Dunkirk Little Ships

[Guest]

Follow up question -

 

were all the Little ships similarly designated HMS ,,,,,?

 

We have never been to Whitby, although i believe a group trip is in the pipeline for some point next year. Will put the lifeboat on the list of things to do.

 

Until you get chance....

 

(PS take your sick bag!! )

 

[magnetman]

I wonder if any of the Dunkirk little ships were under 7ft beam?

 

unlikely I suppose but possible

[carlt]

I wonder if any of the Dunkirk little ships were under 7ft beam?

 

unlikely I suppose but possible

The Tamzine, a Margate open fishing boat was 14'7" LOA and 5'1" beam

[Christine]

My Grandfather came back from Dunkirk in a little fishing boat into Ramsgate. He was one of the last to leave as he was an artificer who had been working on a big gun and had his head down the barrel and did not hear the signal to get away.

 

The only thing we know was that as he boarded the little boat, a chap tried to get on board cluching a radio that he had 'acquired' and my Grandfather knocked this away, saying that the space could be taken by another soldier. Speaking to my Mum tonight, she said that she now wishes that she had asked more about her father's experiences but, at the time, 'it just wasn't done'.

[Derek R.]

Not commonly known, but amongst the last of those to leave Dunkirk were ATS women. Their task had been to help run communications centres during the BEF plan, and had been kept on until quite late in the evacuation. Three hundred women were involved in this task, though how many were left near the end is not known.

 

Information I gleaned from the web when seeking ATS details a while back.

 

Derek

[Naughty Cal]

Until you get chance....

 

(PS take your sick bag!! )

 

 

Excellent

 

Maybe see you next year for that pint

[carlt]

Great video I must put mine up, sometime.

 

Ridiculous comment, though (not by you, I hasten to edit), considering how well kept the boat is, how many people have, potentially, put money in the RNLI tin, after a going on her, and how so many lifeboats have ended up.

Edited May 27, 2010 by carlt

[Caroline J]

Follow up question -

 

were all the Little ships similarly designated HMS ,,,,,?

 

 

 

Until you get chance....

 

(PS take your sick bag!! )

 

 

One of the trip boats at Gloucester Waterways Musuem, Queen Boadicea II is a Dunkirk Little ship, shes's not designated HMS ... but does bear a simple brass plaque "Dunkirk 1940"

[XAlan W]

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

No narrow boats took part in the Dunkirk evacuation. This tale was started as a bit of fun / wind up donkeys years ago and is just that - a tale, irrespective of what some 'historic' narrow boat websites might imply.

 

In conversation many years ago with some Anderton C C boatmen, one topic brought up was that the late Ike Argent was on one of the Dunkirk boats in what role I never found out, but it caused some amusement to one C Atkins snr to the affect that he had received a bullet wound in some part of his anatomy that he usually sat down on. Charlies thinking was thats why Ike never sat still for very long. Don`t know if this is true or not, anyone know any more?

[carlt]

In conversation many years ago with some Anderton C C boatmen, one topic brought up was that the late Ike Argent was on one of the Dunkirk boats in what role I never found out, but it caused some amusement to one C Atkins snr to the affect that he had received a bullet wound in some part of his anatomy that he usually sat down on. Charlies thinking was thats why Ike never sat still for very long. Don`t know if this is true or not, anyone know any more?

I understand that Ike Argent delighted in reinforcing the myth, by telling everyone that the Steam NB Monarch made the trip.

 

A cursory look down the list reveals, indeed, the Monarch was one of the DLSs but that boat was actually an old gaffer.

[CanalWalker]

Our old boat was said to have been at Dunkirk, no idea if there is any evidence it helped the British flee Europe though.

[carlt]

Our old boat was said to have been at Dunkirk, no idea if there is any evidence it helped the British flee Europe though.

What was the name and what type of boat (if it's your centre cockpit cruiser I'm afraid I'll have to dispute your claim )

[luctor et emergo]

Follow up question -

 

were all the Little ships similarly designated HMS ,,,,,?

 

 

 

Until you get chance....

 

(PS take your sick bag!! )

 

 

 

I like

 

some good clips there.

[CanalWalker]

What was the name and what type of boat (if it's your centre cockpit cruiser I'm afraid I'll have to dispute your claim )

 

 

Albatross was said to have been a harbour master/customs boat or a smugglers boat and at Dunkirk, so many stories for one little boat!

[Max Sinclair]

I have enjoyed two annual sails on the Thames Barge Pudge although a severe gale off Yarmouth did alter my digestion cycle.I can thoroughly recommend this as it is the nearest experience to sailing on a Droitwich Salt Trow.

If you are interested in the sailing barges that worked in our rivers and canals I can recomend

membership of the Sailing Barge Research Society. It is not expensive and they regularly issue superb publications and deserve our support.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Max Sinclair

[magnetman]

Albatross was said to have been a harbour master/customs boat or a smugglers boat and at Dunkirk, so many stories for one little boat!

 

That would be a good picture for some sort of 'where is it?' competition.

 

Its an interesting boat

Edited May 29, 2010 by magnetman

[carlt]

Albatross was said to have been a harbour master/customs boat or a smugglers boat and at Dunkirk, so many stories for one little boat!

The only "Albatross" on the DLS lists was, sadly, lost during the evacation but that doesn't mean that yours wasn't renamed, between then and now.

[saltysplash]

We left Ramsgate thursday morning in company with the little ships flotilla on our way to the Oostende festival.

 

Sadly a couple didnt make it, one picked up some debris in the harbour and was left behind while they tried to clear their water intake and another began to overheat just outside Ramsgate, Last update I heard on the VHF was that they were returning to try and solve the problem.

 

HMS Monmouth and HMS Raider were the RN escort ships along with 2 offshore lifeboats.

 

We tagged along as far as the end of the Bouyed channel then set course for Oostende. We finally lost signal on the VHF as they were reporting their current position as entering the westbound traffic separation scheme in the Dover straits.

 

will post some pics if anyone is interested

[zenataomm]

We left Ramsgate thursday morning in company with the little ships flotilla on our way to the Oostende festival.

 

Sadly a couple didnt make it, one picked up some debris in the harbour and was left behind while they tried to clear their water intake and another began to overheat just outside Ramsgate, Last update I heard on the VHF was that they were returning to try and solve the problem.

 

HMS Monmouth and HMS Raider were the RN escort ships along with 2 offshore lifeboats.

 

We tagged along as far as the end of the Bouyed channel then set course for Oostende. We finally lost signal on the VHF as they were reporting their current position as entering the westbound traffic separation scheme in the Dover straits.

 

will post some pics if anyone is interested

 

 

Please do