A number of the remaining Dunkirk little ships will be accessible to the public this September.
Organizers of The Classic Boat Festival have announced that guests will have the chance to board the vessels that crossed the English Channel to assist stranded Allied forces in 1940 during Operation Dynamo.
Winston Churchill referred to this event as “the miracle of Dunkirk,” where approximately 1,000 small boats braved intense enemy fire to aid in the rescue of over 338,000 British and Allied soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk.
More than 50 historic vessels will gather for The Classic Boat Festival at St Katharine Docks on Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7.
These little ships recently commemorated the 85th anniversary of Dunkirk in May by reenacting their journey from Ramsgate to Dunkirk and back.
In 1940, numerous small boat owners heeded the Admiralty’s call to navigate to the southeast coast, offering their vessels to the Royal Navy for the rescue operation.
The free festival will also feature motorboats from the Bates Star Craft collection, historic tugboats, and a notable Navy P2000 vessel.
Now in its 16th year, the festival will expand into the west basin, showcasing larger ships such as Thames sailing barges along the public pontoon.
Attendees will have the chance to board some of the vessels and meet the owners who have dedicated themselves to preserving these maritime gems, according to the festival organizers.
