Details

SEQUACITY (1)
M/V (F.T. Everard
& Sons Ltd.)
Capt. J. Macdonald.
0400
27th May
Left Yewdale. the Downs in company with S.S.
2
0640
Off batteries. Calais. Under fire from
main side, at the waterline through
port One shell came shore
p-
side. hold, and went out the starboard in the
Next of the shot came through the side
engine room and smashed port
starboard action. side. Pumps put out of
auxiliary engines; it went out the the
Third shot came through the wheel
house, went through the hatches, down
the forehold and through the ship's
bottom. Ship then shaped course
er
away from the shore.
Attacked by 11 planes. Another shell
put the Bren gun out of action and
wounded the chief engineer.
Wind freshened, ship making water and
took a nasty list.
0820ca
Signalled to Yewdale (which had been
1010
picking up some men on a raft).
Launched life boat and transferred
crew to the Yewdale.
1020ca
Sequacity went down by the head and sank
1630
1
1800
Nil
for
I
Authority - TM. 6213/40.
by 1)
in
La
Cow
to
let
0830
of troops
a
the
to
the
to
0845
the
[Lt.
and
the
in
and
e
(1) Not mentioned in D.R. Sequacity was a vessel of about 900
tons gross.
121

Details

YEWDALE( 1)
Shipping Ltd.
John Stewart & Co.
0400
Captain E. Jones.
27th May
0640
Sailed Twequacity ine Downs with the M/V
0700
Picked Shelled hit Shelling original Zagged amidships. by to shore batteriater increased. The Sequacity resumed Zig-
0820
Calais) up 5 men on a raft (from
Downs German channel. for hands. when They north Decided stated of Dunkirk Dunkirk to return was to in
and which destroyed the rafts by
aircraft, information. Gunned
1010
a life boat.
The her Sequacity crew. began to sink. Embarked
1020ca
The Sequacity "sank in position 52°
1230
04' 20" N., 1° 38' 36" E. approx.
Arrived Downs. Provisioned ship.
28th May
2230
Left Downs, the M. V's Beal and
Bullfinch in company.
29th May
0430
Arrived La Panne. Anchored. Later,
moved down channel. Picked up 2
boats with 10 soldiers in them.
Sent in ships boats for troops.
Assisted by several M/L's.
1230
500 troops on board.
1430
About 1000 troops on board - ship
filled to capačity.
1435
Closed a destroyer for advice.
1600
Air attack. Proceeded in company with
the destroyer and Beal.
1650/
Air attacks. 5 killed, 78 wounded.
1800
Six soldiers jumped overboard. One
A/C shot down by ship's gun.
Wireless and Compass smashed; steered
by small field compass.
2310
One mile off Deal pier. Waited till
dawn.
30th May
0600
A doctor arrived. Yewdale ordered to
0930
Disembarked Ramsgate. 940 troops at Ramsgate(2)
-
Proceeded to Sheerness for repairs.
Total 240 890
Authority T.M. 6213/40.
8 A tramp Rate of 823 tons gross. Not mentioned in D.R.
report.
251

