Page 32 - Salamander July 2020

THE SALAMANDER | July 2020
THE 80TH COMMEMORATION OF OPERATION DYNAMO
On the the the the 30th May 1940 the the the the Chief Officer of the the the the LFB Major F F W Jackson received a a a a a call from the the the the Home Office Office requesting a a a a a a a a a a a fireboat and crew be made available to to report to to the senior Naval Officer Ramsgate Dunes east of Dunkirk and The new fireboat Massey Shaw was chosen as as she had the best firefighting capability and was the the most reliable of the the craft available Volunteers from the LFB river service were asked to join the the crew and all of them in their entirety volunteered for this voyage into the unknown Two things had be be to be be resolved before the Firefloat could leave Lambeth firstly to find a a River Pilot The Port of London Authority regulations stated that a a a a River Pilot must be in charge of a a a a Fireboat as the LFB crews were not licensed to take the the boat out of the the Estuary Fortunately a a retired River Pilot was found called Mr Pinches who agreed to take the boat as long as he he could bring her back on on the the return Secondly was the the purchase of a a a a compass as as as the firefloat did not require one on on the Thames Unfortunately no time was available for it to be corrected to the the magnetic pull of the the boat which caused some issues later when crossing the minefields off Dunkirk!
The crew were selected from a a a mixture of LFB and Auxiliary Firemen consisting of a a Station Officer Officer 2 Sub Officers 4 LFB Firemen Firemen and 6 Auxiliary Firemen Firemen Within two hours the craft was provisioned with extra fuel and supplies and the boat set sail for Ramsgate Massey moored at at Holehaven at at the the the estuary of the the the Thames for the the the evening where the crew received further orders not to progress overnight Massey left early the following morning and arrived in in in Ramsgate at at 11am on the 31st May and was ordered to sail for Dunkirk ASAP With additional fuel and food supplies taken on board Massey left for Dunkirk in the early afternoon with Sub Lieutenant Lucey RN in charge arriving at at Dunkirk at at 7pm Her original orders were to assist with firefighting in in the Dunkirk oil fields but on arrival it became clear that this was not possible due to the the attacks from the the air and heavy enemy gun fire The crew received orders to proceed to the beaches at Bray assist with removing troops from the beaches Massey’s shallow draught of 3ft 9 inches allowed her to to get close to to the sandy foreshore with her skiff Unfortunately this was soon lost as as soldiers swamped the the boat in their haste to leave After several attempts to get a a a line ashore Fm Richard Helyer (Dick) swam ashore with a a a a floating line and managed to to secure it to to another vessel so so that the the soldiers could pull themselves on to the the boat Some sixty troops were taken off the beach mainly Royal Engineers and the fireboat headed back at at 0400 Sunday morning 1st June The journey home was eventful as as the boat had been tailed for most of the trip by a a a a German aircraft Most of the injured troops were placed in in the the engine room where they were warmed by the engines and given food and first aid The remaining troops found a resting point in in in the crew space hose room and main deck Ramsgate was reached at at 06:45 am and and the vessel and and her crew were given a brief time to re-supply and prepare for the next crossing of the the channel On the the second trip the boat was crewed by a a a mixture of Royal Navy and LFB personnel commanded by Lieutenant Walker RNVR An additional 20 ratings from a a a a a Naval Landing Party joined the the vessel and their number was increased by a a a further 40 ratings who came aboard from a a a a Sun tug off Ramsgate Due to the increase in enemy activity two Lewis guns
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