Dunkirk: A Tameside salute to sea scouts who rescued stranded soldiers

Writing in this month’s edition of Tamesider for local scouts, Derek Casey highlights the role the scouting movement played at Dunkirk.

He relates two articles and an anecdote.

He tells the tale of how The Mortlake Sea Scout Group crewed a 45-foot picket boat called the Minotaur which received admiralty orders to proceed to Dunkirk.

Once there they got on with the job of towing small open boats laden with soldiers to troop transports anchored in deep water, only returning back to Britain before they ran out of fuel.

They then shipped aboard another motor boat as crew to work from The Mole at Dunkirk harbour in conjunction with a large sea going tug.

Having loaded the tug with soldiers, they came away just in time as the German guns ranged on The Mole.

On the way back they were transferred to a Naval cutter full of troops, which was making the return journey. The officer in charge had lost his charts, knowing the course back the sea scouts were able to take over and after nine hours sailing made their east coast base. 

Three other members of the Sea Scout Troop helped to crew other boats from Chiswick who were short of men.

A separate rescue saw Gerald Ashcroft, a sea scout and crew member on Sundowner, a 62ft naval pinnace, heading for Dunkirk. 

His skipper was Charles Lightoller who persuaded the relevant naval authorities he was the best man to take the Sundowner to Dunkirk. Gerald helped the Sundowner’s crew rescue 130 soldiers from a stricken destroyer. Gerald remembered the men being very low when they came on board saying they had let the country down, but he, along with other members of the crew, tried to raise their spirits by saying they hadn’t let the country down at all.

“They acted in the highest traditions of the Scout Movement,” writes Derek.

“Duty to their King, their country and helping their fellow man. They were true patriots and we of North Tameside Scout District Salute you.”

Derek also includes the tale of a Fleet Air Arm vessel returning to Britain from Dunkirk, the captain spotting a canoe going towards Dunkirk.

The captain of the Fleet Arm Vessel shouted: “Where do you think you are going?” The reply came back: “I can take one more.”

Derek concludes: “British eccentricity at its best!

“When you look at the efforts of the Sea Scouts and the canoeist and with everyone else who played a part in the evacuation of the BEF, that saying in moments of our nation’s crisis was born - THE DUNKIRK SPIRIT.”