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Laudania
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ORDE Registry
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Red List (1939–40) — OCR
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Ship Details
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- Ship type: D
Lloyd’s Yacht Register (1939)
Source: Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Heritage & Education Centre, Lloyd’s Register of Yachts 1939, digitised via Internet Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Images have been converted, resized and watermarked for web display; machine-generated table OCR has been added.
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Document Collections — Tagged Pages
14 pagesImaged document collections containing pages whose OCR text or table data has been tagged with the name Laudania. Open a collection to view the page images and transcriptions.
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Page 207
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CONSTANT NYMPH M/C Dr. B.A. Smith, Owner/Skipper 30th May 1530 Left Ramsgate in tow of the Sk. Jutland, which also towed a cutter, 2130ca a whaler, and the eel-boat Johanna. Arrived some miles east of Dunkirk. Towed the cutter and whaler to the beach after the Jutland had anchored. Ferried several loads of French troops to the Jutland. - Shifted nearer to Dunkirk and ferried British troops. 31st May 0300ca The Jutland having filled with troops(1) proceeded. 0500ca The Constant Nymph, with the cutter and whaler, then attached herself to a "similar ship", a skoot(2) [i.e. the Twente] and commenced filling her with troops. 0800ca The skoot was full; (3) the cutter was aground under a stranded barge; the Constant Nymph's propeller was fouled and her petrol tank empty. Constant Nymph's crew were transferred to the skoot, and the M/B and whaler were turned over to a drifter. The skoot proceeded. 1730ca(4) The skoot arrived Margate and disembarked her troops. She then Constant Nymph was eventually found proceeded to Ramsgate. stranded at Broadstairs and was returned to her owner. [On 1st June, Dr. Smith was appointed to the M/C Count Dracula (q.v.)] Nil (2) Dr. Ramsgate report and the only (1) states 205 troops (but see Jutland). that R.N.V.R. 2 cannot Smith officers remember states Dr. on Smith board this why were he was is the rather was the a names Lieut. BO "Laudania", deaf sure of R.N.R. the and of 2 the states officers. and name a that S/Lt. he "Laudania". He did not ascertain that the so-called "Laudania" A.W. was in It 1B considered commanded by Lieut. R.N.V.R.), McMullon for the R.N.R., fact the (lst skoot Lieut. Twente, was s/Lt. Adderley all the The following following Twente requisite reason: is the only conditions; skoot them. which indeed satisfies s/Lt. no other R. N. V.R. skoot satisfies more than one of (b) (a) (c) Officers She She a M/B embarked disembarked and - "a a Lieut. troops cutter about about and R.N.R. 400 whaler" dawn troops and a 31st [or at wargute at at about at assisted Ramagate] by (a) [D.R. 1800 She after mentions left on the May. a troops a (3) Margate name which report evidently states that Twente disembarked 350 on arrival. (4) Margate report states 1845. 204
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CONSTANT NYMPH M/C 30th May 1530 Dr. B.A. Smith, Owner/Skipper Left Ramsgate in tow of the Jutland, a which also towed Sk. 2130ca Arrived Towed some miles east of Johanna. whaler, and the eel-boat a cutter, beach after the Jutland had anchored. the the cutter and whaler Dunkirk. to Ferried several loads of French - troops to the Jutland. Shifted nearer to Dunkirk and ferried British troops. 31st May 0300ca The proceeded. Jutland having filled with troops(1) 0500ca The Constant Nymph, with the cutter and whaler, then attached herself to a "similar ship", a skoot(2) [i.e. the Twente] and commenced filling her with troops. 0800ca The skoot was full; (3) the cutter was aground under a stranded barge; the Constant Nymph's propeller was fouled and her petrol tank empty. Constant Nymph's crew were transferred to the skoot, and the M/B and whaler were turned over to a drifter. The skoot proceeded. 1730ca(4) The skoot arrived Margate and disembarked her troops. She then proceeded to Ramsgate. Constant Nymph was eventually found stranded at Broadstairs and was returned to her owner. [on 1st June, Dr. Smith was appointed to the M/C Count Dracula (q.v.)] Nil (1) Ramagate report states 205 troops (but see Jutland). (2) Dr. Smith states this was the"Laudania", and that the only 2 officers on board were a Lieut. R.N.R. and a S/Lt. R.N.V.R. Dr. Smith is rather deaf and states that he cannot remember why he was BO sure of the name "Laudania". He did not ascertain the names of the 2 officers. It 1B considered that the so-called "Laudania" was in fact the skoot Twente, commanded by Lieut. A.W. McMullon for the R.N.R., (lst Lieut. was s/Lt. Adderley R.N. V.R.), The following reason: only skoot which satisfies all the following Twente requisite is the conditions; indeed no other skoot satisfies than one of them. (b) (a) Officers more - a Lieut. R.N.R. about dawn and a 31st s/Lt. May, cutters"]. R.N.V.R. assisted by (c) (a) She She a 1800 M/B embarked disembarked on and 31st Margate "a May. cutter troops about [to and return 400 whaler" troops to her [or at base Margate "2 at Ramagate] at about [D.R. name She after mentions which left the evidently a the a (3) Margate report states that Twente disembarked 350 troops on arrival. (4) Margate report states 1845. 204
