Harry’s boost for a we e he ro of Dunkirk
A CAMPAIGN to do up a tiny boat which rescued hundreds of men in the Dunkirk evacuation has been boosted by a mega famous pop star.
The Skylark – which saw out its days as a pleasure cruiser on Loch Lomond – will be restored to its former glory thanks to One Direction’s Harry Styles.
The singer ,22, appears in a new movie about the mass World War Two evacuation. However, when fans discovered the story of the Skylark, including the fact it was unable to feature in a re-enactment of the beach evacuation due to its state of disrepair, they threw their weight behind a drive to raise funds for its restoration.
And their considerable efforts have already helped raise more than £ 6000 to restore the Skylark.
The star’s mum has already tweeted about the sensational effort, branding it “wonderful” and made her own donation.
Harry’s co star Jack Gover is also in possession of a pin badge bearing the ship’s logo and one fan even made a tattoo of the ship for fans.
The singer’s fans are planning to wear Skylark pin badges – which help raise funds for the campaign – to the cinema when the movie – called Dunkirk – opens.
Charity campaigners are even considering asking Harry to become an ambassador for the Skylark Recovery Trust.
David Mann, director of the Scottish Maritime museum in Ir vine, where the ship is kept, said: “I’m for anything that brings attention to the service the little Dunkirk ship did during the evacuation.
“By Mr Styles being involved, we can bring her history to a new generation and straddle old with new.”
Anne Dyer, chair of the Skylark IX Charity Trust, said the pop star’s interest has given “the wee ship a future now”.
“The link has made young people sit up and pay attention to the story even more,” she said. “His stardom has opened the door for more people to see the story of Dunkirk.”
The Skylark IX is being restored over the next 18 months at th e Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine.
The little ship was saved for posterity through the Skylark Recovery Trust, which rescued it from a watery grave in 2013.
One Direction fan Sasha Wedge from Salford, Greater Manchester, and her pal Maartje van Hoots decided to set up a justgiving page to help rebuild the ship after Styles was announced for a lead role in Dunkirk.
Sasha said: “Skylark was the perfect way to inspire Harry’s young fans to learn more about Dunkirk’s history.
“Her story has captured the imaginations of a whole new generation and we are so pleased to have organised and planned such a successful campaign for the Trust.”
Once Skylark’s restoration is complete, she will sail on the River Clyde in Scotland taking veterans, visitors, and school children “doon the water” on short trips, where they can hear about the miracle of Dunkirk through an interactive on board system.