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50 CLASSIC BOAT MAY 2015

LITTLE SHIPS TO REVISIT DUNKIRK

where some of the Little Ships will congregate in the

Royal Docks on the Isle of Dogs. Commodore of the

ADLS Ian Gilbert explains: “It’s planned to be quite a

big local event. We’ve joined up with Museums at Night,

and on the Saturday, 16 May, we’ll be having an

illuminated sail-past at dusk.

“Then on Sunday, the boats will be available for

viewing – there will be shoreside activities on the quay,

for local families and particularly young people to find

out what it’s all about.”

The boats will then set off down the Thames on

Monday, leaving about 1pm, overnighting at

Queenborough and reaching Ramsgate on Tuesday

19th. The ships will be open for public viewing during

the Wednesday (11.30-12.30 and 3.30-4.30), and guest

of honour at a civic ceremony on Wednesday will

Major General Charles Ramsay, son of Admiral

Bertram Ramsay, who was conmmander-in-chief of

Operation Dynamo and went on to head the Royal

Navy’s role on D-Day. Departure for Dunkirk is on

Thursday, return on Monday (see the ADLS website,

adls.org.uk, for further details).

And the following weekend, those ships and crews

that still have the stamina will head out again, this

time to Ostend, for the Oostende Voor Anker

maritime festival, where this year’s theme just

happens to be “Rescue at Sea”.

This year’s ships will, as always, include some new

participants – if any vessels that must by definition be

more than 75 years old can be described as ‘new’.

The oldest participant will be the faithful Thames

sailing barge Greta from 1892. Probably the youngest,

MTB 102 The only Royal Naval vessel at Dunkirk to

have survived, she is now based at Newson’s Yard in

Lowestoft and led the 2012 Jubilee Pageant.

Thamesa ex-Minnehaha, owned by John Tough,

grandson of Douglas Tough whose yard organised the

collection and derequisition of the upper Thames boats

New Britannic A former Ramsgate trip boat built

for 117 passengers was ideal for ferrying troops

from the beaches. Recently restored

Tahilla 60ft 1922 Thornycroft auxiliary ketch built for

tobacco baron DM Wills. At Dunkirk she was found

abandoned and was towed home by Southern Queen.

Llanthony Newly-restored, this 77ft Camper &

Nicholson had a particularly colourful Dunkirk, worth

reading up on the ADLS website (afls.org.uk)

Silver Queen Another passenger launch, reported

sunk at Dunkirk, she was later restored by the DLS

Restoration Trust and has since led an active life

Firefly At just 26ft one of the smallest of the Little

Ships; in 1995 Dunkirk veteran, Dennis Kinnell told

her owners of how he was rescued by Firefly.

Gay Venture, 45ft (13.7m) was built by Watercraft of

Molesey in 1938, and a year later found herself

requisitioned to become HMY Gay Venture

Philante, now Norge, the Norwegian Royal Yacht, she

was built for Sir Thomas Sopwith and took part in the

Operation Ariel rescue from western French ports

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