Woman Reunited With Grandfather's Dunkirk Evacuation Boat

Picture: SWNS.

A pensioner has been reunited with her grandfather's boat which was used in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, after spotting the vessel for sale online.

Annie Gabb, 74, found the decaying remains of the 30ft pleasure cruiser after her son was researching her family tree on the internet.

She was stunned when she saw her grandfather's boat being sold for £2,000 and decided to buy it.

It originally belonged to her grandfather, Percy Darby, who called it "The Anne" - which Mrs Gabb was then named when she was born in 1943.

Mrs Gabb said: "I think it is a miracle we found her."

"It has cost a huge amount, but it's absolutely been worth every penny. I've lost count but we're talking many thousands of pounds.

"Why did I do it? It was probably a moment of madness.

"She did have bullet holes in her from Dunkirk and, being run up the beach, she had damage to her bottom."

The vessel, built in 1925, was used by allied troops to rescue soldiers from the beaches in Operation Dynamo between May 26 and June 4, 1940.

The evacuation of around 350,000 British, French and Belgian troops enabled the Allies to continue the Second World War and provided a boost to morale.

Mrs Gabb believed the boat had been scrapped following the operation or had sunk after coming under attack from German forces.

But unknown to her, the boat had been sold to various people before finally being used in the 60th anniversary of Dunkirk in 2010.

Since then, the boat was left to rot in the North East of England before it was put up for sale, and after buying the wrecked boat, Mrs Gabb and her brother Nick Thompson decided to restore it.

"We have taken her out on the waters and she sails wonderfully. I'm so happy to have her back in the family.

"It's been a labour of love but I hope to take her back to Dunkirk for the 80th anniversary."