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Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 116 4649. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Page 99 Operation "DYNAMO" - Recommendations of Personnel. Yacht BYSTANDER (Echo John Sounding Yacht) - Sub. Lieutenant Henry Beresford Barge, R.N.V.R. V. Recommendations. RATING: Able Seaman (Cook) J. H. Elton, LT/JX.180250 (R.N. Patrol Service) off the Dunkirk, KING this ship proceeded to remove 0200/30/5 the Employed as Cook in this yacht. At when dinghy, with ORRY, then sinking in the fairway. The crew of ft. effect Elton and one other as crew, launched 8 to attempted a weak to swim to the yacht, but they were personnel in a rescue. Most of the KING ORRY's dived was obvious many would drown. Elton done that it state owing to the arduous service they had such of the into the water and assisted and supported thereupon hour swimmers as he could find for more than half as many loads whilst the dinghy, rowed by the other rating, an water Elton put many men on to life-rafts and towed the of men, returned to the BYSTANDER. Whilst in with by on swimming. The last men he brought back to the yacht them a life-raft, were towed by Elton in the water as a tow-rope with one hand on the raft and one hand acting on the dinghy - a remarkable feat of endurance. He was responsible for rescuing about 25 Officers and men. In supplied hot tea and food to all the 97 men on board addition to the above, Elton, in his capacity as Cook, within half an hour of leaving the scene of the wreck, the cooking utensils, etc, normally sufficing for 7. He provided dry clothes and blankets and generally tended the rescued, many of whom were suffering from shock. This rating was unsparing in his efforts and acted with great gallantry without regard to his own safety. Recommended for decoration. Motor Boat CONSTANT NYMPH: - Chargehand B.A. Smith, Little Ship Club, (Owner of Motor Boat). Recommendation. Chargehand B. A. Smith, Little Ship Club. Chargehand Smith proceeded with a crew of 2 Naval Stokers who had never been to sea, in tow p.m. 30th May for the beaches. Took in a whaler and cutter, and during the night ferried off about 800 men to 2 skoots the JUTLAND and LAUDANIA, who were thus filled up. CONSTANT NYMPH then collected a number of odd boats trying to row off to ships filled with soldiers, and collected them and towed them to offshore vessels. During thiss time fairly continuous bombing and shelling were encountered. Chargehand Smith remarks that being deaf and with a lot to do prevented him noticing these annoyances. Continued work until all fuel was exhausted, and the boat was sent to a supply drifter for repair and refuelling, Chargehand Smith being ordered back to Margate This civilian showed great
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Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199 790. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Dynoms 190. 204 191 REPORT ON WORK DONE ON DUNKIRK BEACH BY "CONSTANT NYMPH" 30/31 MAY, 1940. CHARGE HAND. - B.A. Smith., Little Ship Club (Owner of motor boat). CREW. - STOKERS ALLEN AND MIXIKUE from Sheerness. We left Ramsgate about 3.30 Pollo on 30th May, 1940, in tow of H.M.S. "Jutland" (A Dutch boat taken over by Navy) after lying outside the Harbour from 9.30 a.m., during which time we had done a little ferrying work between ships. We were towed with a whaler and cutter on same tow. Arrived at our station some miles east of Dunkirk Harbour about 9.30 p.m. and towed whaler and cutter to beach as soon as "JUTLAND" had 30/5 anchored slight mist. At first we could only find Frenchmen on the beach and took off several boat loads, then a British officer waded and swam to "CONSTANT NYMPH" while running slowly up and down the beach line in about 3 feet 5 inches waiting for the boats to be filled and keeping a look out for British troops, In spite of darkness and slight mist, the fires on shore and fine night made bodies of men show up against the sand. On hearing from British officer that thousands of our men. were a little nearer Dunkirk, we worked further up and got mainly British for some time; not many wounded. One nice fire which was a leading mark was blown out by another bomb later on in the night, but we were fairly well at home by then and it caused no delay. Having filled "JUTLAND", the motor-boat with whaler and outter turned over to "LAUDANIA",a similar ship, and filled that. "JUTLAND" left 31/5 about 3 a.m. I am informed by Captain of "LAUDANIA" that these ships hold about 450 men each, making a total of 900 men taken off. About 8 a.m. "LAUDANIA" was full and the cutter was aground under a stranded lighter and her crew could not get her off, Captain of "LAUDANIA" told me to get the crew if I could not get the outter, and this was done. Certain odd boats were found on the beach by troops of both nations, any found trying to row to ships in our area were collected and towed to ship, mk and efforts made to use them again if serviceable. These efforts were usually hampered by Frenchmen not tying up to the ship when boarding and letting the boat drift. Bombing in the district seemed fairly continuous, some explosions shook the boat a good bit, but nothing seemed very near. Anti-aircraft fire seemed to come from the beach in many cases, tracer bullets from that line were often to be seen. There was some heavy shelling, apparently directed by planes dropping Very lights over the ships, one crump was either very near or very big as the boat trembled as if she had grounded. Being deaf and having a lot to de prevented my noticing the bombing much but my crew seemed to think it was increasing with daylights About 8 a.m. on Friday, 31st May, 1940, having used all fuel and got rope in the propeller, I was ordered to turn over the motor boat and whaler to a Drifter believed to have fuel and mechanics, and go aboard "LAUDANIA" which left at once with all orews and arrived Margate about 5 p.m. Both Allen and Medkle, the two young Stoker ratings who were my crew, worked steadily and efficiently throughout the ten hours or so of working on the beach and were always on the look-out for swimmers or odd craft to be picked up. These lads had hover been to sea and were only enlisted in January 1940, they informed me. (sa) B.A. Smith. 6th June, 1940,
