“It’s alright mate, I’ve got ya”
The intersection between pleasure craft and war is present in Australia, but minimal. Some boats were requisitioned for service in New Guinea, and some played observation and reconnaissance rolls up and down the east coast. But never have the civilian and naval fleets combined as they did in the English Channel in May 1940.
To mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) will sail as a fleet from Ramsgate to Dunkirk over the late May Bank Holiday weekend May 21-26, 2025.
Though technically a retreat, the successful evacuation was presented as a miraculous escape and rallied public spirit in Britain. Churchill called it a "miracle of deliverance," and it helped reinforce his decision to continue the fight against Nazi Germany rather than seek peace.
The voyage marks the 85th anniversary of the rescue of more than 338,000 British and Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in late May and early June of 1940.
Destroyers filled with evacuated British troops arriving at Dover on 31 May 1940
This will be the first time the Little Ships have made the crossing since 2015. The ADLS arranges a voyage every five years but in 2020 the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The ADLS are excited to confirm that there will be over 70 Dunkirk Little Ships in the fleet, the largest number gathered together since those dark days of 1940, where they toiled day and night over nine days delivering British and Allied troops from the beaches to larger ships lying offshore to fight another day.
Little Ships will assemble in Ramsgate from Britain and Europe over the weekend of 17-19 May to moor in the inner harbour and be ready in all respects to take part in events in Ramsgate with the departure for Dunkirk set to take place on the early morning of Wednesday 21 May.
Dunkirk Little Ships moored in the Inner Harbour in Ramsgate 2015 (Credit ADLS/ Mick Gentry)
The Dynamo 85 voyage takes place ten years after the previous crossing in 2015, 2020’s return being cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic; this year’s return is a long awaited and much welcome crossing for all involved in Britain and in France. The diary is filled with commemorative events and celebrations, both in Ramsgate and in Dunkirk; here is a flavour of what is happening to mark the return:
17-19 May Little Ships arrive in Ramsgate independently and in small groups, mooring in the Inner Harbour
20 May A full day of events with a parade leading through the town and harbour front followed by a service in the Sailor’s Church; the parade also includes the unveiling of the refurbished Operation Dynamo memorial and the dedication of the bell from Crested Eagle, sunk off of Bray Dunes beach east of Dunkirk 29th May 1940. A briefing will be held for all Little Ships Skippers that evening to confirm the final details for the crossing and give the ‘Go’ decision.
21 May. 0530-0730 Little Ships depart Ramsgate escorted by the Royal Navy, the RNLI and Nelson safety vessels. ‘Dunkirk 85’ is underway.
21 -26 May Commemorative events in Dunkirk
The Little Ships gathered together in Ramsgate will make a magnificent sight, all in the Inner Harbour and open to view, either from the harbour walls above or on the pontoon moorings.
Stand awhile with the Little Ships in view, cast your eye to the open sea, imagine how it looked in 1940; Ramsgate was one of the harbours used for the landing of rescued soldiers.
Ramsgate Harbour, early June 1940, just after Operation Dynamo, with Little Ships at rest.
Come and visit the Little Ships in Ramsgate, stand beside them, allow yourself to wonder how these boats and their crews managed to rescue so many from the beaches. Think of the effort involved, the lack of sleep, lack of proper rest and food, the tension of war, the number of trips made to and from the beaches, often under artillery fire and air attack, the number of times the crews said to those soldiers in the water “It’s alright mate, I’ve got ya”.
Twelve of the Little Ships gathered in the Inner Harbour took part in the making of Christopher Nolan’s epic Oscar winning ‘Dunkirk’ film in 2016.
Kevin Finn, Commodore of The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships said, ‘Ramsgate is my hometown, it will be great to have a fleet of the Little Ships here again for our five-yearly crossing to Dunkirk. Ramsgate and Dunkirk are pulling out all the stops to commemorate, celebrate and educate throughout our stay in the very centre of these two excellent ports’.
Ian Gilbert, Honorary Vice Admiral of The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships said, ‘The fleet will soon gather in Ramsgate for this return to Dunkirk, which is made all the more special by the number of Little Ships involved, more than has been seen previously. A vast amount of work is going on at present to make sure the Little Ships look their very best and are fully prepared for the channel crossing’.
Small craft on their way up the Thames in London on 4 June 1940, after taking part in the evacuation