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

evacuation. No-one was quite sure how many men remained but Bill
Tennant and Alexander reckoned there were about 5,000 Tommies still
remaining and some 30,000 French.
During the day, a naval demolition party carried out its work on the
surviving port equipment and arrangements were put in place to block the
harbour entrance once the last ship had sailed. Meanwhile, at Dover,
Admiral Ramsay’s team had collected eleven destroyers, thirteen personnel
ships, and a host of minesweepers, drifters, skoots and other little boats and
these set sail around 5 p.m. that afternoon.
The first troops began boarding around 9 p.m., but already the harbour
was under German artillery fire. Once again, the port was lit by the stillburning
fires, which cast an orange glow over the column of troops inching
their way along the mole. Miraculously, though, that narrow walkway had
still not been hit, nor buckled under the strain of playing host to so many
ships. At around 11.30 p.m., with the last British troops on board, Bill
Tennant and General Alexander boarded a motor launch and began a last
tour, first of the harbour, then along the beaches down to Bray, calling out
to any last remaining British soldiers. Not one man replied. All that was left
were the dark silhouettes of the abandoned lorry piers, other destroyed
trucks, carriers and cars. Guns stood where they had been left on the
beaches. That long strip of sand, in normal times filled with people
enjoying the sun and the sea, was now littered with the debris of a proud
army that had abandoned all but the men who fought within its ranks.
Desultory shell fire continued, but otherwise the beaches were still.
It was time to go. Already Bill Tennant had sent his last signal to
Admiral Ramsay, one of just four words. ‘BEF evacuated. Returning now.’