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Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199 792. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Page 824
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Page 99. Operation "DYNAMO" - Recommendations of Personnel. H.M.Yacht H. BYSTANDER (Echo Sounding Yacht). - Lieutenant Henry John Beresford Barge, R.N.V.R. Recommendations. RATING: Able Seaman (Cook) J. H. Elton, LT/JX,180250 180250 (R.N. Patrol Service) off Dunkirk, this ship proceeded to remove the Employed as Cook in this yacht. At 0200/30/5 when dinghy, with Elton and one other as crew, launched to the KING ORRY, then sinking in the fairway. The crew 8 of ft. effect a rescue. Most of the KING ORRY's personnel attempted to swim to the yacht, but they were in such a weak state owing to the arduous service they had done that it was obvious many would drown. Elton thereupon dived into the water and assisted and supported as many of the swimmers as he could find for more than half an hour whilst the dinghy, rowed by the other rating, with loads of men, returned to the BYSTANDER. Whilst in the water Elton put many men on to life-rafts and towed them by swimming. The last men he brought back to the yacht on a life-raft, were towed by Elton in the water acting as a tow-rope with one hand on the raft and one hand on the dinghy - a remarkable feat of endurance. He was responsible for rescuing about 25 Officers and men. In addition to the above, Elton, in his capacity as Cook, supplied hot tea and food to all the 97 men on board within half an hour of leaving the scene of the wreck, the cooking utensils, etc. normally sufficing for 7. He provided dry clothes and blankets and generally tended the rescued, many 01° whom were suffering from shock. This rating was unsparing in his efforts and CGM acted with great gallantry without regard to his own safety. luring stered Recommended for decoration. ivors was whom Motor Boat CONSTANT NYMPH: - Chargehand B.A. Smith, Little Ship Club, (Owner of Motor Boat). Recommendation. Chargehand B. A. Smith, Little Ship Club. D.S.M. Chargehand Smith proceeded with a crew of 2 Naval Stokers who had never been to sea, in tow p.m. 30th May for the beaches. Took in a whaler and cutter, and during the night ferried off about 800 men to 2 skoots the JUTLAND and LAUDANIA, who were thus filled up. CONSTANT NYMPH then collected a number of odd boats trying to row off to ships filled with soldiers, and collected them and towed them to offshore vessels. During thiss time fairly continuous bombing and shelling were encountered. Chargehand Smith remarks that being deaf and with a lot to do prevented him noticing these annoyances. Continued work until all fuel was exhausted, and the boat was sent to a supply drifter ordered back to Margate This civilian showed great for repair and refuelling, Chargehand Smith being
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Operation BYSTANDER "DYNAMO" (Echo Sounding - Recommendations of Personnel. Page 99. Yacht Recommendations. John Beresford Yacht) Barge, - Sub R.N.V.R. Lieutenant Henry RATING: Able Seaman (Cook) Employed J. H. as Elton, Cook LT/JX. 180250 (R.N. Patrol Service) ed off the Dunkirk, KING ORRY, this then kind At when dinghy, effect a with rescue. Elton Most and one other as The 8 of ft. attempted to swim of the KING crew, launched to that it was obvious the arduous they were in such a weak state owing to to the yacht, but ORRY's personnel dived into the water many and would assisted drown. service hour of the whilst swimmers the as he could find for and supported thereupony loads of men, returned dinghy, rowed by the more other an water Elton put to the BYSTANDER. rating, with by swimming. The many last men on to life-rafts and Whilst in the on a tow-rope were towed by Elton in the to the yacht life-raft, men he brought back towed them responsible a remarkable feat of endurance. one hand the as a dinghy - with one hand on the raft and water acting on supplied hot above, Elton, in his capacity as men. addition to the for rescuing about 25 Officers and He was In within tea and food to all the 97 men Cook, the half an hour of leaving the scene of on the board He cooking utensils, etc. normally sufficing for wreck, 7. provided dry clothes and blankets and shock. This rating was unsparing in his efforts and tended the rescued, many of whom were suffering generally from safety. acted with great gallantry without regard to his own Recommended for decoration. C&M Motor Boat CONSTANT NYMPH: - Chargehand B.A. Smith. Little Ship Club, (Owner of Motor Boat). Recommendation. Chargehand B. A. Smith, Little Ship Club. Stokers who had never been to sea, in tow p.m. 30th and May Chargehand Smith proceeded with a crew of 2 Naval during the ferried off about 800 men to 2 skoots for the beaches. Took in a whaler and cutter, CONSTANT the JUTLAND NYMPH night and then LAUDANIA, collected who were a number thus of soldiers, filled odd boats up. and During and continuous bombing that being collected them towed them to offshore and shelling trying to row off to ships filled with vessels. Dsm were thiss time fairly Smith remarks these deaf encountered. and with a lot Chargehand to do prevented him fuel noticing was annoyances. exhausted, and Continued the boat work was until to all a supply drifter ordered for repair back and to refuelling, Margate.
