Challenge at Dunkirk

We have found some of the recollections of Mr C.W. Wenban from which we can piece together Challenges movements during the evacuation of Dunkirk.

 Mr Wenban was a waterman who happened to be standing on the Royal Terrace Pier, Gravesend. He was asked if he was free to make up the crew of the Gravesend steam tug Challenge. He was told the job was probably connected with getting troops out.

Of course he said yes. 

He went home to get a couple of shirts and a toothbrush and told his wife Dorothy what he was doing. 

Before long he was aboard Challenge proceeding to Dover for orders. Once there under Gravesender Captain C. Parker they were told to collect a barge loaded with supplies and tow it across for the boys trapped at Dunkirk.

Mr Wenban recalled “We got to Dunkirk and received directions to put the barge ashore further along the shore. So we steamed along to the position they said, but instead of British troops we found Germans had occupied the ground. We quickly turned about back to Dunkirk harbour and this time we were told to go to La Panne.  Challenge had just let go of the barge having run it at the beach at full speed ahead, when we watched a dive bomber come in to attack.

The plane went for the barge and dropped a bomb which blew the barge right out of the water. There were five army men on the barge. According to my information only one man survived, and he was a Gravesend man who I later met in Dover.”  

Troops approache Challenge near the Dunkirk Beaches. Photo Mike Wenban Colln.

Challenge carried out a few towing jobs for the Navy control before setting back under orders for Dover harbour.

“On our way back we found a damaged destroyer loaded with troops” continued Mr Wenban “We got a line to her and towed her back to port, where the troops were able to disembark safely.”

When entering Dunkirk waters for the first time the first vessel that the crew of the Challenge observed was her sister tug Contest which was also crewed from Gravesend. Both tugs where unarmed.

Photo believed taken from Challenge. Photo Mick Wenban Jnr, it shows TANGA crossing to Dunkirk towing a string of lifeboats.
In the background is the hospital carrier PARIS, she sank 10 miles off the Dunkirk beaches. 
 

Back at Dover, a few more towing jobs where done. One task was to issue ladders around to Navy ships in the harbour. These were later used to enable thousands of troops to embark from the Dunkirk harbour arm down to the deck of the rescuing destroyer.

When a returning destroyer was rammed by a cross channel ferry at the entrance of Dover harbour Mr Wenban dived into the oily water and rescued two men from the water get them into a French naval Pinnace.

On the final night of the evacuation Challenge was one of the last craft to steam across the Channel to visit the beaches  “We were under command of a naval officer this time, although the vessel was still under the red ensign.” Mr Wenban said "When we got there there was a lot of noise going on from German guns. There were many big fires. It was obvious that our little tug could do no more, although we told to try and bring back anything we could see. Our officer eventually ordered the tug back to Dover.”
 

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The above description ties in with other information we have.

We know that on the night of the 1st June she was in Dover harbour and at 2000 hrs she assisted in towing the destroyer Worcester which had be in a collision with The Maid of Orleans to the Prince of Wales pier along with the tugs Crested Cock, Sun VII and Sun XIII. (this must be the incident when Mr Wenban saved some men from the water) Then at approximately 2130 hrs she was ordered to steam to Dunkirk and "pick up or rescue anything " at 2300hrs she was off North Goodwin in a line with Ocean Cock, Crested Cock, Fairplay I, Sun VII, Sun XI and SunXII all heading towards Dunkirk with the same orders.

Winston Churchill wrote about Operation Dynamo in his book The Second World War, that was published in 1949.
 

Ever since May 20, the gathering of shipping and small craft had been proceeding under the control of Admiral Ramsay, who commanded at Dover. After the loss of Boulogne and Calais only the remains of the port of Dunkirk and the open beaches next to the Belgian Frontier were in our hands. On the evening of the 26th an Admiralty signal put Operation Dynamo into play, and the first troops were brought home that night.

   
 
 Early the next morning, May 27, emergency measures were taken to find additional small craft. The various boatyards, from Teddington to Brightlingsea, were searched by Admiralty officers, and yielded upwards of forty serviceable motor-boats or launches, which were assembled at Sheerness on the following day. At the same time lifeboats from liners in the London docks, tugs from the Thames, yachts, fishing-craft, lighters, barges and pleasure-boats - anything that could be the use along the beaches - were called into service. 

Check out http://thamestugs.co.uk/TUGS-OF-WAR.php for some more pictures of Challenge at Dunkirk.