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Portsmouth Road
Dunkirk little ship sailed alongside Queen
A boat that played a vital role in evacuating soldiers during World War II sailed alongside the Queen as part of the jubilee flotilla.
The Tom Tit, now moored at Thames Ditton Marina in Surbiton, helped to rescue thousands of allied troops from the French coast but made a less hazardous trip when it took part in the river pageant - the biggest spectacle on the river Thames for more than 300 years. With the support of the RAF and Royal Navy the Tom Tit was among 400 Dunkirk Little Ships that rescued about 350,000 Allied troops from the port of Dunkirk in 1940.
The boat joined 40 of its colleagues from that historic mission for a section of the seven-mile flotilla behind the lavishly decorated royal barge carrying the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. Owner Trevor Phillips, 56, from East Moseley, said despite downpours, spring tides and tricky navigation the river pageant went without a hitch and was another historic day for his boat.
Mr Phillips said after being waved into Tower Bridge by the Queen, his crew of ten, who stayed on board for four days over the weekend, moored up in West India Dock for two nights before heading home. The group took part in a church service for all the Dunkirk Little Ship crews held to mark the anniversary of Dunkirk, which coincides with the jubilee weekend, on Monday, June 4. The historic vessel was joined by two boats from 300-year-old Kingston-based family business Turks Launches, who showcased the New Southern Belle and the Yarmouth Belle. The boats had been privately hired to participate in the flotilla, which started at Battersea Bridge and took in 10 sections interspersed with music herald barges.
Richard Turk, managing director of Turk Launches, said he was proud to represent the company on such a "momentous and historic day".
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