Dover Patrol — First-hand accounts?

[SiegeGunner]

Does anyone know of any personal, first-hand accounts of the Dover Patrol during the Bacon era, other than Admiral Bacon's own books and ERGR Evans's 'Keeping the Seas'? I've been unable to trace any memoirs or other writings by Commodore Hubert Lynes, who was in command at Dunkirk. Does anyone know of any?

Thanks in advance

Mick

[Neil Clark]

Mick,

I take it you know of Roy Humphries book "The Dover Patrol"? Published 2001

Neil

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Have you contacted the Royal Naval Museum Library, Portsmouth or the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich for unpublished accounts?

[Greenwoodman]

As well as Bacon and Evans, Enser suggests J J Bennett "The Dover Patrol" (London: Grant Richards 1919), 214pp and S W Coxon "Dover during the Dark Days" (London: Lane 1919) 296pp

[SiegeGunner]

I take it you know of Roy Humphries book "The Dover Patrol"? Published 2001

Thanks, Neil, I do, but Humphreys is not a first-hand account.

Yes, Per, I have.

Thanks, Greenwoodsman — I have Bennett but don't know Coxon and will look for his book. Do you know what his role was?

Mick

[Greenwoodman]

I'm afraid not. I just took it out of Enser's Bibliography.

A description of the book on ABE reads:- Book Description: The. By A "Dug-Out" (Lieut-Commander Stanley W. Coxon, R.N.V.R.) With Contributions by other officers of the Dover Patrol. John Lane, The Bodley Head 1st 1919. Recounts experiences serving in the Dover Patrol during WWI including three first hand accounts of the Zeebrugge Raid.

So it would look promising for your requirements. Prices on ABE start at £41, and it is being printed on demand in the States. Which might suggest its online somewhere

[SiegeGunner]

Thanks again, Richard — I'll have a look for it.

It seems, as I have found before, that first-hand accounts of the DP during Admiral Bacon's tenure are extremely rare. As indeed are official records, most of which seem to have disappeared.