Operation Dynamo started on the evening of 26th May and I would like to know the name of the Hospital Ship used that evening. I know that the British Steamers, 'Maid of Orleans', 'Canterbury' and 'Mona's Queen' left Dunkirk early on the 27th evacuating soldiers and were escorted by the Destroyer Wild Swan. However these ships could not be described as Hospital Ships. The reason for my question is that in my Father-in-Law's Unit's War Diary it says that he was invalided out on a Hospital Ship on 26/27th May. In his service record it shows that he arrived back in England on 27th May and was admitted to a Hospital in Preston on the same day. So he must have got back to England fairly early on the 27th to go that far. Also do any ships that evacuated wounded or soldiers in general have information on the units they evacuated or names of soldiers?
26/5 'The hospital carriers Isle of Guernsey and Worthig were already alongside each other in Dunkirk harbour awaiting casualties, in accordance with a routine established during the previous day that two such ships would sail daily from Dunkirk to Newhaven' John de S. Winser Does that answer the query? Regards, Roy
Tuesday, z8th May. 12. By 0100/28 a large number of craft was approaching the Belgian-French coast, while two Personnel Carriers were crossing to Dover with 1,400 troops. Two other carriers, whose entry into Dunkirk had been stopped as a result of S.N.O., Dunkirk's signals 2005/27 and 1958/27, were unable to make the beaches and one, the MAID OF ORLEANS was damaged by enemy bombing and another, the QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL was sunk. During the preceding afternoon the (Hospital Carrier* ISLE OF THANET was shelled and damaged by the Calais 'Battery (ie on the afternoon of 27th may 1940) Admiralty footnote: Hospital Carriers were manned almost wholly by members of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets. TD link http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/LondonGazette/38017.pdf
Thanks for the replies. I have read an account by a ships engineer on the Hospital Carrier 'Isle of Thanet' and he mentions being shelled from Calais and being tied up alongside a destroyer in Dunkirk Harbour and being attacked by Aircraft. However due to the time of day; the evening of the 26th May. I think he (my father-in-law) must have been on one the Hospital Carriers 'Isle of Guernsey' or the 'Worthing' as posted by Roy Martin.
Hi I think my grandfather William Albert Crawford may have been on the same hospital ship. He left Dunkirk after sustaining a bullet wound to his cheek and arrived at Whittingham Emergency Hospital in Preston on 27th May 1940. Have you managed to find anything further out? I am trying to find out more information for my mother. It has always mystified us why the boat docked in Newhaven but then he ended up in a hospital in Preston. If you have any details I woyld be grateful. My grandfather passed away over 20 years ago and we never got to find this out whilst he was alive.
My Father in law (2nd Lt Edward Lynch RASC also ended up in the Whittingham Hospital in Preston as well according to his Army Record after docking at Newhaven on 27th May, they probably sent a lot of soldiers from that particular Hospital ship there.
With regard to journey times from ports to inland locations we have to remember that they had a fairly effective Railway network pre Beeching. Places like Norton Barracks Worcester and locations in Malvern were used to take evacuated troops away from the areas likely to be attacked by the Luftwaffe. My uncle (5th Northants) was sunk on a Hospital Ship, we think it was Paris, which took a bomb down the funnel. Having learned to swim in Swansea Docks he got away and was picked up from the water by a French Trawler.