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Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 334 83. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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ONTINUATION SHEET No 2. starting our trip from our own moorings to Dunkirk as the troops started their retreat towards the coast. At the portion of the beach on which I was working, the troops had only arrived about the time we got there and we did not know as'a fact whether they were there or whether Jerry was there until we had been to find out. (5) -- I think this point has been covered in the Notes. I think everybody who took a motor boat to that Show will agree with me the Navy, in all ranks and ratings, exhibited an astonishing degree of courtesy, tact and efficiency, the supplies of petrol, water and provisions in suitable containers were awaiting us at Sheerness and Ramsgate, there was ample of everything and no time was wasted in getting it on board, the raw meat and potatoes issued at Sheerness were not very suitable but there were ample dry rations issued at the same time and at Ramsgate there was a properly devised motor boat scheme of rationing with suitable articles that involved very little cooking. At Sheerness all the fueling, watering and provisioning was done in the Basin where we assembled and all the stuff was brought there. At Ramsgate there were dumps of fuel andwwater at various points round the harbour as well as the two petrol pumps of the harbour's normal equipment. Provisions were drawn from the pier head at Ramsgate but it only took about five minutes to collect what you wanted. There was no red tape, no formality, the Navy gave you the number of ratings for crew that you asked for, they simply said "How many do you want" and detailed them accordingly. When you wanted provisions you just went in and said how many you had on the boat and were provisioned accordingly without any delay. What the official rating of a"charge hand'is I do not know, I gathered that he ranks as a sort of Petty Officer, but my own experience, and that of others with whom I have spoken of the motor boat owner-masters, was that we were invariably treated as if we were officers. As an example I may say that I was taken off to the Captain's quarters on Laudania to be fed when I was ordered off duty and made the return trip to England in the combined bridge and chart room. Cairngorm On reporting back at Sheerness with my crew on I had to make a report on my movements to the Commander-in-Gharge of the motor boats there and I had to add a report on the conduct of my crew, a thing which I had not presumed to do, considering they were regular naval ratings. The two boys who crewed on my own boat had been four months in the navy and neither of them had ever been to sea and were stoker ratings anyway, but they got down to it like ducks to water, one of them was a natural steersman, and worked steadily and efficiently throughout, reporting everything that they saw and never making a mess with the ropes, even in the dark. Yours sincerely,
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Stuon ORING -3- was sleep concerned. with my crew, the first since Sunday night so far as I were cutter. lying in tow to "Jutland" with a whaler by09.30 We turned out on the morning of the 30th May and boats taken Jutland was one of the Dutch diesel navy engine and would over by the Navy and flying the white cargo and for A.A.Defence. ship. Both these ships carried Lewis guns fore and aft carry about 450 men, H.M.S. "Laudania" was a similar ensign in the mine fields, but we lay on tow to Jutland until 15.30 I do not know what delayed our start, probably alterations outside the Harbour. At about 15.30 we got going and, with off in order to carry officers from one ship to another lying outside Ramsgate Harbour with occasional intervals of easting in about six hours (an average of about 12 knots). This our own engines running at about 6 knots, wentowed to Dunkirk was a very uncomfortable trip as destroyers kept crossing and passing at high speeds making a heavy wash and we had to try and keep my boat sheered off to port while the cutter and whaler were sheered off to starboard. Sometimes we came together in spite of all our efforts but no damage was done and the only injury sustained by anyone was when one of my crew was at the wheel for a few minutes and a destroyer passed very close and made such a wash that my boat was nearly put of petrol cans. on its beam ends and I bumped my shin badly on my deck cargo beach eastwards for a few miles before "Jutland" dropped We arrived at Dunkirk about dusk and turned along the We were opening the batting at this part shad be canny about anchor. We cast off tow at once and I took the whaler and hailing the shore as we did not know whether ferry or our chaps cutter in tow myself and dug out for the beach. It was dark night and visibility was not too bad. At first we slightly misty as well as dark but it was not really a could find no life on the beach but after a short time were there twe were were hailed by Frenchmen and for a little while found sheft boat with them. The procedure was to tow the whaler and Frenchmen only and made one or two full journeys back to the cutter to the beach and swing them round and cast off tow in about 3'6" (my draught being 2'6"). The whaler thon dropped his grapnel and went in as close as he dared without grounding the cutter and troops waded out to board them. As soon as the two boats were full they called for the motor bost and pulled up on the whaler's grapnel, I would come past and take the whaler's boxes rope in passing and swing out towards the ship which had to lie about three- quarters of a miles out. While the whaler and cutter were loading I patrolled parallel with the beach, keeping as close as I dared without take ground as it was the only motor boat in that area grounding, it being essential that the motor boat should not and the cutter and whaler had only four mon apiece aboard except at great loss of time. so that they were not in a position to row out to the ship, While patrolling my job was to pick up any swimmers or waders and any odd craft which had put out from the shore, there were seve al of these. After the first few loads had been taken to the ship, all Frenchmen, a British officer waded out and was picked up by me and reported that at whole Division of British were waiting to be taken off a little nearer Dunkirk town than we had been working.
