memories of "The Maid of Orleans"

Searching the Web today i clicked on "WW2 People's War" and browsed through to see if i could find out anything about a ship called "The Maid of Orleans" on which i was evacuated from Dunkirk to Dover,she left the East Mole with 1856 troops on board.

i was serving with the RAOC as a motor engineer and attached to the 1st Bn Oxford and Buckinghamshire Lt Infty.
We were dug in at a place called Cassel and under heavy attack by the Germans,when orders were given to do what we could to immobilise all our vehicles to prevent the Germans from making use of them as they where hard on our heels,afer the job was completed we then set out on a march to Dunkik which was about 21 miles, from then on things couldn't have got much worse as we under attack mostly from the air the whole way,and on reaching Dunkirk it didn't let up, the "Stuka's were straffing the beach with bombs and machine guns causing maning killed and wounded,after spending a day trying to get aboard a boat of any kind without success an officer with a pistol in his hand ordered a large number of us to leave the beach and make our way to the "Mole" which we found already packed with hundreds of troops.

The trek to the end of the "Mole" was disastrous, Jerry came over and made a direct hit causing many casualties,also a long delay in proceeding any further along.
eventually the gap was bridged and we were able to proceed, at that point i decided to remove all my webbing and equipment into the sea in case i had to swim for it,eventually our savour was in sight, a fairly large ship which i learnt later was the "Maid of Orleans". By this time i had lost any idea of time and was thoroughly exhausted ,got on board, flopped down on deck amongst the others and fell fast asleep, I remember nothing about the journey until i had a friendly kick from someone saying On your feet mate we are in Dover, i really couldn't believe what i was hearing was true this was 0945hrs on the 1st of June 1940.

This brings me to my reason for writing this after reading Bill Birtles story.
Your Article Namely Dunkirk:Aboard The Maid of Orleans
People in the Story:Bill Birtles
Unit Name:Courier,Royal Merchant Navy

Dunkirk Age 17
Friday 17th May 1940

I read this account with great interest as i have never been able to find anyone who had any knowledge of the Maid of Orleans,as somewhere along the line i had heard that she was sunk on her return journey, which does not tally with Bill's account In which he states that on her return journey she collided with a destroyer(HMS Worcester)and both limped back into port at Dover, and that she had made her last trip to Dunkirk.

I have in my possession Recordings made Day by Day of vessels arriving at Dover during the Evacuation, The Author,Captain J W Walker kept this book for many years and on his retirement gave this book to the National Chairman of the Dunkirk Veterans Association Major General V H J Carpenter CB MBE who gave his permission to reproduce the contents, and offer them for sale in aid of our National Welfare Fund.
I understand that General Carpenter has placed the original in his Regimental Museum.

According to this report The Maid of Orleans made 4 trips to Dunkirk and back evacuating our Troops and some 400 French Troops on the last journey which i was on.

According to my book this is details of her courageous journeys.

Date Time Arrived Dover No of board
27-05-1940 0600hrs 988
29-05-1940 1615hrs 1260
31-05-1940 0700hrs 1295
01-06-1940 0945hrs 1856

Checking my recordings with Bills'they do not differ a great deal.
Come the 1st June this year it will be 66years since all this took place, and i shall be 90yrs of age later this year.
I was so pleased to read Bills' account that i printed off all 8 pages of it.

He mentioned those wonderful volunteer workers that worked so tirelessly dishing out food and drink to all us starving individuals.

Sorry i am unable to attach a photo as i haven't one of myself on my PC at the moment.

Thought you might be interested in this follow up, my name is:-
Lionel Tucker
26 Wentworth Gardens
Southampton SO19 9QG
Tel:(023) 80434616
Email: liontuck@wentwoth.freeserve.co.uk

PS On the 60th anniversary of Dunkirk i went back to Dunkirk and did a programme for the BBC with Freddie Rostrand and his team. I still have a copy of the Video.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.