52 CLASSIC BOAT MAY 2015DYNAMO REMEMBERED
With the perspective of history, the
distance between the two World Wars
seems increasingly short – a mere 21
years. So it’s inevitable that some of the
boats that served at Dunkirk also took
part in the Great War, and three of them
will feature in this year’s Return
Greta, the 1892 Thames barge is the
oldest vessel in the ADLS. Thames
sailing barges were routinely
chartered during the First World War
to deliver supplies, including
explosives to the Continent; In World
War II, Greta was chartered by the
Ministry of Supply to ferry
ammunition, and was diverted to
Dunkirk to assist with the evacuation.
MB278, a 30ft (9.1m) naval pinnace
built in 1914 by W White & Son Cowes,
served in WWI with HMS Sir John
Moore, then HMS Raglan, sunk o
Imbros. Just before World War II, she
was assigned to HMS Erebus and she
nearly missed Dunkirk when she was
crushed in an accident in Portsmouth
dockyard and sank, in March 1940.
When hauled to the surface, her hull
was badly damaged but she wasquickly repaired and given a new
engine. She has the scars to prove her
Dunkirk service: a row of bullet holes
made by a German machine gun in her
hull, visible until her recent refi t. When
the Admiralty sold her in 1948, her
description did not do her justice,
“round bilge ex-Naval hull of double-
skin mahogany with mahogany shelter
aft. Fair condition. No engine.” In fact,
she is of double-skin teak on rock elm
and oak frames, with a third skin fi tted
internally athwartships. She later
became Susan K, then Roma. In 2010
she moved to Michael Dennett’sChertesy yard for a refi t in time for the
2010 Return, and became once again
MB278. Mike will be taking her over
again this year. Also taking part is
Omega, a substantial 43ft (13.1m)
ketch-rigged motor yacht built at the
Admiralty’s Devonport dockyard in- She later served as a patrol boat
for the Schneider Trophy races o
Spithead. Following Dunkirk, she
continued in naval service as an East
Coast patrol boat, then a barrage-
balloon vessel and fi nally for
accommodation before being handed
back, reconditioned, to her owner.
Above: Thames
barge Greta, the
oldest Little Ship in
the fl eet.
Left: MTB278,
photographed during
the 2010 ReturnGreat War
veterans
Although built in 1911, Moonraker is unlikely to have served in the
Great War. She’s a 28ft (8.5m) drop-keel sloop, built by Burgoyne of
Kingston on Thames, evidently with racing in mind. Her hull is
mahogany with glued splines between planks giving her a very rigid,
lightweight construction. Evidently though she did play a part in
Operation Dynamo, and in the fi rst Return, organised by the Sunday
Times in 1965, when she was known as Dusty Miller. Ian Gilbert,
current commodore of the ADLS, and owner of Little Ship Papillon saw
her on the 2000 return. Seven years later, after her owner had died
and she had been left to rot away in Heybridge Basin, Ian was able to
buy her out of probate for just £1. Siince then she’s been under
restoration at Colin and Stephen Messer’s Classic Restoration Services
at Windsor. Colin and Stephen will be sailing her in the Return.Resuced under sail
CB323 Dunkirk.indd 52 24/03/2015 16:23