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0507 -4- reported cutter to whaler, and took them all back to the up the I and took him aboard, went back and picked full further the Captain of Jutland that the ship, to the was my leading mark as the British big fire just in-shore up the beach and that I was going there, British a were and the east of this. From then on we worked to this were point just British; Jutland was filled roughly half and half British the French came down the beach and mingled with and French. After we had been going to this point for about three or four trips, a German bomber most inconsiderately dropped the a. large bomb on our large fire and blew it out like a candle, this did not matter very much then as I had other leading marks and the mass of troops had increased so that they were quite visible on the beach. have By about03.00, 31st May, Jutland was full and she sailed paffer at once to avoid the dawn bombing, Jerry was trying to bomb the ships as they left loaded and thus get the ships and the way. men, but his efforts throughout the 10 - 11 hours that I was working on the beach were very poorly rewarded. Jerry also had some big guns for which aeroplanes were spotting, and they dropped verey lights over the ships, but here again Jerry wasted ammunition without hitting anything that I saw. One of the crumps came as a nasty shock as the at least two bombs explosion actually stopped my boat for a split second, and I shook the boat, but thought I had grounded as she quivered all over but in the none stopped it. next moment she went on again and the noise of the crump followed the air push so that I knew it was nothing serious. On Jutland leaving about03.00 on the 31st May I turned over handania was with the cutter and whaler to Laudania and by aboutos. she filled about 3/4 this time I had used up all my deck cargo of petrol and the too was full, making a total of about 900 men brought off. By Birtish +1/4 Trouch engine wanted more oil and the grease cups refilled, also there was a certain amount of rotten rope round the propeller german shaft, this I had not been able to cut in time. My two crew were both stoker ratings of four months' service in the Navy only and being stokers were not issued with clasp knives, on my stern-man shouting to me that an odd rope was getting round our propeller, I had to leave the wheel and cut it with my own sheadknife, if he had had a clasp knife he could have done it in time, I was a moment too late. The cutter had gone aground under a stranded lighter on the windward side of same, a N.W.wind having got up a bit in the morning, and as I could not get near enough to get the cutter aff and the crew, also their young sailors, did not, how to get off, I resoued the crew and brought them off to Laudania Engine had been in accordance with the Captain's instructions. My boat only stalling, probably just managed to gedouside Laudania with the last whaler load due to cope, relf. that she could take and the Captain ordered me off with my starter now refused crew and the crew of the whaler, the crew of the cutter being service. already on board, and turned over my boat and the whaler to a Naval drifter which was said to have petrol and mechanics on board so that they could be of use further. The whole of us who had been on the beach work then had our first stand-bysy since 21.30 the day before and my crew and myself had not had anything to eat since 17.30 the day before and nothing to drink since 15.30, and had been continuously employed, as had the two Naval ratings who remained on each of the naval rowing boats during the tow across. Jerry started his usual effort when the ship left at 08.30 to09.00 on the 31st, but with no results, and plenty of hot tea and bread and butter and jam and a chance to light a pipe had made me perfectly indifferent to anything Jerry did.
