Thanet RNLI lifeboat stations remember their involvement in Operation Dynamo

In May 1940, the RNLI followed the Government’s call to send small vessels to rescue the 340,000 British, French and Belgian troops stranded on the beaches at Dunkirk. The maritime rescue, later heralded by Winston Churchill as a ‘miracle of deliverance’ involved the RNLI sending 19 lifeboats in total, two crewed by its volunteers and 17 crewed by the Royal Navy.

Margate and Ramsgate were the only two RNLI lifeboats manned by the stations’ own crew, their coxswains, Ted Parker from Margate and Howard Knight from Ramsgate later awarded Distinguished Service Medals for their efforts in rescuing in total 3,400 people over the course of the evacuation.

Ramsgate’s RNLI lifeboat Prudential set off with eight small Thames workboats known as wherries in tow to ferry troops from the beaches to the lifeboats with Margate’s RNLI lifeboat The Lord Southborough also making the long journey manned by 10 members of the local crew, Coxswain Knight from Ramsgate describing the conditions as ‘dire’, adding ‘It was black as Hades and visibility was nil.’

The two lifeboats kept going for 30 hours until the last of the wherries, battered by the surf, was too damaged to continue. After a long trek back across the channel to Ramsgate, the crews were in action again, bringing injured troops ashore from other vessels.

Weather permitting, the crossing to Dunkirk will start at around 6am on Wednesday 21 May and involve over 70 Dunkirk Little Ships, 10 escort craft and up to 100 supporting boats for commemorative events and services in Dunkirk itself before returning to Ramsgate from around 3pm on Monday 26 May.

Derek Amas, Lifeboat Operations Manager, RNLI Margate said: ‘We are enormously proud of the history surrounding the lifeboat station, World War Two marking the most intense period in that history with Operation Dynamo providing a testament to the bravery and determination of the lifeboat crew during those troubled times.

‘It is an honour that three members of our current volunteer lifeboat crew have been invited to join our colleagues from Ramsgate in making up the lifeboat crew who will be accompanying the flotilla of small ships for events to be held in Dunkirk.’

Ian Cannon, Coxswain, Ramsgate RNLI lifeboat station said: ‘As we celebrate the 85^th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation, I can only imagine what it must have been like for my Uncle Alf and the other volunteer crew on the Prudential.

‘She was a wooden boat, 48ft, single engine – not very powerful, with no real protection for the crew. There was no real shelter, no seats and they took her across the Channel for two nights. They must have been absolutely exhausted and soaked.’

Please note that timings are weather dependent and subject to change. Please follow Visit Ramsgate on Facebook for any last minute updates.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact:

· Peter Barker, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Margate) on 07974 064304 or [email protected]

· Karen Cox, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Ramsgate) on 07779 848431 or [email protected]

· Hatti Mellor, Regional Communications Manager on 07724 801305 or [email protected]

· RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.