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'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-27 22:22:23

Martin
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Joined:
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Posts: 3628
Location:
Kent
United Kingdom

Yesterday evening i popped down the Harbour at Ramsgate to take a look at the 'Little Ships' that were gathered to take part in todays 'Return to Dunkirk' to Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo, hence the nauticle pics!

Details regarding the vessels can be found here ...

http://www.adls.org.uk/t1/content/70th-anniversary-commemorative-return-dunkirk

I'm sure you've seen it on the telly but as im near to the start point at Ramsgate I thought i'd post a couple of pics as a tribute.

--

Martin :o)

Replies


	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 14:26:44
ladyon2wheels 1300cc Superstar Joined: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 Posts: 733 Location: kansas city United States	Why do they call them "Little Ships"? Are they replicas or something? They look really big to me.... -- If you can't get it going with bungee cords and electrician's tape it's serious.

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 14:36:35
the_ox 1300cc Superstar Joined: Saturday, October 30, 2004 Posts: 8803 Location: London United Kingdom	Because they are "little ships" compared to the normal troop carriers that were used at the time. It was basically all or anything that floated that was used to rescue the trooops from Dunkirk. Some only carried 8 people but took on board 16 it was that caotic. -- If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, you probably haven't grasped the seriousness of the situation!

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 15:37:14
gixxer 1300cc Superstar Joined: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 Posts: 1563 Location: sheffield United Kingdom	martins our 'on the spot reporter' and a dang fine job he does too! -- 'it wasnt me! i only just got here!'

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 15:51:44
ladyon2wheels 1300cc Superstar Joined: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 Posts: 733 Location: kansas city United States	I see ox...thanks for the clarification there.......so ....what do these "little ships" do the rest of the time? I've learned more about events around the UK and even some in the US from Martin....he's a wealth of information : ) -- If you can't get it going with bungee cords and electrician's tape it's serious.

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 17:11:55
the_ox 1300cc Superstar Joined: Saturday, October 30, 2004 Posts: 8803 Location: London United Kingdom	Bacically they were either private or commercial boats that were available at the time. I used to have a 6 berth one which was made for the Norfolk Broads but we took it to the Thames and moored it at Kingston. Some saddos nicked it one night as it had a 50BHP Jhonson outboard on it, also lost fishing tackel some of which was my grandfathers ( hand made split cane rods, now worth fortunes). I digress, any boat that could float was used to rescue the troops. And a fine job they did. -- If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, you probably haven't grasped the seriousness of the situation!

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 17:30:52
Martin 1300cc Superstar Joined: Saturday, November 27, 2004 Posts: 3628 Location: Kent United Kingdom	For the benifit of our American friend ... In May-June of 1940 the British forces had been beaten back to the town of Dunkirk ... The only way to get a vast ammount of troops back to the UK was complicated by the fact that large ships needed something to get the troops off the beaches to the to the larger ships in deeper water off the coast. This is where the term little ships comes from. The 'little ships' were small craft requisitioned by the Navy to get the troops off the beaches of Dunkirk. The craft were used either by the Navy or by their owners who were temorarily drafted on Navy pay to opperate their craft. The craft that took part in the 70th anniversary return are actual vessels that participated in the evacuation of May-June 1940! As noted under one of the pictures the oldest vessel that took part in the anniverssary return to Dunkirk was a Thames Barge called 'Greta' which was built in 1892. The opperation to evacuate the Allied Forces from Dunkirk was called Opperation 'Dynamo' ... All in all the figure quoted for allied forces evacuated from Dunkirk is 33,8226 !!! -- Martin :o)

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 17:56:29
Martin 1300cc Superstar Joined: Saturday, November 27, 2004 Posts: 3628 Location: Kent United Kingdom	oops put the comma in the wrong place ... 338,226 -- Martin :o)

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 17:56:47
the_ox 1300cc Superstar Joined: Saturday, October 30, 2004 Posts: 8803 Location: London United Kingdom	I could say, you geek. But without "geeks" like you and myself the things done by our forefathers would be forgotten. Well done m8ty! -- If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, you probably haven't grasped the seriousness of the situation!

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 18:04:51
Martin 1300cc Superstar Joined: Saturday, November 27, 2004 Posts: 3628 Location: Kent United Kingdom	fook it the ... cat just fell off the monitor !!! Bloody thing keeps doing that ! -- Martin :o)

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 18:06:47
Martin 1300cc Superstar Joined: Saturday, November 27, 2004 Posts: 3628 Location: Kent United Kingdom	As if i need help in bad typing!!! -- Martin :o)

	'Little Ships' ... - Posted on 2010-05-28 20:21:32
ladyon2wheels 1300cc Superstar Joined: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 Posts: 733 Location: kansas city United States	poor kitty...always blamed for everything! interesting story Martin, I'm sure I could've googled it but I prefer to get the story straight from the source...or near to.. I bet they are something to see...I would love to see them all there....pictures are never the same as being there.....they must be like great warriors still standing strong..sounds stupid, I know, but certain things move me like that.. ox, did the boat belong to someone you knew who was a part of the 1940 history? sorry to hear about your granddads fishin' stuff btw...that just sux.. I say get a gun and shoot 'em!! oh yeah, we've been through that... -- If you can't get it going with bungee cords and electrician's tape it's serious.

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