Date of Arrival

Place

Date of Departure

Orders, Remarks etc

1.1.40

Humber

11.2.40

2/1 From FO i/c Humber: Intend to take SALAMANDER in hand for 14 days refit at Grimsby, commences 6/1

7/1: Taken in hand 7/1 completes 21/1

9/1 From Emergency Repairs Overseas, Hull: SALAMANDER is docking at Grimsby 10/1

26/1 from FO i/c Humber: Owing to further machinery defects SALAMANDER’s date of completion postponed to 1/2

4/2 from F O Humber: Completed 3/2

12.2.40

Invergordon

19.2.40

15/2 From C in C Rosyth SALAMANDER standing by derelict off Lybster

21.2.40

Invergordon

28.2.40

1.3.40

Humber

19.3.40

CLICK HERE for Salamander Minesweeping Reports 1940  'The mine swept was marked ‘For Winston Churchill’. '
 

20.3.40

Dover

27.3.40

?

Downs

5.4.40

By April SALAMANDER had been reassigned to the 4th M/S Flotilla, also in the Nore Command

5.4.40

Harwich

5.4.40

5.4.40

Harwich

6.4.40

7.4.40

Humber

?

Between 4 and 15 May she took part in a minesweeping operation off the Dutch coast, and towards the end of the month she joined Group 3, one of many groups organised to evacuate the B.E.F from Dunkirk (Operation 'Dynamo')

Ruegg

12.5.40

Harwich

14.5.40

15.5.40

Harwich

16.5.40

Escorting Dutch minesweeper

16.5.40

Humber

23.5.40

24.5.40

Humber

26.5.40

Source: Orde

HMS SALAMANDER at Dunkirk
 

26.5.40

2000

Left the Humber, under orders of the minesweeper Sutton, in company with the minesweepers Sutton and Fitzroy

27.5.40

1510

Anchored in the Downs

28.5.40

1540

Proceeded under orders of Sutton, in company with Sutton and Fitzroy via R, S and T buoys, to Dunkirk roads.

-

Rendezvoused with the minesweepers Halcyon and Skipjack by S buoy, and proceeded in company.

2130

Anchored off La Panne. Using motor boat and whalers embarked 150 troops during the night.

29.5.40

0900

Transferred 150 troops to the cruiser Calcutta. Proceeded back to La Panne and embarked troops by ship's boats and small pulling boats.

1600

Air attack by Ju87's. The destroyer Greyhound, one cable distant, was hit (she received 2 near misses) as were several small ships.

1730

Proceeded via Dunkirk Roads. Air attack. Dunkirk and neighbouring beaches heavily bombed. Proceeded via T, S and R buoys in company with Sutton.

2320

Anchored off Dover in fog.

30.5.40

0740

Alongside Admiralty Pier. Disembarked 289 troops.

1610

Proceeded to Dunkirk roads, via U, V and W buoys

2100

Anchored off Bray. Embarked 397 men during the night. Closed the destroyer Shikari and embarked Brig Gen Holden and a staff officer. Transferred the motor boat to the destroyer Icarus which had no power boat.

-

Proceeded to Dover via W, V and U buoys

31.5.40

0810

Arrived Dover. Disembarked 393 troops.

1800

Left Dover in company with Halcyon and Skipjack to rendezvous with the remainder of the minesweepers at W buoy in accordance with Vice Admiral Dover's 0357/31/5.

2200

At W buoy, SALAMANDER took the Fitzroy under her command, and "followed astern of the other two groups" through Dunkirk roads, past Dunkirk, to a position off Bray. Was then ordered by Niger to anchor 1 mile to his eastward, to avoid magnetic mines laid near No.8 buoy.

1.6.40

0015

Anchored accordingly. The beach at Bray under enemy shrapnel fire. Sent the ship's whaler inshore. 

0050

The whaler returned with a message from General Montgomery to inform all ships that he intended moving westward to Dunkirk at once, as the beach was becoming untenable. The message was passed to all ships in V/S touch. The pontoon pier had been hit by shell fire; no troops were embarking so SALAMANDER got under way and closed the beach as closely as possible.