Details

MONDAY, 27TH MAY
CHAP. IV
task now is to evacuate to England maximum of your force possible."¹ No
policy had yet been laid down by French G.Q.G., or any other French higher
authority, for a withdrawal northward of the Lys, and, says Lord Gort, "I had
no idea what plans either he [General Blanchard] or Admiral Abrial had in
mind".'
Lord Gort failed to contact General Blanchard either at La Panne, or at the
French naval headquarters, situated at Bastion No. 32, Dunkirk. While at the
Bastion, however, at 2300, he was informed in the course of conversation with
General Koeltz (General Weygand's deputy) that the King of the Belgians
had asked for an armistice from midnight that night. The British Commander-
in-Chief thus found himself suddenly faced with an open gap of 20 miles between
Ypres and the sea, through which enemy armoured forces might reach the
beaches².
Owing to congestion on the roads Lord Gort was unable to reach his head-
quarters at Houtkerque until 0430 on 28th May; he then found that a telegram
had been received from the War Office at 0130/28 saying that the King of the
Belgians was capitulating at midnight, 27th/28th May.³
This was the derelict situation facing Lord Gort in the early hours of the
morning.
Dunkirk locks prepared for demolition
On the 27th May, on the orders of Admiral Abrial, the Royal Naval
demolition party which had arrived at Dunkirk on the 23rd May placed
demolition charges at the New, the Trystram and the Guillain locks in Dunkirk
harbour.
Route Z under fire Route Y adopted Route x prepared
Owing to the great lack of inshore craft for beach work the main naval effort
during the day had been confined to maintaining the flow of personnel vessels
to Dunkirk at the rate of 2 every 31/2 hours. Even this limited transport service
had been seriously interrupted by the fire of shore batteries between Les
Hemmes (east of Calais) and Gravelines. At 0623 the Biarritz and Archangel,
en route for Dunkirk escorted by the destroyer Verity, were shelled 6 miles
E.N.E. of Calais. The Biarritz was hit several times and had 1 killed and 2
wounded. The Archangel was also apparently damaged, and neither ship
took any further part in "Dynamo". At 0640, the M/V Sequacity and the
freighter Yewdale were also shelled off Calais. The Sequacity was hit four
times, and at 1020, when north of Dunkirk channel, after the crew had been
transferred to the Yewdale, the Sequacity went down by the head and sank.
At 0750 the armed boarding vessel Mona's Isle, loaded with troops, suffered
severe casualties and damage from shore guns off Gravelines, and also from
an air attack shortly afterwards, and had to go into dock for repairs. At
0800 the H/C Isle of Thanet was shelled off Calais and returned to Dover. At
0900, the A.B/V King Orry, returning from Dunkirk loaded with troops also
suffered casualties and damage from the Calais guns.
As a result of these happenings the Vice-Admiral, Dover, reported to the
Admiralty that the normal or southern route, Dover to Dunkirk (later known
as Route Z), was impracticable in daylight. Another, more northern route
(later known as Route Y), via the Dyck Whistle buoy, Middelkerk buoy, and
Zuydcoote Pass, was accordingly adopted. This, however, increased the
I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 51.
2 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 49.
3 Lord Gort's Second Despatch 50.
19

Details

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. V
off Dunkirk at 1315. They had picked up that morning from arrived
The destroyers Codrington, Jaguar and Javelin, 33 survivors diverted from patrol,
S.S. Abukir, which had been torpedoed by United an E-boat while returning the
about 200 evacuees from Ostend to Grenade the which Kingdom; these survivors with
Javelin Dunkirk. were transferred using The their Codrington to own the boats, destroyer went embarked into Dunkirk troops harbour, from subsequently Bray while beach. the went Jaguar At on 1730 and to
the Grenade left Dunkirk with 1,000 troops on board.
skoot Lena. The Vimy also made a second
359 troops from Zuydcoote, assisted by ships' a the second.t.Bip,embarked
Between 1230 and 1815 the Vivacious, a her
Dunkirk harbour.
More ships were on the way. From 1230 onwards 19 minesweepers were
sailed from Harwich, from Dover and the Downs, for Dunkirk and the beaches.
By 2130 five of them had arrived off Bray beach I, and four off La Panne²;
three reached Dunkirk by 2140³.
Four other minesweepers arrived off the beaches late on the night of
28th/29th May4, and two more reached the beaches at 0600/29⁵.
Early on the 28th May the eight ships of the 7th and 8th minesweeping
flotillas had been ordered from Rosyth to Harwich, to work under the orders
of the Vice-Admiral, Dover⁶; they could not, however, reach the beaches
until about 72 hours later.
During the forenoon and afternoon of the 28th May the call went out for
more and more destroyers, and seven reached the evacuation area next day⁷.
In the signals from the Admiralty and the Vice-Admiral, Dover, summoning
them there sounds the same note of extreme urgency, traceable to S.N.O.
Dunkirk's message⁸ declaring that evacuation on the night of 28th/29th May
was problematical. "If the older class destroyers and other vessels cannot
compete with the situation signalled the Admiralty, destroyers of all classes
are to be used for bringing men off'.9 Every available destroyer" in the
Western Approaches and Portsmouth Commands was to be sailed to Dover.
Destroyers on patrol or on escort duty were to be diverted to Dunkirk or the
beaches.¹¹
Vulnerability of personnel vessels
The vulnerability of the personnel vessels, with their large troop-carrying
capacity, was a cause of anxiety. On the 27th May the Biarritz and Archangel,
the Mona's Queen, King Orry, Sequacity, Yewdale, and the Isle of Thanet12,
I The Albury, Gossamer, Leda, Kellett and Sutton.
2 The Salamander, Halcyon, Skipjack and Waverley.
3 The Ross, Pangbourne and Lydd.
4 The Hebe, Sharpshooter, Duchess of Fife snd Emperor of India.
5 The Oriole and Marmion.
6
A.M.0163/28.
7 The Verity, Harvester, Esk, Malcolm, Express, Shikari and Scimitar.
8 Appendix M.4.
9 A.M.0754/28.
10 A.M.1229/28.
11 Appendices D.4, D.5 and D.7.
collided with the Examination Service Vessel leaving Ocean Reward, which sank
12 At 0254, on 28th May, shortly after Dover for Newhaven, the Isle of Thanet
Assisted by the tug Lady Brassey, a search was made for survivors, but none was found.
28

