Boat sent to Dunkirk is saved from being stripped for firewood
THEY were the little ships credited with saving these islands during their darkest hour.
Now one of the boats that helped rescue hundreds of British soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk has been saved from destruction.
The Vanguard was one of three vessels which made the journey to France from the small Essex fishing port of Burnham-on-crouch in 1940, for what was arguably one of the most famous military rescues in history.
After crossing the Channel to take part in the evacuation, the 45ft river boat, which brought as many as 600 soldiers back to Britain, fell into disrepair.
At one stage the Vanguard was abandoned at an open access boatyard in Canvey Island, where it was plundered for firewood.
When word of the boat’s plight reached Burnham – which has a population of less than 8,000 people – a campaign was started to bring her back to the town, where she was designed, built and launched in 1937.
The Vanguard has now been transported back up the Essex coast and is being held in storage at the Mangapps Railway Museum while its supporters raise the £500,000 required to make the former oyster dredger ship shape once again. Fundraising plans include the sale of a beer called the Vanguard, created by a local brewery.
It is hoped that following a full restoration the Vanguard will once again take to the waters off the Essex coast.
Nick Skeens, one of the team who helped bring the Vanguard back to Burnham, said: “The Vanguard helped save the lives of 600 soldiers from Dunkirk, but when she was found, people were cutting chunks out for firewood.
“Thankfully the owner kindly donated her. He said ‘if you can, take her and save her, because I can’t stop people damaging her.”
There has been renewed interest in the flotilla of little ships, which helped evacuate 340,000 Allied troops, since the release of Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk.