Description
Object description
British chief petty officer served aboard HMS Sutton, 4th Minesweeper Flotilla during Dunkirk Evacuation, 5/1940-6/1940
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1912-1937: family; education; employment; decision to join Royal Navy, 1937. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Sutton in Mediterranean and GB coastal waters, 1939-1940: drafting to minesweeper on it's coming out of reserve in Mediterranean, 3/1939; minesweeping channel into Alexandria, Egypt, 7/1939-9/1939; reaction of crew towards outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; return to GB, 11/1939. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Sutton, 4th Minesweeper Flotilla during Dunkirk Evacuation, 5/1940-6/1940: reaction to orders to proceed to Dunkirk, 28/5/1940; approach to French coast; ferrying of troops to ship; trans-shipping troops to HMS Calcutta, 29/5/1940; depletion of ship's rations; exhausted condition of troops on board; sight of mass of troops on beached paddle steamer; construction of pier from vehicles; intensification of German Air Force attacks at Dunkirk; orders to evacuate troops from the East Mole at Dunkirk, 30/5/1940.
REEL 2 Continues: evacuating troops from the East Mole at Dunkirk; warning signals received from Admiralty; ship congestion off Dunkirk; organisation of evacuation and narrow escape from German bombing, 31/5/1940; incident of drifter being mistaken for German E-boat; lack of Royal Air Force activity over beaches; embarkation of French Army troops, 1/6/1940; change in method of evacuation and use of destroyers, 1/6/1940; number of trips carried out; German Air Force attacks; question of fate and condition of troops on beaches; sight of discipline of Guards Bde personnel; troops' morale; method of embarking troops on board ship from whalers; duties on board; ship's anti-aircraft armament; congestion in Dover Harbour; need to recoal ship between trips; exhausted state of ship's crew; story of calming ship's officer.
REEL 3 Continues: amusing story of embarking overweight officer; blocking of ship's air intake to boiler room; question of degree of organisation of evacuation; ferrying ammunition to troops; problem of thirst amongst evacuated troops.