	List of officers deserving
MARMION	mention.
M/S TRAWLERS.	Movements of officers.
LORD MELCHETT 1329 330	"A/S" & "LL" TRAWLERS.
STELLA RIGEL	LORD INCHCAPE
DRIFTERS.	OUR BAIRNS OLVINA
MARE / 331	CAPE ARGONA
SARAH HIDE TWEENWAYS 335	TUGS.
UNICITY	SUN IV. J
JACKEVE 106	[ ] C.11
THREE KINGS	0.9
RIG J	FORMIDABLE
[X] STRIVE
	ST CLEARS/

Ahola Ankh Aronia Bounty Boy Roy Caryanda Crested Eagle Dorienta Duchess Duchess of Fife Eila II Eileen Eileen Emma Forecast Formidable Gervais Rentoul Girl Gladys Girl Pamela Golden Eagle Golden Gift Golden Sunbeam Guillemot Jackeve Kindred Star Lahloo Lord Howard Lord Inchcape Lord Melchett Mare Midas Monarda Netsukis Noneta Olvina Our Bairns Paxton Renascent Rig Royal Eagle Sarah Hide Seriola Sheldrake Shipmates Stella Rigel Strathelliot Strive Sun Sun IV Sunbeam Thames The Boys Thele Three Kings Thrifty Torbay II Tweenways Yorkshire Lass Kings May Young

423

- 315
HM DRIFTERS
DORIENTA.
BEN Thusy
KINDRED STAR
THRIFTY.

Dorienta Kindred Star Thrifty

430

REPORT FROM OFFICER IN CHARGE OF DRIFTERS
321
"KINDRED STAR" & "THRIFTY" during DUNKIRK OPERATIONS -
29th May to 5th June 1940.
May
29th.
Having received orders to proceed to Dover on special duty, all M/S gear was landed, the ships were coaled and provisioned and left Portland Harbour at 1900
May 30th. Arrived off Dover at 1730. Reported arrival to off breakwater and await instructions.
examination vessel and was told to anchor about 19 mile
May 31st.
Having waited outside Dover Harbour all night We finally received instructions to enter harbour and berth alongside Prince of Wales Pier at 1400.
I reported in person to Vice Admiral Dover and was instructed to stand by for sailing orders.
June 1st. At 0430 orders were received to report to H.M.S. "Lynx"
for final instructions. We were then given orders to take in tow 6 Lifeboats or similar craft with each ship and to proceed to the beach 1 mile east of Dunkirk by route "Y".
We left Dover Harbour with boats in tow at 07 00 for
Dunkirk via North Goodwin Light Vessel.
113 O.
Passed "W" Buoy Saw floating Mine destroyed by gun fire from another vessel.
1330.
Passed several vessels returning from direction of
Dunkirk - some with a few troops on deck, others apparently empty.
1400.
Passed """ Buoy. Speed made good approximately 4 knots.
1430g
Saw large Ship on her side on fire and boat blazing in the water. Shells falling very near from shore batteries.
1530.
Attacked by dive hombers. Sent oui message " attacked by aircraft" on R/T. Our lewis guns in action.
Several vessels were seen trying 10 enter Dunkirk Roads but all were driven back by action of enemy aircraft and shore batteries. We altered course to bring us outside range of shore guns.
1610.
Again attacked by dive bombers. R/Teall sent and Lewis
Guns were again inaction.
One salvo of 4 bombs struck the water just ahead of the
"Kindred Star" scorching the paint and scattering small fragments on the deck but. doing no aparent damage.
There was another salvo of 6 bombs dripped - 3 each side of the "Thrifty". These bonbs birst under water throwing up great columns of water and flooding the top bridge and decks to a depth of several feet.
Two hands were washed overboard ut these were picked up
The tows were slipped for greater safety.
by lifeboats.
One Trawler was seen to be badly it by & bomb - afterwards
We did not stop as there were oth- ships nearer to these sinking. Another unknown vessel as blown to pieces.
1620.
Engineer vessels. on "Kindred Star"reported:hat the boiler was losing water rapidly also the mainiteam and feed pipes were Returned to collect tow which had attered, all except cracked.
1730.
3 R/T signal to Dover asking nstructions re these lifeboats having returned indepently. for
1800.
Sent lifeboats but no reply was received.
1830.
Tow attacked by dive bombing aircra two near attacks "V" buoy. by was slipped attheir request.
Lewis bombing aircraft, but no amage was sustained.
Again Guns again in action, also further her high Entered Ramsgate Harbour and blew downoiler on "Kindred
Star" in order to effect repairs.

Boat Kindred Star Prince Prince of Wales Thrifty Bridge Dover Few Lewis Light May Prince Roads Wales

431

345
be 322
June 2nd. In Ramsgate Harbour doing temporary repairs to boilor of "Kindred Star".
"Thrifty" reported to be leaking badly, engines shaken up and galley stove destroyed.
June 3rd. Orders were received from N.O.I.C. Ramsgate to return to Portland in company as soon as the tide permitted. Owing to the repairs not being completed until late, we were not in time for that evening's tide.
The Chief Engineer of "Thrifty" got intoxicated and struck the Skipper of the "Kindred Star" and also his own Skipper. He was placed under arrest by orders of the N.O.I.C. and handed over to the
Ramsgate Police.
June
4th. Left Ramsgate 0925.
June 5th. Arrived Portland 1100.
June 12th 1940
Lieutenant. R.N.V.R.
And ded hereto the

Evening Kindred Star Thrifty