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 White Bear. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

3 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 284–300 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
284	Log in to enlarge	COPY!/3 2024 OPERATION DYNAMO NARRATIVES BY PERSONNEL OF SMALL CRAFT. INDEX NAME OF VESSEL WRITTEN BY 1. TUG 87 Sub.Lieut. H.M. Davis, R.N.R. 2. M.B. BLUE BIRD If G.B. Eyre, R.N.V.R. 3. M.B. AURA # M.A. Chodzko, R.N.V.R. 4. M.B. BRITANNIA If S.D. Ward 5. M.B.'s CAVERSHAM and QUISISIANA If A.V. Weaver 6. M.B. LADY CABLE Lieut. B.S. Fidler, R.N.R. 7. M.B. EMPRESS Sub.Lieut. T.W. Betts, R.N.V.R. 8. M.B. SKYLARK # M.J.R. Yeatman, R.N.V.R. 9. M.B. SOUTHERN QUEEN " Demattos 0. M.B. PRINCESS LILLY # K.E.A. Bayley 1. M.B. SKYLARK VI Ct. Rating G.R. Price 2. H.M.M.B. WHITE BEAR Cd. Gunner E. Deacon, R.N. 3. H.M.S. DOLPHIN's Motor Boat Sub.Lieut. E.F. Cornish-Bowden, R.N. 4. WALTON and FRINTON Life Boat P.O. Tel. Cooley. 5. M.B. CORDELIA Sub.Lieut. C.A. Thompson 6. M.B. PELLAG II Lieut. Martino, R.N.V.R. STATEMENT BY 7. M.B. SKYLARK (Southend) Pensioner P.O. R.A. Smith 8. BOURNEMOUTH Life Boat L. Sea. H. Huntington 9. M.B. BONNY BELLE Sto. I. G.H. Rose O. EASTBOURNE Life Boat (Sto. J. Strangeways P/KX.95036 and (Sto. A.H. Shaw P/KX.94553 1. M.B. (Unknown) A.B. M.J. Stallard P/JX.154107 2. M.B. SEA FALCON L.Sea. A. Westbrook P/JX.131401 3. M.B. SKYLARK Sto. G. Bramhall P/KX.88343 4. M.B. COMMODORE Sto. Beech P/KX.90016 5. NEWHAVEN Life Boat (A.B. W.J. Morris P/JX.126097 (Sto.I W. Spray P/KX.87052 (o.s. T.E. White CDX.133 6, M.B. YSER Act. P.O. W.H. Achin JX.149919	Aura Blue Bird Boat Britannia Caversham Commodore Cordelia Dolphin Empress Falcon Lady Cable Newhaven Pellag II Princess Queen Rose Sea Falcon Skylark Skylark VI Southern Queen White Bear Bayley Betts Bramhall Chodzko Cooley Cornish Davis Deacon Eyre Fidler Huntington Martino Morris Rose Shaw Smith SMITH R.A Spray Strangeways Thompson Ward Weaver Westbrook White Yeatman
297	Log in to enlarge	215 OPERATION DYNAMO ENCLOSURE NO. 12. SHIP: H.M.M.B. "WHITE BEAR". OFFICER REPORTING: COMD. GUNNER E. DEACON, R.N. Left Southampton 0130 on 30th May, arrived Dover 1830 on 30th May. Left for Dunkirk 0730 on 1st June, arrived off Dunkirk 1530, remained until 1725. Ordered to return by "Kildare Star". Arrived in Dover at 0600 on 2nd June. Sent by Flag Officer-in-Charge, Southampton. 1 Engine broken down.	White Bear Deacon Dover May White
300	Log in to enlarge	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