Today is the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of British & Allies soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. The British Admiralty requisitioned privately owned pleasure cruisers to shuttle evacuees from the beaches to the waiting battle ships. They aimed to evacuate 20,000-30,000 troops, but ended up rescuing over 300,000, which gave a major boost to the British moral, leading to the coining of the phrase “Dunkirk Spirit”.
Over 60 Little Ships set off from Ramsgate this morning (May 21, 2025) heading to Dunkirk for this anniversary crossing, the first for ten years, as COVID put paid to the 80th anniversary in 2020. Sadly, this is the first crossing that won’t feature any veterans of the war.
I am fortunate that many of the remaining Little Ships are located along the River Thames near to where I live, and indeed there is a renowned boat builder which specialises in wooden boats, particularly Dunkirk Little Ships, just a couple of miles away from my home. One of my neighbours actually owns the Lady Of Mann, a life boat from a liner, that made the crossing in 1940 and rescued one of Charles De Gaulle’s inner circle.
Over the years I have managed to photograph the boats on the water, as well as the people and the work that goes on behind the scenes.
Breda is an exceptional example of a restored Little Ship, and the dedication of the owner to the restoration project was demonstrated by the sale of his home to fund the restoration!
I wasn’t able to get to either Ramsgate or Dunkirk, due to work commitments, but I did see some of the Little Ships making their way along the River Thames to Ramsgate.
Gay Venture is owned by Stephen Dennett who runs Michael Dennett boatbuilders, and you can see photos I took of them and their work in their workshop in this pdf here.
I have been following the progress of the crossing which seems to have been successful (it is always weather dependent), and there will be a ceremony with lots of dignitaries to mark the occasion.
With the passing of the people involved in the evacuation, it is important that the memory is retained, and the restoration and upkeep of the Dunkirk Little Ships by skilled workers and dedicated owners, is a direct link to this remarkable event, after which Churchill’s famous “we shall never surrender” speech was made.
You must be logged in to post a comment.