0300

Troops began to come off in boats and were embarked. Rear Admiral Dover ordered all ships to embark men in boats and then move to Dunkirk at dawn.

0600

About 450 troops had been embarked including 29 wounded and 11 stretcher cases. A bombing attack took place but no ships were hit. One casualty in SALAMANDER from machine gun fire.

-

SALAMANDER proceeded westward, astern of the destroyer Keith and the minesweeper Skipjack.

0820

Air attack on all three ships. Skipjack was hit and sank. Keith was hit and set on fire; she abandoned ship. SALAMANDER closed Keith and sent away both whalers.

-

Whilst rescuing survivors, attacked by Ju87 dive bombers. A salvo of 4 bombs fell about 50 feet ahead; 2 of these exploded under water abreast SALAMANDER's bridge. The ship lifted bodily, heeled to starboard, and then settled down with a list to port. She then sank about a foot - suddenly. Believing the ship to be sinking, the confidential books were thrown overboard in a weighted bag. The Engineer Officer and the 1st Lieutenant reported that the ship was still seaworthy, but that she had gained a foot draught because of flooded compartments. Damage in the engine room had caused the steam pressure to fall. After about 15 minutes, steam was raised for slow speed.  

0915

Air attack; a salvo of bombs fell on the port quarter, 50 yards astern. SALAMANDER was about to proceed, leaving the whalers to assist picking up Keith's survivors and to take them to a tug (St Abbas) standing by, but captain then on the bridge of the tug asked SALAMANDER to destroy Keith's asdic dome. Having no H.E. left, SALAMANDER destroyed the dome with two rounds of SAP.

-

SALAMANDER proceeded to Dover with 480 troops, via W, V and U buoys.

-

Off W buoy an air attack was driven off by machine gun and rifle fire.

1530

Arrived Dover on one boiler. Disembarked 479 troops,

 Source http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2276426

Extracts from - Dunkirk Evacuation: A Young Guardsman's Story – Frank Fletcher

Next two minesweepers appeared, the troops left on the beach were mainly guardsman, Grenadiers and Coldstreams, the remains of a Scottish regiment and a few stragglers who hoped someone would get them home.
A Corporal and myself swam out and salvaged a Carley Life float, it held 4 of us and we tried to get out to nearest ship. With the tide coming in we didn’t make a bit of progress but a lifeboat full of Scottish Troops commanded by a CSM who obviously fancied himself as a sailor threw us a line. We made it to the nearest minesweeper, the SALAMANDER, the other being the Speedwell (Note: May be Skipjack?). We later described the SALAMANDER, one funnel, one gun and one hope to get back. The German planes returned to give us the full treatment, a stick of bombs dropped between the boats, nearly capsizing the Speedwell and causing steam to come out of the SALAMANDER through holes that were never on the Admiralty drawings. However they were built of strong stuff and lived to fight another day. The hoist to the 4.5 gun went up in smoke and the shells had to be manhandled to the gun deck, the empties were dumped over the side burning and blistering the hands.
The morning wore on and we cruised up and down the beach taking on board any of the troops that made it to the nets slung over the sides. The 4.5 kept banging away helped by several Bren guns taken on board by the troops. I did ask the Petty Officer in charge of the gun whether we would get back. He said and I quote “Son I volunteered for this ship, the British Navy has never lost a SALAMANDER yet through enemy action”. As it survived several Russian convoys later in the war his confidence was not misplaced.
The Germans were still trying to sink us. One ME110 received a direct hit above us and dived into the sea. The final few shells were being manhandled to the gun deck, a few more planes flew over but for once they were ours. The troops on deck gave them a cheer and toasted them in Navy cocoa. It was thick enough to cut but as the first hot drink for several days there were no complaints.
Having loaded our quota we turned and headed to the open sea and the white cliffs of England.
 

Source: http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/oxfordshire/archive/2000/05/23/NEWS0ZM.html

 The worst experience of my life by This is Oxfordshire 23.5.2000 

A 99-year-old war hero has been reliving the horrors of Dunkirk at a final gathering of wartime comrades.

