Annie Gabb rediscovered her grandfather’s boat she believed sunk at Dunkirk rescue, restored it and plans to return with it to Dunkirk in 2020. What a lovely story!
My thanks to regular informant Chris Brady for the tipoff!
Tag: dunkirk
For St George’s Day – a poem found hanging on the wall of the Naval and Military Club, Southend on Sea
The Little Boats of England
The little boats of England, the little motor boats,
The little penny steamers, from Land’s End to John o’ Groats
Thre Brighton Belle, the Margate Queen, the Vigilant, the Lark,
The Saucy Jane, the Gracie Fields, even a Noah’s Ark,
Picked up their country’s message, that our backs were to the wall,
There is danger, there is danger, will you answer to the call?
Francis Drake, Collingwood and Nelson of the Nile,
Were on their quarter decks again, you should have seen them smile,
When all the little boats pulled out, from Dover to Dunkirk
To bring the British Army home, that was the job of work;
For how they performed their fearful task, the epic of those days
The history books will tell our sons, but let us sing their praise
And as they lie at anchor, from Newcastle to Poldhu,
With their battle scars upon them and with pennants red and blue
We say to them with grateful hearts, and voice that’s like to break
Lord Nelson would be proud of you; so would Sir Francis Drake.
By Ivor Back, 1940
Lifeboat Little Ship Lucy Lavers Dunkirk appeal
The folks restoring lifeboat Little Ship Lucy Lavers are appealing for financial help to get her ready for a 75th anniversary trip back to the beaches at Dunkirk. If you can, chip in your few bobs here.
In May 1940 the then newly-built lifeboat was part of the fleet of ‘little ships’ that sailed to Dunkirk to evacuate the British and Allied forces stranded on the beaches. In May this year, 75 years after the great rescue from the beaches of Belguim, she is to make a return to Dunkirk after a loving restoration and repair job by the folks at Norfolk’s Rescue Wooden Boats.
It’ll be an emotional trip together with a convoy of other Dunkirk Little Ships. Before she leaves the UK, she is scheduled to call in at Lowestoft, Southwold, Aldeburgh and Harwich (see dates overleaf), before joining the fleet of Little Ships gathering in Ramsgate to make the crossing to Dunkirk.
The crew will include lifeboat men, and at each stopover there will be a land-based exhibition and an opportunity for the public to go aboard.
After Lucy Lavers returns from Dunkirk, visitors will be
able to book a trip afloat on her in Wells-next-the-Sea, as well as see her story displayed at RWB’s visitor centre at Stiffkey.