Why exact double-rescue figures for Dunkirk are elusive

How many Dunkirk evacuees were rescued after a ship sank, and how many were later lost in another sinking?

There are no exact figures because emergency loading and transfers were not recorded precisely, though repeated rescues certainly occurred.

Ships were loaded rapidly without the complete rolls needed to reconstruct every transfer, rescue, and loss. A precise number cannot be given for troops rescued from one sinking only to be lost in another. Many soldiers had to begin their sea journey more than once after the vessel carrying them was hit. Most little ships shuttled between beaches and larger vessels offshore, while destroyers, ferries, and larger craft more often made the full Channel crossing.