The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

After that episode, they had sunk an iron-ore ship and taken part in the
Second Battle of Narvik on 13 April, which ended in the destruction of
eight German destroyers and one U-boat. She landed British troops at
Andalsnes and then carried out further minelaying duties at Trondheim.
Barely had she made it back to Plymouth when the latest urgent call for her
services was received.
Andrew Begg had volunteered for the Royal Navy Reserve back in
March 1939. He had always intended to go to sea as a marine engineer, but
wanted to learn his trade first and so had found work in a Glasgow shipyard
near his home. But when conscription was first introduced, Andrew realized
he was in the first group to be called and since he had a terror of being a
soldier decided he should think about going to sea sooner rather than later,
and so signed for the navy right away. In June, he was sent to Devonport,
where he had to prove he was a competent fitter and turner, then pass a
rigorous physical. He passed both and after basic training was posted to
HMS Victory at Portsmouth before being posted to Icarus.
Andrew and the other ERAs and stokers took pride in keeping the
engine room immaculate. There were three boiler rooms, each in its own
watertight compartment. ‘I don’t think upper deck people envied us,’ admits
Andrew, ‘but I found the job extremely absorbing.’ The only thing that
really worried him was the two huge steam pipes above his head. The
pressure gauge showed that the steam in the pipes was 3,000 lb per square
inch – or 675 degrees Fahrenheit. ‘In any action,’ says Andrew, ‘I hoped
nothing would come through the side and hit one of those.’ Icarus had
certainly been under fire before, but nothing like the degree she and her
crew would face at Dunkirk. For men like Andrew, it was best to put such
thoughts out of mind.
While HMS Icarus was speeding along the south coast of Britain, Winston
Churchill was addressing his Cabinet – some twenty-five men from
different parties, and all highly experienced parliamentary men. Churchill
gave them a frank account of what had happened during the past fortnight
and admitted the BEF was now being evacuated. He expected 50,000 to be
lifted, although told them 100,000 would be a magnificent effort. The
public needed to be prepared for bad tidings and what was happening in
northern France was truthfully the greatest British military defeat for many
centuries. Soon, the war would be turned against their island and they