Details

Details

Details

INDEX
Royal Air Command, 64, 83-4, 4, 88 (evacuated (fired from France), 17, 20, 30,
(attacks 38 all that was asked of them, concentrated 123. at dawn and dusk): 100,
(patrols Stren batteries) ; 99 (patrols on by own ships), 89, 93, 99
Royal Daffodil, 20, 25, 100-1. 29, 54n, 62, 102, 110 (damaged).
110-111, 115; did
Royal Royal Sovereign, 29n, 54n, 64n, 107n, 108-9, 114n, 115, 117.
Eagle, 42, 81,
95 (sunk).
Royally,114n,
Sabre, 23, 27, 44, 47n, 49 (takes across with beach parties), 53, 54n, 55, 62n, 64 (damaged), 86,
97, 101, 107, 114n, 118 (crosses compass damaged).
St. Abbs, 71n, 90 (sunk).
Achilleus, sunk, 93.
St. St. Andrew, Shelled, 18: bombed, 20 ; last trip, 87.
Ste. Bernadette de Lourdes, 107n.
St. Clears, 32, 46.
St. David, damaged, 38, 95.
Ste. Denise Louise, 107n.
St. Fagan, 71n, 88 (sunk).
St. Helier, 20, 25, 64n, 94, 98-9, 108-9.
Ste. Isabelle, 74.
St. Julien, shelled, 17 bombed, 20, 43; crew supplemented, 48n; last trip, 87.
St. Olaves, 107n.
St. Patrick, 75n.
St. Seiriol, 22, 24, 29, 43, 48 (damaged).
Saladin, 44-5 (damaged).
Salamander, 28n, 31, 42, 47, 86 (damaged), 89-90.
Saltash, 91-2.
Sambre, 60.
Sandown, 23n, 27, 31, 42, 105 (forbidden to sail).
Santosy, lost, 117.
Saon, 34n, 110.
Sargasso, 60n, 107n, 108.
Sark, 60.
Saturn, 114n, 118.
S.C.6 (French), 107n.
Sceneshifter, rushed and sunk by French troops, 53.
Schuyts. see skoots.
Scimitar, 20n, 28n, 54n, 55, 62n, 91.
Scotia, 29n, 54n, 83 (in collision), 92 (sunk), 118 (record lift).
Scottish Co-operator, 60.
Sea Falcon, 75n.
Seaplane Tender 243, 71n, 75n, 110 (sunk).
Seaplane Tender 254, 71n.
Seaplane Tender 276, 71n, 110.
Seaplane Tender 291, 71n, 75 (damaged).
Seasalter, 60.
Sea Transport Officials, serve in personnel ships, 48; in Dynamo Room, 74.
Secrecy, effect on supply of small craft, 15.
Seine, 31n, 60, 102.
Sequacity, 19, 28.
Seriola, 71n.
Shamrock, lost, 53.
Sharpshooter, 28n, 54n, 97.
Shearwater, 34, 88, 99.
Sheldvake, 34, 37n, 69 (hunts S/M.), 93.
Shell fire (German) : causes serious interruption to shipping, 19; Route Y under fire, 48;
La Panne beach shelled, 60, 76; interrupts sailings of personal ships, 70; danger of,
magnified at Dover, 98.
Sherfield, 72n, 90.
Shelland, 60.
Shikari, 20n, 28n, 47n, 54n, 55, 97, 102, 107, 114n, 119-20 (in Operation CK), 127.
Shipmates, 23n.
Signalling, see Communications.
Silver Dawn, 32n, 51n.
205

