East Sussex 1, the national training vessel of the Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS), led the return of the Dunkirk Little Ships to British shores last week. The return of most of the fleet had been delayed by bad weather, meaning that the Royal Navy patrol vessels that had led and escorted the small craft from Ramsgate were unavailable by Saturday when there was a brief weather window allowing for a safe crossing.
The MVS vessel has been part of the escort on the outward leg, holding station at the rear of the convoy and ensuring stragglers received assistance. Its mission was to stay with the Little Ships for as long as necessary and, as there were no other vessels available for the role, East Sussex 1’s skipper David Hughes, offered her as convoy leader. This was readily accepted. Also supporting the return to Ramsgate were the town’s RNLI lifeboat, which came over to meet the convoy and three launches from the Nelson Owners Association.
The Little Ships had returned to Dunkirk to mark the 85th anniversary commemoration of Operation Dynamo, the 1940 evacuation that saved more than 338,000 Allied troops from the French town’s beaches of Dunkirk during World War II. This year nearly 70 Little Ships sailed from Ramsgate to Dunkirk to honour this remarkable chapter in history. These vessels, many over a century old, formed a poignant tribute to the original civilian boats that risked everything to rescue stranded soldiers under enemy fire.
Mr Hughes said: “I was extremely fortunate to have a brilliant MVS crew for the crossing, including mate and navigating officer Allan Eastham, a retired RN officer who has taught navigation to naval officers. It was nevertheless quite a daunting experience to take a three quarters of a mile-long convoy through the busy shipping lanes at less than six knots. It would not have been possible without the meticulous planning of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) and the excellent discipline of their members.
“Ramsgate lifeboat supported us with vessel information while the Nelson launches kept watch over some of the slower Little Ships. Crucially, ADLS Commodore Kevin Finn, in his boat Brown Owl just astern of East Sussex 1, relayed our orders to the convoy and they were executed perfectly. Turning a convoy of over 30 vessels forty degrees to starboard to give way to an oncoming large merchant ship is not something I had ever expected to have to do. And not something I will ever forget.”
As East Sussex 1 prepared to leave the Little Ships when they were entering the channel into Ramsgate, Mr Finn called over the VHF radio to the MVS vessel, relaying the ADLS’s “heartfelt thanks” to the MVS for the role East Sussex 1 had played.
The Maritime Volunteer Service, a UK-wide uniformed maritime training organisation and charity, is staffed almost entirely by volunteers. Its mission is to keep seafarers’ skills alive and provide practical support to local communities in times of need. The East Sussex 1 serves as its national training vessel, offering experience in seamanship, navigation and maritime operations to volunteers of all ages.
The MVS’s presence at this historic occasion underlines its continued commitment to heritage, service and maritime safety. In addition its Royal Patron, Prince Michael of Kent, is also Honorary Admiral of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships and took on a leading role in the commemoration.
The organisation’s support for the Return of the Little Ships also highlights the valuable contribution that skilled volunteers make to national and community life – both in remembrance and readiness.