Former naval officer William 'Bill' Stone was 40 years old when his ship was ordered to the French coast to help rescue thousands of stranded soldiers. But the scenes of carnage that greeted him 60 years ago have stayed with him ever since.

Over 300,000 British and French troops were saved from the German onslaught in 1940 by British sailors and fishermen, some in tiny boats.

To mark the anniversary of the historic evacuation, Mr Stone, of Orchard Walk, Watlington, met other survivors of the heroic evacuation for the final reunion of the Dunkirk Veterans Association.

Mr Stone, who will be 100 in September, is the oldest member of the association, which is to be disbanded due to the age of its members. He said this year's gathering at London's Imperial War Museum was a last chance to meet many old friends. For Mr Stone, who was chief petty officer on the minesweeper HMS SALAMANDER, Dunkirk was a rude awakening to the reality of war. Although he joined the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday, in the final weeks of the First World War, he had not seen active service until arriving on the French coast.

He said: "Dunkirk was the worst experience of my life. It was terrible and got worse as it went on".

"I saw hundreds of people killed in front of me. Some had no clothes on and were shot and bombed as they swam out to boats. There were oil tanks burning, ships sinking and hundreds of soldiers lined up on the beaches. Our sister ship HMS Niger (in fact it was Skipjack) was bombed 50 yards in front of us and 200 people were killed."

The SALAMANDER made five trips between Dover and Dunkirk, rescuing over 1,000 men. At one point it narrowly avoided being sunk after being targeted by a German U-boat. Mr Stone has an impressive collection of 12 medals, including campaign medals for Africa, Italy, France and Germany, and was mentioned in dispatches.

After the war Mr Stone bought himself a barber's shop in Devon. The widowed father of one and grandfather of two came to Watlington 15 years ago. He said the secret of his long life had been "clean living and trust in God".

He added: "Experiences like Dunkirk make you religious. I used to drink a lot of rum and smoke 50 a day, but not any more. Someone once told me I had stayed youthful because I was pickled inside."

http://www.hmshood.com/crew/bios/WilliamStone_Bio.html

We did five trips to Dunkirk in all, rescuing 200 to 300 men each time. Things got worse each trip we made. Our final trip was on 1^st June by which stage there was the wreckage of sunken ships all around and burning oil tanks by the dockside. Lines of troops were all marching towards the sea. We were anchored off the beach with one of our sister ships, the 'Skipjack', only about fifty yards away. At about 8am the German dive bombers came over and attacked 'Skipjack.' One of the attacking planes was shot down but 'Skipjack' was badly hit and capsized. She must have had about 200 men on board. I had to say "God, help us." I believe to this day that He did.

During our trips to Dunkirk, I was often stationed on the quarterdeck helping men get aboard "Salamander" as they swam out from the beach. Other groups of men had managed to find boats and row out to the ship. On one occasion I had a rope around a badly injured soldier who had bones sticking out of his trousers. Just as I tried to pull him in, the ship went ahead and I lost him. I don't know what happened to him.

Unknown to me, on our way back on the final trip, we were attacked by a submarine that fired a torpedo at us. When we got back to Dover the Coxswain and the Able Seaman on the wheel said to me "Chief, we held our ears today and waited for the explosion. Jerry fired this torpedo that was coming straight for us amidships." "Salamander" had been saved by her shallow draft - the torpedo had passed straight underneath us. The only explanation that we could think of to explain our lucky escape was that the German submarine had mistaken us for a destroyer and had set the torpedo to run at a greater depth than the "Salamander's" draft.

Those were awful days but one just carried on as if nothing had happened - there was nothing else that you could do.

In all the years since Dunkirk I had never come across anyone whom we had rescued in the "Salamander" until the summer of 1999. It was then that, whilst at a reunion of the Henley Branch of the Dunkirk Veterans Association, a chap came up to me and said, "What ship were you in at Dunkirk, Chief?" "Salamander," I replied. "You saved my life," he said. He told me that he had broken into a boat shed at De Panne in Belgium with some other soldiers and pinched a rowing boat. They had started to row home when we picked them up. It is pretty unlikely that they would have made it all the way back across the Channel in the rowing boat.

