Dunkirk (1940) Although two more were ordered in 1918, they were both cancelled and Malcolm became the last of the class to be completed. By the time she was launched, on 29 May 1919, the war she was built for was over and one of her class, Scott, has been sunk. On 14 May 1940, she helped to transfer the Navy attaché Admiral Sir Gerald Charles Dickens and two Dutch radar researchers (J.L.C.W Von Weiler and M. Staal) from Scheveningen to the Hook, where they were transferred to HMS Wessex. On 15 May 1940, she was deployed as part of Operation Ordnance off the Hook in South Holland. From 26 May to 4 June she assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk, making eight runs between Dunkirk and England. The ship's then commander, Sir Thomas Halsey, was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order on 7 June 1940 "for good services in the withdrawal of the Allied Armies from the beaches at Dunkirk". [2] In July, Malcolm was reassigned to anti-invasion patrol with HMS Cardiff. On 14 August 1940, Malcolm and HMS Verity were attacked by six Kriegsmarine trawlers and three E-boats. One E-boat and one trawler were sunk in the engagement. On 10 September 1940, she attacked invasion barges in Ostend with HMS Wild Swan and HMS Veteran. A few days later, the same three ships shelled Boulogne in a sweep along the French coast. At the end of the year, she was deployed to the Western Approaches Escort Force for Atlantic convoy defence. In this role Malcolm was engaged in all the duties performed by escort ships; protecting convoys, searching for and attacking U-boats which attacked ships in convoy and rescuing survivors. In twelve months service Malcolm escorted 29 Atlantic and 3 Gibraltar convoys, of which 10 were attacked and she was involved in two major convoy battles. In February 1941 Malcolm joined the newly formed 8th Escort Group as senior ship, her captain, Cdr C D Howard–Johnston, being Senior Officer Escort (SOE).[3] On 10 May, Malcolm rescued the eleven survivors from Empire Caribou, which had been torpedoed and sunk by U-556. They were later landed at Reykjavík.[4] Winser, John de S. (1999). B.E.F. Ships before, at and after Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-91-6.