Details

go
ration
on
Merchant
and
cuation was This difficulties your destined Ship' to occupy adventure and pages that of
endurance felt for felt frometion, carried of operat Navy your for Dunkirk I joined am to the proud never played in help successful Company as which to before partners by pay tugs you in a tribute N conclusion experienced Place and of great the other of and fighting honour your in in humane units the share war, in face services, of the the
members behalf of the Ship' Government Company freely to given convey the all Eratitude in and titude to the tude
20th June, 1940.
F.T. EVERARD & SONS, LT
DIRECTORS
EVERARD
22 & SHIPOWNERS.STREET, 23 GT.
EVERARD
3
EVERARD
M.I.N.A.
M.I.N.A.
LONDON, E.C.3.
EVERARD
EVERARD,
M.I.M.E.
SHIPYARD & WHARE GREENHITHE, KENT
YOUR REF
ant
non
OUR REF.
NAB
Minister of Shipping.
of
Esq.,
&
1
Berkeley Square
W.I.
Dear Sir,
We are in receipt of your le
inst., enclosing letters address
19th Masters of our M.V. "SEQUACITY" and 1
we are forwarding to them.
We would draw your attention
Sailing Vessels "ETHEL EVERARD"
our also engaged in the Dunkirk open
were be abandoned on the beach, by instr
Naval Officer in charge.
We shall therefore be obli
kindly send us letters similar to
pass same to Captain T. Willis
to
may EVERARD" and Captain H. Miller of
Yours faithful
F.T. EVER
ade
JAHIIRIA EDIV
.076I ' aund 2074
DIRECTORS
EVERARD
EVERARD
EVERARD
M.I.N.A.
3
M.I.N.A.
W.J. EVERARD EVERARD, M.I.M.E.
WORTHING
LORINA
John London, & (
don, E.
NORMANNI
t & CO.
/CANTERBU
YEWDALE
de Street
MAID OR
John
it asgow, & Co St
/BIARRITZ
YEWGLEN
AUTOCARRI
and
should
(4182) Ww.15905/0586 80m In all 6/44 0. & Co. 745(8)
NOT
be
exhibited

Details

108
THE
109
NS, LTD.
TELEPHONES
MANSION HOUSE 9751 (5 LINEST
GREENHITHE 123 12 LINES)
TELEGRAMS:
EET,
EVERASHIP, BILGATE, LONDON
EVERASHIP GREENHITHE
8th September, 1940.
DATE
FSB/SL
6th September, 1940.
Gentlemen,
91
I have to acknowledge the receipt
92
Hynard
of your letter FSB/HL of the 6th instant
and to thank you for the reports of the
se,
UMA
Masters of the m.vs. "SEQUACIST" and
"SODALITY" on the part taken by their
ships in the Dunkirk evacuation.
inBellamy
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant, of the 7 th August, we here-
with (Sgd.) B.E. Bellamy the asters of the m.vs. "SEQUACITY"
for Director of Sea Transport. in the Dunkirk evacuation.
Messrs. F. T. Everard & Sons Ltd.,
Yours faithfully,
22 & 23, Great Tower Street,
E.C.3.
EVERARD & SONS LTD.
Director.
Enc.
mane une ship fast ourselves. At 11.30 p.m.
went to look for lock gatemen managed to get them to open
locks for us to enter Dock planes still bombing and kept
bombing all night. Midnight made fast in berth.
3
The Naval Officer who spoke to us at 8 p.m.
promised to berth us but we did not see him until 5 a.m.
on the 23rd, we were on the wrong berth. 5.15 a.m. shifted.

