name of ship used at brest harbour 1940 avacuation of R A F?

Question

i were on one of the last but i dont remember her name i am 88yrs old

Answer 1

SS Vienna. Hope this is what you wanted. If so, I am glad to have been of help. I have a daughter in the RAF and a potential son in law in the RAF currently in Saudi Arabia (different daughter). Go to the link provided. There is a lot more information.

Ground Party No. 103 Squadron (Ousouer-le-Doyen to United Kingdom).

The Squadron main party left Ousouer-le-Doyen in good order at 2230 hours on 14.6.40. The starting point was passed on time, but the night was dark with a slight drizzle and the roads narrow with congested refugee traffic. It was an outstanding achievement on the part of P/O/ Terry i/c Convoy, the drivers and despatch riders what the convoy arrived at Nantes to schedule at 1800 hours on 15.6.40 being over 20 hours on the road.

NANTES
15.6.40
1030.
The night of 15/16th was spent in the vehicles driven up 5 miles past Nantes on the Brest Road. F/O. Vipan arrived by separate transport and took over control of the convoy.

Contact made with Officer Commanding 75 Wing, and orders received to depart for Brest with assembly point of Blain. No M.T. Petrol available and lorries filled with aviation from the towed tankers. One tanker abandoned en route to Blain due to poor performance of towing vehicle. No breakfast other than iron rations for all personnel.

BLAIN.
Co-operation of French authorities was poor and considerable difficulty and confusion occurred both in parking and obtaining petrol supplies. This delay made a much faster average speed necessary, and orders were given by O.C. 75 Wing to abandon trailers , this was completed

Page 18.

at Blain, R.A.S.C. railhead. Secret publications were retrieved from the officer trailer and destroyed, the cash of the imprest account was rescued, but time did not permit the salvage of further equipment. The Convoy refuelled with sufficient petrol for 400 miles and left at 1530 for Brest. The journey to Brest was completed overnight, and during darkness only side lights were used. The drivers although tired were magnificent en route to Bret.

Difficulty experienced in negotiating towns, when the local police appeared to take a pleasure in stopping the whole convoy or individual vehicles to scrutinise papers, they also split the convoy at cross roads etc., in spite of requests by interpreters carried in the leading vehicles. As a result convoys were bunched in towns and cross roads “rushed” with success.

The two despatch riders, A.C’s Brennan and Bridle drove consistently up and down the line of vehicles. On occasions they had to threaten with revolvers local inhabitants. These two airmen carried on until they were physically incapable of maintaining their balances due to tiredness and lack of sleep. They deserve the highest praise.

Brest reached at 0500 hours, two hours ahead of schedule, after 16 hours continuous driving with only half and hours sleep. The convoy was parked outside the town and personnel dispersed to sleep in the fields/ Air raid alarms sounded and much shrapnel fell locally. No casualties. Orders received for all personnel to proceed to the docks on foot leaving one driver per vehicle. Squadron main party boarded S’S Vienna at 0800 hours and left immediately for Plymouth arriving 0800 hours on 17.6.40. The journey was uneventful and was escorted by one destroyer.

The troopships Vienna, Empire Parkeston and Empire Wansbeck were familiar to most who served at RAF Eindhoven.
The Vienna was built by John Brown & Co.Ltd of Clydebank and was launched on the 10th April, 1929. She initially started life as a cruise ship before being requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1940 for use as a troopship. She was scrapped in 1960.
The Empire Parkeston was formerly the Prince Henry of the Canadian National Railway, and the Empire Wansbeck was previously the German minelayer, Linz

Answer 2

The evacuation, known as "Operation Aerial" took place between 14th and 18th June 1940 the month after the evacuation at Dunkirk.

Many of the ships used in the evacuation were merchant ships and it is difficult to identify the names of the vessels involved. The major troop ships are mentioned below.

Fighters from the squadrons which were still in France and others of Fighter Command patrolled the area actively, and the enemy's aircraft mainly confined their efforts at first to minelaying. Although this delayed movement, while minesweepers cleared the channels, it had no other effect on operations. This was fortunate, for the shipping used included large troopships—for example, the Arandora Star, the Strathaird, and the Otranto—which would have been vulnerable to strong attack by the enemy's heavy bombers.

From Brest 32,584 British and Allies were brought to England; evacuation was successfully concluded and the demolitions were carried out by the French with the British demolition party's help. The French warships sailed and by the 19th the great naval base was clear of shipping and the demolition party was brought away by the destroyer Broke.

Answer 3

Does this link help? I do hope so. http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:j-mlJ6yd1iQJ:www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-NWE-Flanders/UK-NWE-Flanders-21.html+brest+harbour+ship+to+evacuate+RAF+1940&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5
Otherwise
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:NdEHk5xEHsMJ:ehistory.osu.edu/wwii/timeline.cfm+brest+harbour+ship+to+evacuate+RAF&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2
Otherwise http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:h81at2c4TLgJ:uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5429.html+brest+harbour+ship+to+evacuate+RAF&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4

Thank you for all you did for us before I was even born!

Answer 4

I don't know, I'm very sorry!!!!!!!!!!!