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THE OF to space LOVAD -5- SEAL THIS Birth the it Officers' pistols and the A.A.Lewis guns were unable but to On two the way back to England we avoided a floating-mine, drifting pop so we informed another ship that was outward bound and it was duly popped in due course. so SECURITY 9 in the flbator nor the popping of it, it was first sighted on The troops on board Laudania evinced no interest whatsoever off and passed behind it, the troops evidently regarded this as our starboard bady and as the tide was running that way we sheered up to see what happened to it. entirely a naval matter and I do not think any of them even got He whole course from Rams gate to Off the Foreland we enquired of the local Policeman, a Dunkirk waslike gentleman in his shirt-sãeeves on a drifter, as to which port the main strat would take us and were sent to Margate. Three other ships and 1: busy town. two destroyers also had loads for Margate and we eventually saffee sweral tied up outside two destroyers and landed the whole issue abreast going each across each ethar about 17.30 on 31.24 may way. I reported to the Naval Office with my crew of two and we were promptly put in a taxi and sent back to our own port at Ramsgate, a matter of a few minutes which might have been a dreary Journey by train. As throughout, there was no red tape in the Navy at all, they had ready everything that was necessary and our general instructions were that if we were in any sort of trouble we could close any ship we saw as it would be one of ours. On arrival at Ramsgate I reported to the Commander = the Naval Office and within five minutes my crew had been taken off to the temporary barracks established by the Harbour and I was on my way to getting a bed for the night inaan Hotel. On Saturday, 1st June, I reported at Pier Head abouto9. and asked for another boat and before lunch time had taken over one which had only been brought into Ramsgate that morning and german put her into commission with a new crew. This boat was an old Admiral's barge from the last war, to which the only conversion of any importance seemed to be that the steam engine had been fitted where the original funnel existed. The engine was a four- taken out and a petrol engine substituted, a dummy funnel being cylinder engine with cylinders of enormous size, it had no self-starter and worked with a clutch, being in fact a lorry engine. The engine was a brute to start and the gear lever required a strong man to put it into any position, but the engine was started and run over for a few minutes by the man who stated that he had brought the ship round from the Thames pressing. and he assured me that it was good for 12 knots without undue is not got been over my new crew had As we were all anxious to go over again, but I did not relish in fact. the idea of being towed any more, the prospect of being able to in about six hours each way was very welcome, and I decided that go over under my own steam at 12 knots and so make the journey on this occasion we would do what most of the larger motor boats had been doing, namely run over under our own steam, pick up a boat-load and come back with them. I was informed that the new boat only drew 3'2" so that it would be quite possible for the troops to get to the boat without swimming. This still did not strike me as being a very efficient method of getting the troops off but I felt that some real work had been done with Constant Nymph and I had been informed that morning shat 187, 000 were this boat could already off so that I felt justified in indulging in something men should think have taken 35 more in the nature of a pienic, especiably as cigarettes and other little comforts had been provided on the boat by the owner for the rescued troops. We had already victualled the boat and obtained our water supplies and directly after lunch we cast off to go across the Harbour and get petrol, having as a quite unauthorised passenger an old member of my own Club who
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Source: The National Archives, Kew, MT 40 36 Pt 2. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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DEXOS OF -3- sleep with my crew, the first since Sunday night so far as I was concerned. We turned out on the morning of the 30th May and by09.30 were lying in tow to H.M.S. "Jutland" with & navy whaler and cutter. Jutland was one of the Dutch diesel engine cargo boats taken over by the Navy and flying the white ensign and would carry about 450 men, H.M.S. "Laudania" was a similar ship. Both these ships carried Lewis guns fore and aft for A.A.Defence. I do not know what delayed our start, probably alterations in the mine fields, but we lay on tow to Jutland until 15.30 outside Remsgate Harbour with occasional intervals of casting off In order to carry officers from one ship to another lying outside the Harbour. At about 15.30 we got going and, with our own engines running at about 6 knots, westowed to Dunicirk in about six hours (an average of about 12 knots). This was a very uncomfortable trip as destroyers kept crossing and passing at high speeds making a heavy wash and we had to try and keep my boat sheered off to port while the cutter and whaler were sheered off to starboard. Sometimes we came together in spite of all our efforts but no damage was done and the only injury sustained by anyone was when one of my crew was at the wheel for a few minutes and a destroyer passed very close and made such a wash that my boat was nearly put on its beam ends and I bumped my shin badly on my deck cargo of petrol cans. We arrived at Dunkirk about dusk and turned along the beach eastwards for a few miles before "Jutland" dropped anchor. We cast off tow at once and I took the whaler and We did not know cutter in tow myself and dug out for the beach. It was whether Jerry over slightly misty as well as dark but it was not really a troops would be on dark night and visibility was not too bad. At first we the beach, as it was could find no life on the beach but after a short time a long way East of were hailed by Frenchmen and for a little while found about 20 wellowe ship Frenchmen only and made one or two full journeys back to the cammy hading the alone. boat with them. The procedure was to tow the whaler and cutter to the beach and swing them round and cast off tow in about 3'6" (my draught being 2'6"). The whaler then dropped his grapnel and went in as close as he dared without ounding the cutter and troops waded out to board them. As soon as the two boats were full they called for the motor boat and pulled up on the whaler' S graphel, I would come past and take the whaler's buoy rope in passing and swing out towards the ship which had to lie about three- quarters of a mile out. While the whaler and cutter were loading I patrolled parallel with the beach, keeping as close as I dared without grounding, 1t being essential that the motor boat should not take ground as 1t was the only motor boat in that area and the cutter and whaler had only four men apiece aboard so that they were not in a position to row out to the ship, except at great loss of time. While patrolling my job was to pick up any swimmers or waders and any odd craft which had put out from the shore, there were seve al of these. After the first few loads had been taken to the ship, all Frenchmen, a British officer waded out and was picked up by me and reported that a whole Division of British were waiting to be taken off a little nearer Dunkirk town than we had been working.
