Lifeboat crew members from Tower and Dover tell us about their family connections to wartime rescues.
The crew’s stories
Dunkirk: Relied upon then, relied upon now
In May 1940, a fleet of hundreds of pleasure boats, fishing boats and other civilian vessels gathered, at the Admiralty’s request, to take part in the evacuation of British troops from the French port of Dunkirk. Nineteen RNLI lifeboats were part of this unusual and daring force, known as the Little Ships. Discover stories of lifesaving courage, as shown by our volunteers then and now.
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Operation Dynamo: The Little Ships story
Nineteen RNLI lifeboats, and two RNLI crews, face their sternest test.
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Lucy’s story
The Lucy Lavers lives on
The Aldeburgh lifeboat Lucy Lavers was one of 17 lifeboats commandeered by the Royal Navy for the trip to Dunkirk.
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Discover the RNLI lifeboats that helped to save thousands of lives during the Dunkirk evacuation of May 1940.
take a look
In the decades between 1940 and now, technology has rocked the world, but you can still depend on our lifesavers.
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Six extracts from the Life-boat journal, giving the RNLI perspective on Dunkirk at the time.
see the report
Watch a quick video that sums up the Dunkirk story and introduces some of our rescuers from Ramsgate and Margate.
Watch
Coxswain Ian Cannon’s great great uncle Alf went to Dunkirk with the Ramsgate lifeboat crew. Ian’s daughter Becky is now part of the crew too.
read their story
Aldeburgh lifeboat Lucy Lavers was among the 19 lifeboats that joined the fleet of ‘little ships’ in Operation Dynamo and her story continues to this day.
Lucy's story
When the wartime crew at Ramsgate were tasked to Dunkirk, the crew didn’t hesitate to go to the rescue in their trusty lifeboat Prudential.
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