Details

108
F.T. EVERARD & SONS, LTD.
TELEPHONES
DIRECTORS
MANSION HOUSE 9751 15 LINES)
S.A. EVERARD
SHIPOWNERS.
GREENHITHE 123 12 LINES)
A.E EVERARD
TELEGRAMS:
F.W EVERARD, M.I.N.A.
22 & 23 GT. TOWER STREET,
EVERASHIP, BILGATE LONDON
W.J. EVERARD, M.I.N.A.
EVERASHIP GREENHITHE
A.M. EVERARD, M.I.M.E.
LONDON, E.C.3.
SHIPYARD & WHARE GREENHITHE, KENT
YOUR REF
DATE
OUR REF.
FSB/HL
6th September, 1940.
92
W.G. Hynard Esq.
Director of Sea Transport,
Ministry of Shipping,
Berkeley Square House,
UMA
Berkeley Square,
LONDON. W.1.
imBellamy
Dear Sir,
Further to your letter of the 7 th August, we here-
with enclose reports from the Masters of the m.vs. "SEQUACITY"
and "SODALITY" who were engaged in the Dunkirk evacuation.
Yours faithfully,
EVERARD & SONS LTD.
Director.
Enc.
-- mane une ship fast ourselves. At 11.30 p.m.
went to look for lock gatemen managed to get them to open
locks for us to enter Dock planes still bombing and kept
bombing all night. Midnight made fast in berth.
The Naval Officer who spoke to us at 8 p.m.
promised to berth us but we did not see him until 5 a.m.
on the 23rd, we were on the wrong berth. 5.15 a.m. shifted.

Details

106
STATEMENT BY CAPTAIN J. MACDONALD, MASTER OF MOTOR VESSEL
95
ND & SONS LTD.
"SEQUACITY"
LONDON, E.C.3.
*
ST.
22 & 23, GREAT TOWER
We had been lying in the Downs for several days
and had instructions to proceed to Dunkirk af four a.m.
on Monday the 27th May, 1940 in company with the S.S.
"YEWDALE".
All went well until we arrived off Calais, then
I noticed some shells falling in the water ahead of us.
I then thought it was land batteries ashore firing at some
mines, but soon after the shells started dropping all
round my ship, and one came through the port side, at the
water line in the main hold and went out the starboard
side.
I sent my mate down in to the hold with some
of the crew to try and patch the hold up. The next sho came through
the port side of the engine room and smashed up the auxiliary
enginest that drove our dynamo etc., put our switchboard out of
action and went out the starboard side.
This put our pumps entirely out of action for
pumping water out of the hold.
Another shot came through the wheelhouse and
went through the hatches, down the forehold and right
through the ship's bottom.
We then shaped our course away from the shore
and the "YEWDALE" which was outside of us did likewise.
In the meantime eleven German planes appeared
overhead and bombed both the "YEWDALE" and ourselves.
Another shell burst over our fiddley and put the Bren gun
out of action, and wounded the chief engineer.

