Little Ships Re-Enact Dunkirk Rescue Mission on 85th Anniversary

The United Kingdom is reliving the memories of World War II’s bravest evacuation mission with a flotilla of 66 “little ships” that sailed to Dunkirk in France for the commemoration of the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. The Royal Navy escorted the original ships that took part in the daring 1940 rescue mission along with other pleasure crafts that celebrated the anniversary event.

The flotilla of the Little Ships of Dunkirk which included a diverse fleet of historic vessels departed Ramsgate Royal harbor crossing the English Channel to Dunkirk where they will re-enact the heroic Operation Dynamo voyage that occurred between May 26 to June 4, 1940, days described by historians as Britain’s show of heroism at her darkest hour.

Over the 10-day period in 1940, about 850 private boats of all shapes and sizes sailed from United Kingdom shores through heavy enemy fire on a rescue mission to save Allied troops stranded on the beaches and harbor at Dunkirk as the Nazis swept through France. While the hope was that the ships would help rescue at least 40,000 soldiers, they achieved an incredible feat rescuing more than 338,000 soldiers. The operation saw more than 250 ships lost at Dunkirk.

Historical accounts by the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships highlights that for every seven soldiers who escaped through Dunkirk, one man was left behind as a prisoner of war. The majority of the prisoners were sent on forced marches into Germany and Poland where they were brutally treated including beatings, starvation, and murder. The rescue operation by the “little ships” is credited for turning a military disaster into a story of heroism, which served to raise the morale of the British soldiers during WWII.

While the official name of the evacuation mission was Operation Dynamo, the historic event is today better known as the “Miracle of Dunkirk,” a name coined by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. On the 85th anniversary of the mission, the UK is witnessing the largest gathering of the small ships, fishing vessels, yachts, and pleasure cruisers accompanying the original 66 “little ships” to Dunkirk to commemorate the historic event. This marks the first time the “little ships” are recreating the historic journey since 2015.

 

 

 

The iconic ships were escorted across the English Channel by seven Royal Navy P2000 patrol boats. The Archer class vessels are attached to the Coastal Forces Squadron and are primarily designed for training and inshore patrol tasks. Organizers called this year's event the largest gathering of small ships, fishing vessels, yachts, and private pleasure crafts since Operation Dynamo in May-June 1940.

Commemoration of the 1940 events was, however, darkened by the death of the last surviving and known naval Dunkirk veteran. Duncan McInnes, who was a telegraphist and served on Admiralty S-class destroyer HMS Saladin, died at the age of 105 last week in Australia.

“This will be the first time when we’ve gone over when there are no veterans,” said Ian Gilbert, Honorary Vice Admiral, Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. “The little ships are the veterans because the living link has now gone and we have to keep these boats alive to keep the memory alive.”

The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, which was established in 1966, is determined to preserve the memory and identity of the brave vessels by honoring their legacy. It does this by maintaining a present-day fleet and upholding the "Spirit of Dunkirk." Every five years, the association commemorates the events of May 1940 by retracing the original route taken by many of the heroic little ships.