Following Dunkirk "Salamander" was put in to the Royal Albert docks in London to undergo repair to the damage that had been sustained during the evacuation.

Our forward troops met the Germans at Louvain and had to retreat. We manned GP's in Brussels covering blown bridges then joined the retreat to Dunkirk.
Unessential personnel were evacuated first and then the rest took the guns and equipment to the beach and destroyed them. I made my way across the beach near La Panne during the night and waded into the Channel to be picked up by a boat from HMS Salamander which dropped us off at Dover on June 1st.
When I entered the Channel I was wearing gumboots which slid off to the bottom but the crew of Salamander found me a pair of shoes to wear until we reached an assembly point near Maidenhead.

John Waugh B.E.F

Message from the son of a soldier rescued by HMS Salamander

I would just like to say thank you to all the lads that are still alive, who served on the Salamander for getting my Father, Spr John James Latham 108 Royal Engineers (Territorial BEF) away safely to "Calcutta" and thence to Sheerness. My Father's diary quotes all details accurately, how they swam to the Salamander at 10.00pm on the evening of 28th May, and remained with you all night as you picked up others, leaving aboard the Calcutta at 2.15pm for Sheerness.

I was only 2 1/2 at the time, but reading the Salamander's ships log of the terrible events you endured in the subsequent days, I feel very proud of you all. There must be so many families who have thanked you for bringing their men back home safely, yet are totally unaware of such courage and heroism.

God bless all who are still with us, and "well done lads" to those who are not.

Kindest Regards

John Latham

P.S. Father was 43 years old at the time, and had already done his bit in the 1914 - 18 war. He must have been born under a lucky star. July 2007

CLICK HERE to see full extracts from the Diary

1.6.40

Crew members who died 1^st June 1940: 

Able Seaman Edwin Adams D/SSX16420, aged 31
Able Seaman Arthur Dene Trevor Benyon DSM, D/JX142424, age 21
Stoker 1st Class Charles Priestly D/KX93761
Ordinary Seaman William Simpson D/JX 158273
Stoker 1^st Class Henry Joseph Thompson DSM, D/KX93732, age 20.

Total troops transported: 1161           

The following awards were made:

DSO          Lt Cdr L J S Ede RN

DSC          Commd Engr T E Reynolds

DSM          A.B. A D T Benyon

  ?            Sto 1st Cl.    H J Thompson

Mention in Despatches   L/Sig  J Thomas

Mention in Despatches   L/Sto  A Hussey

Date of Arrival

Place

Date of Departure

Orders, Remarks etc

?

Dover

2.6.40

2.6.40

Sheerness

2.6.40

3.6.40

London

10.7.40

4/6 From F O i/c London: Taken in hand at Green & Silley Weir, Royal Albert Dock; estimated period to complete 3 to 4 weeks

D of D 13/6 Completes 1/7 approx dependent on receipt of LL Sweep gear

Delayed by defects, completes 11/7

12.7.40

Sheerness

14.7.40

14.7.40

Humber

?

30.7.40

Harwich

30.7.40

From:       The Senior Officer Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla
Date:       8^th August 1940
To:         The Flag Officer in Charge, Harwich 

Subject:    Operations of Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla 

The following report of the movements of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla since their arrival at Harwich on 17^th June are submitted. (The 6^th MSF was joined by the 4^th MSF – SALAMANDER - for this part of the operation) 

30^th July    Sweeping Channel XYZ with four fleet sweepers ahead of convoys. SUTTON, SALAMANDER, SELKIRK joined company at 1000. 1218 and 1229 engaged single enemy aircraft. 1625-2130 Harbour. Then anchored Shipway.

31^st July    Sweeping XYZ with six fleet sweepers. 1500 sighted single enemy aircraft. 0810 ELGIN and DUNDALK joined company at sea. Returned to Harwich.

1^st August   Sweeping XYZ with fleet sweepers (seven).

