The 30 Dunkirk Little Ships, dressed in bunting and flags of the union jack and signal flags in their entirety, gathered in the central basin at historic St Katharine Docks. This spectacular May event was held to celebrate His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort’s Royal Coronation.
Commodore The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, Kevin Finn, commented “I have been visiting this marina for 10 years now and it is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. It’s absolutely stunning. The marina team has done us so proud.”
The ‘Little Ships’ participated in Operation Dynamo during World War II, evacuating soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the north of France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940.
The fleet, which was the largest UK gathering Dunkirk Little Ships in 2015, was locked into St Katharine Docks during the week before the Coronation. It opened to the public both on Sunday and Friday. A moving moment of the weekend came when wartime classic song, ‘We’ll meet again’ could be heard wafting across the marina and there was of course the celebratory ships salute of horns.
Marina visitors can learn about the history of each vessel on an information board located along the perimeter. Greta is the largest vessel in the marina.ThThe biggest was the Thames Sailing Barge of the 20th century at 80 feet, and the smallest was Moonraker a sailing sloop measuring 27ft, built in 1911.
St Katharine Docks will again host the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships in September, at the 14th.ThEdition of the Annual Classic Boat FestivaL (9Th-10Th September).
Classic Boat Magazine first published the article Dunkirk Little Ships celebrate Coronation in St Katharine Docks.