Details

In the meantime the wind increased and caused
96
a nasty chop on the sea, which allowed a lot of water
to come through the hole in our side, and as we were
unable to pump our hold out the ship began to take a nasty
list.
I blew for the "YEWDALE" to stand by us, but
he did not appear to notice our signal. A British plane
then appeared and saw the trouble we were in, and flew
ahead to the "YEWDALE" and dropped some red flares.
The "YEWDALE" then returned to us, and we launched
our lifeboat, and then after we got aboard the "YEWDALE"
she went down by the head and sunk.
I should add that in addition to the two soldiers
that worked our Bren gun, before we left the Downs we
took on a yound Naval rating named Evans with Lewis guns.
We had to fix these on the open bridge, and all the time
we were being attacked by the planes he kept up incessant
fire with the Lewis guns and stuck his job manfully.
The "YEWDALE" landed us at Ramgate.
Note.
The "YEWDALE" after landing the crew of the
"SEQUACITY" went back for another batch of soldiers to
Dunkirk. The was very badly knocked about on this voyage
and mate had to have his leg amputated. The captain
arrived back with his ship too badly damaged to proceed again,
but the master telephoned his owners asking then for another
ship to enable him to go back to Dunkirk again.
1.

Details

82
11th June, 1940.
(Tuesday)
S.S. "YEWDALE"
126
Master's Report of Evacuation of Troops from Dunkirk.
Sunday 26th May, 1940.
Whilst at anchor in the Downs I received orders from N.C.S.O. to
proceed to Dunkirk.
At 4.0 a.m. we hove up and proceeded in company with m.v. "SEQUACITY"
and passed Calais about 2 miles off at 6.40 a.m. with "SE UACITY"
about a quarter of a mile ahead. Twenty minutes later heavy gunfire
was heard and shells began to burst allaround the steamer. We
immediately took avoiding action by zig-zagging to seaward. Although
this involved the risk of striking mines, it appeared to me to be
safer than continuing on our course. This heavy firing continued
for about 20 minutes and seemed to be concentrated upon this steamer.
When haze appeared over the land firing ceased, and ship was brought
back on her course. Not long after when the weather cleared shelling
was resumed in much greater intensity and was directed mostly on
"SEQUACITY" which was about a quarter of a mile on our starboard bow.
We saw this ship being struck amidships and in engineroom as she was
altering course away from fire. At 8.20 а.ш. while still under fire
we managed to pick up five men on a raft who said they were solders
who had left Calais in the dark. They informed me that they believed
that Dunkirk had been captured by Germans. I then got in touch with
Master of "SEQUACITY" whose ship I could see was very badly damaged.
We were at this time north of Dunkirk channel about 1a miles north of
our course. As it meant coming back to the range of German guns to
get into Dunkirk, we decided to return to Downs for further information.
We were then attacked by 8 or 9 enemy Messerschmitt planes who swept
our decks with bullets destroying our rafts and port lifeboat. I
immediately sent out an S.O.S. Shortly afterwards the enemy disappear-
ed when British planes came on the scene. On the way back to Downs
at 10.10 a.m. "SEQUACITY" began to sink so we stood by and took on
board her crew while a British plane covered us until every man was on
board and only left us after we had given the signal that all was well.
The "SEQUACITY" sank in about 10 minutes from the time she began to
list (in position 52.04.20 N. and 1.38.36 E approximately).
We arrived in Downs at 12.30 p.m. and anchored. We were then asked
to go back to Dunkirk but as we had neither food nor water we were
allowed to remain until these could be supplied.
On Tuesday 28th May, after stores had been put on board, we were
ordered to Le Panne with full details of what to expect and what we
were to carry. At 10.30 p.m. 28th May we left Downs in company
with m.v. "BEAL" and m.v. "BULLFINCH" and arrived at Le Panne, at
4.30 a.m. 29th May. We anchored to await orders but as we received
none I decided to move down the Channel to where a large number of
troops were gathering. When shifting we picked up two boats with
ten soldiers in them. We took the men on board leaving two men in
each boat to take them ashore again for more troops. We also put
our boat out which A. Flett, G.A. Sutherland and G.A. MacKenzie
(16 years old) manned. MacKenzie later took charge of one of the
other boats and directed the soldiers who were rowing, himself
steering the boat. W. Watterson (Mate) and J. Runcie (Second Engineer)
also took charge of the boats and made several trips to the beach.
The rest of crew including the Chief Engineer and Firemen were
employed in bringing the boats alongside with lines. Army Captain
Fred Williams kept count of the men and at 12.30 p.m. he reckoned
-1-

