Dunkirk ship movements - is there an expert?

I am trying to find an expert on ship movements during the Dunkirk evacuation who can help me with a specific enquiry.

My father aged 20 Lieutenant RN was the officer coordinating five mudhoppers including Gallions Reach (which my father was on) and Lady Southborough of the Tilbury Contracting & Dredging Co. Ltd. that took part in the evacuation. I know that my father was assigned to this movement on the evening of 30 May and on 31 May the hoppers were taking off men at Dunkirk.

It turns out that as late as April 2011 the wreck of the Gallions Reach was in Corfu Harbour (pictures are available), which my brother coincidentally will be visiting in July.

This is pretty amazing, so we would like to find out as much as we can about these mudhoppers' activities at Dunkirk, especially about the Gallions Reach.

Can anyone help point me to where I can find information, or tell me whom I should contact?

Many thanks!

Charles

 

Hi Charles and welcome. Lots of interest in Dunkirk and the BEF 1940 on this site. Andy (Drew5233) is one BEF expert, he will no doubt see this thread soon.

 

It also might be worthwhile to see if you can get a copy of John de S. Winser's B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk.
World Ship Society
From the book's description:
Like others, it names the ships involved, large and small: this book, however, lists every known troop-carrying sailing of each Dunkirk vessel, giving the time and port of arrival and the number of soldiers aboard -- information supp. from sources seemingly untapped even by immediate post-war historians.
Little blurb on the Gallions Reach:
GALLIONS REACH - Yard No 229 - Steam Hopper Dredger - Tilbury Contracting & Dredging Co - Built 1936

 

Thanks, guys - I'll chase up the book.

BTW there's a thread on this site about Rear Admiral Bob Timbrell's death. He was in the same class at Whale Island as my father, who was also among the "Some twenty young officers (who) had been told to report rather hastily..." and from there were sent to Dunkirk.

Charles

 

I've got the book among a few others that are Dynamo related - I'm away from my books until next week, I'll have a look then if you can wait.

 

Thanks, Drew - I'm happy to wait (though eager to learn!)! Charles

 

In the meantime Roy Martin may be wroth sending a PM to. He's wrote a book on the evacuations and is working on another. He has a lot of material on Dynamo, Cycle and Aerial.

 

Thanks again, Drew - I have sent a PM to Roy.
Charles

 

Hi Charles,

Thanks yours. You seem to have more than me! Gallions Reach brought 123 from Dunkirk back to Margate, Lady Southborough 478. They then came under the management of Risdon Beazley, Southampton. The hoppers did a fantastic job salvaging ships all round the UK, before they all went off to Normandy. As there were not enough of the new coastal class salvage ships for them to work in pairs, the ideal way, each coastal was paired with a hopper or two other small salvage vessels. I have the diary of a man who was on the GR at this time and a small photograph of the ship lifting a trawler called Fidelia if either is of interest?

The old girl is of considerable historical importance, unfortunately I can't see anyone spending money on an ancient mud hopper.

Kind regards,

Roy

 

Thanks, Roy

If the diary contains an account of the Dunkirk expedition, I would be very interested in that.

The remains of Gallions Reach in Corfu can be seen
Wreck of GALLIONS REACH ? Corfu - 15 April 2011 album | Magwa | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

Things being the way they are in Greece, I don't suppose moving wrecks is high on their list of priorities, so we are hoping she is still there.

As you say, it's an unlikely choice for someone to spend money of restoring!

Charles

 

Hi Charles,

No he didn't join Gallions Reach until early 1944, when she was in Immingham. The diary mostly concerns D-Day and the months thereafter.

Regards,

Roy

 

OK, thanks again, Roy - I'll pass on that one then. My interest is only trying to find out the whens and wheres in relation to Dunkirk. And maybe from that I could progress to finding a photo of GR at Dunkirk (but most likely that's VERY wishful thinking!).
Charles

 

Is there any information about why Gallions Reach has sunk (or half sunk) in Corfu?
Is it structural fatigue, damage, lack of weather protection?
Has any sort of survey been carried out recently?
It would be a great shame to see another 'little ship' lost due to what might be a relatively simple recovery operation. Long term restoration would be another very expensive problem.

 

Hi Mike,
I'm sorry, I know nothing about it's condition. It's was very surprising I even heard she is lying there. An English tourist spotted her and posted the pictures. I've passed on your query to him (magwa at Dunkirk Hooper and Dumb Barges), where there also is a bit of her later history.
Charles

 

A facinating thread and interesting that she was still working in the Greek harbour in 2008 , a very long career !

Looking back at some of my past photos of the port at Kerkyra I can see in the odd corners of pictures that in 2008 she was working in the main port and in 2010 she had sunk where she is now. A long life and at 75 there is no chance she will be salvaged again - but for those who have links to her it may be nice to know where and how she ended her days.

 

Yes, she is worthy of respect, seeing I now understand from Roy that she also served at D-Day!

 

Here's a link to a picture and a little history about her sinking in 1971 at the Furness shipyard basin on the Tees , which coincidentally is in sight of where I'm sitting now !
Ignore the title one of the comments puts it right .

Tug accident at Furness Yard, Haverton Hill. C1965 - picturestockton

 

I have now heard more about her life in Corfu:

In 2008 she was berthed alongside a new part of the Corfu ferry port and from photos it looks as if she was working at that time. Certainly floating, looking 'normal' and probably wouldn't have been berthed where she was if laid up. Was possibly used in construction of new ferry berths in Corfu and once that was completed left to rot outside the harbour.

A shame that a ship with such a varied history ends up this way.

 

Have you contacted ADLS about her - one of them might put the money up to bring her home.

The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships | Association of Dunkirk Little Ships

 

Great suggestion, Drew - I will do that. I rather thought the ADLS was only for sailing boats and the like, but they should certainly be aware that Gallions Rach still survives.

Now done - Gallions Reach, veteran of Dunkirk and D-Day | Association of Dunkirk Little Ships