Isle of Wight to Dunkirk
The story of the Dunkirk Evacuation and the part played in it by Isle of Wight men
In war time ordinary men and women are asked to do extraordinary things. This is the story of the part some Isle of Wight merchant sailors played in rescuing allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk.
Many books and articles have been written about the way in which, in 1940, a doomed British army was rescued from almost inevitable defeat and surrender by the skill and dedication of the Royal Navy with the assistance of an armada of civilian boats, and the bravery of Royal Airforce pilots. The aim of this website is to move from a description of the grand theatre of war down to a local level and tell the tale of how some Isle of Wight men of humble backgrounds responded when called upon to face the danger of death and injury for the sake of their country.
Men wading out from the beach to a rescue ship May 1940
However, this story is not complete and I would like to encourage anyone with information to add or stories to tell about the Island’s heroic contribution to the operation to add their contributions. I have chosen to tell the story of the motor-barge The Bee and her crew. This is partly because her skipper was my great uncle, I was born in his house and during the war years while my own father was away in the Army I lived there, but also because we are lucky enough to have a complete narrative of the Bee’s voyage written by the ship’s engineer.
There were five other similar Island boats which went to Dunkirk. These were the MFH, The Murius, The Chamois, The Hound and the Bat. It would be wonderful if relatives of their crews could contribute to this website.
Last edited March 2011
2 Responses to “Introduction”
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I'd love to hear if you know of any of the ships or the people who sailed them.
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July 16th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Fred Reynard was the ships engineer and he was also my late Grandfather,he passed away in 1987 aged 93. He told me all about his trips to Dunkirk and often took me onto the Bee when moored at Newport Quay when i was a child. My late mother Mrs D Sibbick was his only child.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Hello,
Thank you so much for getting in contact about your grandfather. I have tried for some time to trace Mr Reynard’s descendants. I am at present on a return voyage from visiting Dunkirk. When I get home I will write again with reference to your grandfather.
I could not see your name on your e-mail, perhaps you could repeat this for me.
Best wishes,
Michael Wills