2^nd August   Sweeping convoys through XYZ with seven sweepers. Sweeping new channel close to Shipwash. Sweeping H34 back to Harwich. 1715 sighted 20 twin-engined enemy bombers. HARRIER joined flotilla on return to Harbour.

3^rd August   HALCYON harbour. Six Fleet sweepers sweeping convoys through XYZ channel.

4^th August   Clearing sweep new channel close to Shipwash 20’ X 2’. Poor visibility. 2 mines cut. 1200 SPEEDWELL rejoined flotilla. 1623, anchored in thick fog. (Eight Fleet sweepers.)

5^th August   Continued at dawn. Completed channel 2000. Anchored Shipway. 0640 one mine each cut by HUSSAR, SPEEDWELL and HARRIER in position 201’ 3.2 miles from 54A buoy while sweeping outer eastern lap of channel.

6^th August   Clearing channel joining new channel, eight Fleet sweepers. Completed clearance 2115. Anchored Shipway.

7^th August   High percentage search…with eight fleet sweepers…Sweeping X to Y on return. Returned to Harwich.
 

Some minor actions against aircraft have been omitted from the report but, like all Flotillas operating in this vicinity, hostile aircraft have been engaged almost daily.
 

I consider that all officers and men in the Flotilla have carried out their duties cheerfully and efficiently ...  

R P Hinton
Commander
Senior Officer Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla
 

Comment from: The Flag Officer in Charge, Harwich, 12^th August 1940 

The operations covered by these reports entailed a degree of hard work, determination and technical skill which reflects the highest credit on all concerned and showed a very fine spirit to exist in the Minesweeping Force at Harwich.  

Admiral
12^th August 1940

Comment from: R Drax, Admiral, The Nore, 14^th August 1940 

The remarks of the Flag Officer in Charge, Harwich are fully concurred in. The zeal and devotion to duty of the minesweeping flotillas deserve the fullest recognition that can be given, particularly in view of the fact that their work is done out of sight and in the constant expectation of air attack. Very early recognition would be very welcome and specially appropriate at the present time.

?

Harwich

1.8.40

See above

2.8.40

Harwich

2.8.40

See above

3.8.40

Harwich

3.8.40

See above

7.8.40

Harwich

15.8.40

16.8.40

Harwich

17.8.40

17.8.40

Harwich

20.8.40

21.8.40

Humber

31.8.40

1.9.40

Harwich

1.9.40

2.9.40

Harwich

4.9.40

4.9.40

Harwich

10.9.40

10.9.40

Harwich

15.9.40

16.9.40

Harwich

20.9.40

21.9.40

Harwich

24.9.40

24.9.40

Sheerness

25.9.40

On 25/9 SALAMANDER was to take part in Operation Lucid (originally ‘Lucifer’). She was to help to escort one of two old merchant ships filled with fuel oil and high explosives across the channel to Calais to be set loose as ‘fire ships’ amongst the gathering German invasion fleet. The ships set sail but were recalled due to bad weather. Bad weather prevented further attempts and the idea was eventually dropped.
Source: Jack Williams - Fleet Sweepers at War

?

Sheerness

26.9.40

27.9.40

Harwich

2.10.40

Coastal convoy duties until December

2.10.40

Harwich

12.10.40

CLICK HERE for Salamander Minesweeping Reports 1940
 

13.10.40

Harwich

13.10.40

14.10.40

Harwich

17.10.40

?

Harwich

19.10.40

21.10.40

Harwich

22.10.40

25.10.40

Harwich

27.10.40

27.10.40

Harwich

28.10.40

29.10.40

Harwich

9.11.40

Source: Alan Gould whose father Jack Gould served on Salamander

10.11.40

Harwich

11.11.40

11.11.40

Harwich

15.11.40

15.11.40

Harwich

18.11.40

18.11.40

Harwich

25.11.40

25.11.40

Harwich

27.11.40

27.11.40

Harwich

29.11.40

29.11.40

Harwich

20.12.40

7/12 From F O i/c Harwich: Regret to report damage to SALAMANDER during heavy gale 6/12. Can be made seaworthy by 9/12

21.12.40

Harwich

29.12.40

29.12.40

Harwich

3.1.40