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Uson I took him aboard, went back and picked up the full cutter and whaler, and took them all back to the ship, reported to the Captain of Jutland that the British were further up the beach and that I was going there, a big fire just in-shore was my leading mark as the British were just to the east of this. From then on we worked to this point and the French came down the beach and mingled with the British; Jutland was filled roughly half and half British and French. 39. After we had been going to this point for about three or four trips, a German bomber most inconsiderately dropped a large bomb on our large fire and blew it out like a candle, this did not matter very much then as I had other leading marks and the mass of troops had increased so that they were quite visible on the beach. By about03.00, 31st May, Jutland was full and she sailed at once to avoid the dawn bombing, Jerry was trying to bomb the ships as they left loaded and thus get the ships and the men, but his efforts throughout the 10 - 11 hours that I was working on the beach were very poorly rewarded. Jerry also had some big guns for which aeroplanes were spotting, and they dropped verey lights over the ships, but here again Jerry wasted ammunition without hitting anything that I saw. One of the crumps came as a nasty shock as the at least two bombs explosion actually stopped my boat for a split second, and I shook the boatbut thought I had grounded as she quivered all over but in the none stopped it. next moment she went on again and the noise of the crump followed the air push so that I know it was nothing serious. On Jutland leaving about03.00 on the 31st May I turned over with the cutter and whaler to Laudania and by about08. she handania wasfolled too was full, making a total of about 900 men brought off. By about 3/4 British this time I had used up all my deck cargo of petrol and the engine wanted more oil and the grease cups refilled, also +1/4 Tranch there was a certain amount of rotten rope round the propeller shaft, this I had not been able to cut in time. My two crew were both stoker ratings of four months' service in the Navy only and being stokers were not issued with clasp knives, on my stern-man shouting to me that an odd rope was getting round our propeller, I had to leave the wheel and out it with my own sheadknife, if he had had a clasp knife he could have done it in time, I was a moment too late. The cutter had gone aground under a stranded lighter on the windward side of same, a W.wind having got up a bit in the morning, and as I could not get near enough to get the cutter Off and the crew, also their young sailors, did not% how to get off, I rescued the crew and brought them off to Laudania had probably Engine due to sope, been statting in accordance with the Captain's instructions. My boat only just managed to Laudania with the last whaler load that she could take and the Captain ordered me off with my self starter now crew and the crew of the whaler, the crew of the outter being refused service already on board, and turned over my boat and the whaler to & Naval drifter which was said to have petrol and mechanies on board so that they could be of use further. The whole of us who had been on the beach work then had our first stand-bysy since 21.30 the day before and my crew and myself had not had anything to eat since 17.30 the day before and nothing to drink since 15.30, and had been continuously employed, as had the two Naval ratings who remained on each of the naval rowing boats during the tow across. Jerry started his usual effort when the ship left at 08.30 to09.00 on the S1st, but with no results and plenty of hot tea and bread and butter and Jam and a chance to light a pipe had made me perfectly indifferent to anything Jerry did.
