Maldon’s historic barge Pudge to revisit Dunkirk 85 years on

Sailing Barge Pudge pictured at Maldon's Hythe Quay, where the northern lights could be seen. (Credit: Thames Sailing Barge Trust)

ONE of Maldon’s iconic Thames sailing barges is set to revisit Dunkirk 85 years after the Second World War rescue mission. 

Pudge is one of just 76 surviving vessels from the 700 civilian vessels that crossed the Channel as part of the mission to evacuate British soldiers from the beach.

On May 19, Pudge, now in the care of Thames Sailing Barge Trust, will leave Maldon and set sail to Ramsgate, Kent, where she will join her fellow Little Ships before crossing the Channel to Dunkirk. 

In May 1940, Pudge was among the civilian boats commandeered by the Royal Navy on Winston Churchill’s orders, as part of Operation Dynamo, to help rescue the British soldiers trapped on the beaches by German forces.

Once Nazi Germany launched their rapid and brutal invasion of Western Europe, within weeks Hitler’s forces had swept through Belgium and the Netherlands, and were closing in on Northern France. 

The Little Ships were originally sent to ferry troops to larger rescue ships offshore, which were unable to port at Dunkirk. 

But under relentless attack from German aircraft the civilian crews were forced to adapt, rescuing soldiers directly and bringing them home themselves.

Around 330,000 troops were rescued in total, in what has now become known as the Miracle of Dunkirk.

Sadly, several of the 31 Thames barges that joined the rescue were lost, including Lady Roseberry and Doris, which had set out alongside Pudge.

The 12 trust members and four crew aboard will make the 11 day commemorative trip to attend a formal dinner, visit the port’s attractions and pay tribute to the fallen at a quayside service and at local war cemeteries. 

85 years on, the significance of Operation Dynamo and the bravery of the civilian crews to the freedom of Europe cannot be forgotten. 

Trust spokesman David Gibson said: "VE Day would never have happened if it hadn’t been for Dunkirk." 

To find out more or book a trip, visit www.bargetrust.org.