Dunkirk 1940 photos some never before seen.

morrisc8 · Sep 20, 2023

Just bought this photo. The boat to the left. German troops on the beach photo 2. One other boat on the beach from another photo i have. Photo 1 is the The Princess Lily (Thames Passenger Launch) ? I don`t think they are the same boats ? unless it was moved by the tide.
Keith

morrisc8 · Sep 20, 2023

One more from the same german who took the other photo on the beach
There is a name on the ship under the xxx, but cant make it out. French ship Chassur 9 ?
Keith

vermesch · Sep 21, 2023

C’est la devise de la Marine nationale française : Honneur Patrie Valeur Discipline. c 'est le mot Valeur que l’on voit sut la photo.

morrisc8 · Sep 21, 2023

Merci vermesch.
Thank you vermesch for this info. [ This is the motto of the French Navy: Honor Fatherland Value Discipline. It’s the word Value that we see in the photo.]
Keith

Shazbaz · Oct 2, 2023 at 2:58 AM

gmyles said: ↑

HI

Thanks for these. They are a poignant reminder of how bad things were. No wonder my father, a driver with 11 AFW RAOC, never talked about his time there.

His unit was evacuated on the SS Killarney on 29th May 40.

SS Killarney was a 2050 tonne, Liverpool Registered, Irish Steam Ship Company owned former cruise liner, turned troopship. According to "Epic of Dunkirk" by E Kebel Chatterton.

She was off Dunkirk harbour at 0500 on 29 May when the ship directly next to her, the SS Mona Queen struck a magnetic mine and sank in just 2 minutes. She entered the Harbour and picked up 900 troops (including my father) from the east mole. She left at around 1100 and turned west onto 'Route Z' and was spotted by a coastal battery at Gravelines. The first volley of three shells fell short of the port side by the bridge.The Master, Captain R Hughes made smoke and turned the ship north to present the stern to the guns, sped up and started zigzagging. The Germans fired a total of 90 shells at her over a period of 45 mins. One shell hit home, landing on the aft boat deck. There were 8 killed (inc one crew member and three from my fathers unit). 15 mins later she was spotted by a German bomber but before it could drop its bombs it was itself attacked and shot down by a spitfire. The ship was not seriously damaged and 3 RAF Bombers escorted the ship during its journey home. It picked up a French Officer and 2 Belgian seamen who were found floating on a makeshift raft along with two tins of biscuits, six demijohns of wine and a rusty bicycle. Everything except the bike was rescued.

The Killarney made Dover early on the morning of the 30th May 1940 and Captain Hughes decided that one trip was enough. By 1942, the SS Killarney was an accommodation ship based at HMS Culdrose at Rosyth.

Gus
Click to expand...

What an amazing story, it's hard to imagine how terrifying it must have been for the brave men and women who endured the long year's of war

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Dunkirk 1940 photos some never before seen.

morrisc8 Under the Bed

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Dunkirk 1940 photos some never before seen.

morrisc8 Under the Bed

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vermesch Member

morrisc8 Under the Bed

Shazbaz Member

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