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-5- On the way back to England we avoided a drifting mine, but the two Officers' pistols and the A.A.Lewis guns were unable to pop it,so we informed another ship that was outward bound and it was duly popped in due course. The troops on board Laudania evinced no interest whatsoever in the nor the popping of it, it was first sighted on our starboard buby and as the tide was running that way we sheered off and passed behind it, the troops evidently regarded this as entirely a naval matter and I do not think any of them oven got up to see what happened to it. 40 the whole course Off the Foreland we enquired of the local Policeman, a from Ramsgate like to gentleman in his shirt-sãeeves on a drifter, as to which port Dunkink was would take us and were sent to Margate. Three other ships and a main street in two destroyers also had loads for Margate and we eventually a busy town. tied up outside two destroyers and landed the whole issue haffer, several across each ether about 17.30 may. abreast joing each I reported to the Naval Office with my crew of two and we way. were promptly put in a taxi and sent back to our own port at Ramsgate, a matter of a few minutes which might have been a dreary journey by train. As throughout, there was no red tape in the Navy at all, they had ready everything that was necessary and our general instructions were that if we were in any sort of trouble we could close any ship we saw as it would be one of ours. at On arrival at Ramsgate I reported to the Commander of the Naval Office and within five minutes my crew had been taken off to the temporary barracks established by the Harbour and I was on my way to getting a bed for the night inaan Hotel. On Saturday, 1st June, I reported at Pier Head about09. and asked for another boat and before lunch time had taken over one which had only been brought into Ramsgate that morning and put her into commission with a new crew. This boat was an old german Admiral's barge from the last war, to which the only conversion of any importance seemed to be that the steam engine had been taken out and a petrol engine substituted, a dummy funnel being fitted where the original funnel existed. The engine was a four- cylinder engine with cylinders of enormous size, it had no self-starter and worked with a clutch, being in fact a lorry engine. The engine was a brute to start and the gear lever required a strong man to put it into any position, but the engine was started and run over for a few minutes by the man who stated that he had brought the ship round from the Thames and he assured me that it was good for 12 knots without undue pressing. my new crew had As we were all anxious to go over again, but I did not relish not yet been over the idea of being towed any more, the prospect of being able to in fact. go over under my own steam at 12 knots and so make the journey in about six hours each way was very welcome, and I decided that on this occasion we would do what most of the larger motor boats had been doing, namely run over under our own steam, pick up a boat-load and come back with them. I was informed that the new boat only drew 3'2" so that it would be quite sible for the troops to get to the boat without swimming. This still did not strike me as being a very efficient method of getting the troops off but I felt that some real work had been done with Constant Nymph and I had been informed that morning that 187, were already off so that I felt justified in indulging in something boat could more in the nature of & pienic, especially as cigarettes and have taken 35 other little comforts had been provided on the boat by the mou I should owner for the rescued troops. LWe had already victualled the boat and obtained our water supplies and directly after lunch we cast off to go across the Harbour and get petrol, having as & quite unauthorised passenger an old member of my own Club who
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Dynoms 190. 204 191 REPORT ON WORK DONE ON DUNKIRK BEACH BY "CONSTANT NYMPH" 30/31 MAY, 1940. CHARGE HAND. B.A. Smith., Little Ship Club (Owner of motor boat). GREW. - STOKERS ALLEN AND MIXIKE from Sheerness. We left Ramsgate about 3.30 Pollo on 30th May, 1940, in tow of H.M.S. "Jutland" (A Dutch boat taken over by Navy) after lying outside the Harbour from 9.30 a.m., during which time we had done a little ferrying work between ships. We were towed with a whaler and cutter on same tow. Arrived at our station some miles east of Dunkirk Harbour about 9.30 p.m. and towed whaler and cutter to beach as soon as "JUTLAND" had 30/5 enchored slight mist. At first we could only find Frenchmen on the beach and took off several boat loads, then a British officer waded and swam to "CONSTANT NYMPH" while running slowly up and down the beach in about 3 feet 6 inches weiting for the boats to be filled and keeping a look out for British troops, In spite of darkness end slight mist, the fires on shore and fine night made bodies of men show up against the sand. On hearing from British officer that thousands of our men. were a little nearer Dunkirk, we worked further up and got mainly British for some time; not many wounded. One nice fire which was a leading mark was blown out by another bomb later on in the night, but we were fairly well at home by then and it caused no delay. Having filled "JUTLAND", the motor-boat with whaler and cutter turned over to "LAUDANIA",a similar ship, and filled that. "JUTLAND" laft about 3 a.m. I am informed by Captain of "LAUDANIA" that these ships hold about 450 men each, making a total of 900 men taken off. About 8 a.m. "LAUDANIA" was full and the cutter was aground under a stranded lighter and her crew could not get her off, Captain of "LAUDANIA" told me to get the crew if I could not get the outter, and this was done. Certain odd boats were found on the beach by troops of both nations, any found trying to row to ships in our area were collected and towed to ship, mk and efforts made to use them again if serviceable. These efforts were usually hampered by Frenchmen not tying up to the ship when boarding and letting the boat drift. Bombing in the district seemed fairly continuous, some explosions shook the boat a good bit, but nothing seemed very near. Anti-aircraft fire seemed to come from the beach in many cases, tracer bullets from that line were often to be seen. There was some heavy shelling, apparently directed by planes dropping Very lights over the ships, one crump was either very near or very big as the boat trembled as if she had grounded. Being deaf and having a lot to de prevented my noticing the bombing much but my crew seemed to think it was increasing with daylights About 8 a.m. on Friday, 31st May, 1940, having used all fuel and got rope in the propeller, I was ordered to turn over the motor boat and whaler to a Drifter believed to have fuel and mechanics, and go aboard "LAUDANIA" which left at once with all orews and arrived Margate about 5 p.m. Both Allen and Medkle, the two young Stoker ratings who were my crew, worked steadily and efficiently throughout the ten hours or so of working on the beach and were always on the look-out for swimmers or odd craft to be picked up. These lads had hever been to sea and were only enlisted in January 1940, they informed me. (sa) B.A. Smith. 6th June, 1940,
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