Details

15
F.T. EVERARD & SONS, LTD.
DIRECTORS
TELEPHONES
MANSION HOUSE 9751 LINES)
EVERARD.
SHIPOWNERS.
GREENHITHE 123 12 LINES)
EVERARD
V
EVERARD, M.I.N.A.
TELEGRAMS:
EVERARD, M.I.N.A.
22 & 23 GT. TOWER STREET,
EVERASHIP, BILGATE, LONDON
J.
EVERARD, M.I.M.E.
EVERASHIP GREENHITHE
M
LONDON, E.C.3.
SHIPYARD & WHARE GREENHITHE, KENT
246
YOUR REF
DATE
OUR REF.
FSB/HL
6th June, 1940.
Mr. Eakins,
The Ministry of Shipping,
Berkeley Square House,
Berkeley Square,
LONDON W.1.
Dear Mr. Eakins,
Enclosed please find reports of our
motor vessel SEQUACITY" and sailing barges "ETHEL EVERARD
and PROYALTY" which I trust you will find in order.
Yours
For W faithfully,
ENC
OF us ura likewise.
In the meantime eleven German planes appeared
overhead and bombed both the "Yewdale" and ourselves.
Another shell burst over our fiddley and put the Bren gun
out of action, and wounded the chief engineer.

Details

15a
STATEMENT BY CAPTAIN J.MACDONALD, MASTER OF MOTOR VESSEL
SEQUACITY"
247
(ef. pase 95 )
We had been lying in the Downs for several days
and had instructions to proceed to Dunkirk at four a.m.
ship
on Monday the 27th May 1940 in company with the S.S.
"Yewdale".
All went well until we arrived off Calais, then
I noticed some shells falling in the water ahead of us.
I then thought it was land batteries ashore firing at some
mines, but soon after the shells started dropping all
round my ship, and one came through the port side, at the
water line in the main hold and went out the starboard
side.
I sent my mate down in to the hold with some
of the crew to try and patch the hold up. The next
shot came through the port side of the engine room and
smashed up the auxiliary engines that drove our dynamo etc.,
put our switchboard out of action and went out the starboard
side.
This put our pumps entirely out of action for
pumping water out of the hold.
Another shot came through the wheelhouse and
went through the hatches, down the forehold and right
through the ship's bottom.
We then shaped our course away from the shore
and the "Yewdale" which was outside of us did likewise.
In the meantime eleven German planes appeared
overhead and bombed both the "Yewdale" and ourselves.
Another shell burst over our fiddley and put the Bren gun
out of action, and wounded the chief engineer.

Details

Ford
In the meantime the wind increased and caused
a nasty chop on the sea, which allowed a lot of water
248
to come through the hole in our side, and as we were
ROUGWA
unable to pump our hold out the ship began to take a
nasty list.
Mership
I blew for the "Yewdale" to stand by us, but
he did not appear to notice our signal. A British plane
0.
then appeared and saw the trouble we were in, and flew
him
ahead to the "Yewdale" and dropped some red flares.
He
The "Yewdale" then returned to us, and we launched
him
our lifeboat, and then after we got aboard the "Yewdale'
she went down by the head and sunk.
I should add that in addition to the two soldiers
that worked our Bren gun, before we left the Downs we
took on a young Naval rating named Evans with Lewis guns .
We had to fix these on the open bridge, and all the time
we were being attacked by the planes he kept up incessant
fire with the Lewis guns and stuck his job manfully.
216
vas
The "Yewdale" landed us at Ramsgate.
for
ons
Note.
ype
ain
The "Yewdale" after landing the crew of the
red
"Sequacity" went back for another batch of soldiers to
nst
the
Dunkirk. She was very hadly knocked about on this voyage
vas
in
and the mate had to have his leg amputated. The captain
arrived back with his ship too badly damaged to proceed again,
in
28
but the master telephoned his owners asking them for another
32
ship to enable him to go back to Dunkirk again.
LE,
er
tle
the
ere
ise
ers
tle
a
nal