It is arguably the Steam Packet’s finest hour and now, 85 years since the evacuation a lifeboat is returning to Dunkirk.
Up to 25,000 troops, 1 in 14 of those evacuated from the beaches in 1940, were carried on Steam Packet vessels.
To mark the anniversary, the only surviving lifeboat from the iconic Manx ship Lady of Mann is sailing to Dunkirk today honouring the company’s role in the evacuation and those lost.
The vessel will be accompanied by the great-granddaughter of its wartime Captain, Sarah Parry, as part of a flotilla commemorating Operation Dynamo.
Historic
Eighty-five years after the Lady of Mann rescued thousands of Allied troops, lifeboat No.8 will join up to 70 historic vessels from the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships—all of which participated in the evacuation.
Sarah Parry, great-granddaughter of Captain Tom Woods—who commanded the Lady of Mann during Dunkirk—will be aboard. Under his leadership, the ship made three perilous landings, evacuating 2,906 men despite being shelled and dive-bombed.
The lifeboat was salvaged when the Lady of Mann was scrapped in 1971 and later restored by Matt Cain and his father Brian.
Matt, whose grandfather George Cain was rescued from Dunkirk, said: “As a lifelong Steam Packet enthusiast, it was always our ambition to save, restore and take her back to Dunkirk in honour of my grandfather and all those Manxmen who gave their all for the cause, both as soldiers and as Steam Packet Company crew.”
The Lady of Mann was among eight Steam Packet vessels that evacuated troops from Dunkirk, where sadly three ships and 40 crew were lost.
Matt added: “As far as we are aware, this will be the first time any vessel connected to the Steam Packet fleet will have been back to Dunkirk since 1940.
“We hope to honour, and draw attention to, the bravery and sacrifice of the Company’s men and their ships.”
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