Buy Dunkirk and the Little Ships | Royal Museums Greenwich Shop
10% off* for subscribers | Free UK delivery over £50 | 10% off* for Members
Dunkirk and the Little Ships

Dunkirk and the Little Ships

£9.99 Sale

An illustrated guide to the history of the famous 'Little Ships' and their role in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, which saved hundreds of thousands of British soldiers from capture by German forces.

During 1940 the German army swept with devastating speed across the Low Countries and into northern France and drove Allied forces back into a small pocket around Dunkirk. Without a swift withdrawal across the English Channel, the latter faced certain death or capture. The evacuation plan - Operation Dynamo - initially calculated that 45,000 men might be rescued, but between 26 May and 4 June 338,226 men were in fact brought back to England.

Naval historian Philip Weir shows how this was made possible by a vast armada of disparate vessels including destroyers, minesweepers, fishing vessels and, most famously of all, the privately owned 'Little Ships'. He explores the vessels' various roles within the evacuation, and their subsequent fates, including preservation and participation in commemorative return runs to the port, which now take place every five years.

Phil Weir is a historian specialising in the Royal Navy in the first half of the twentieth century. In his PhD from the University of Exeter in 2007, he examined the development of British naval aviation between the wars, and has written for the Navy Records Society, History Today and Time. He has also contributed to both television and radio programmes, most recently appearing on the BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' He lives in Exeter, UK.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shire Publications (29 Oct. 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.7 x 0.6 x 21.06 cm
+ Read more - Show less
  • Subscribe to save 10%*

    Sign up to our newsletter for a 10% discount off your next order. You'll also be the first to discover new products, promotions and inspiration. *Exclusions apply, please see Terms and Conditions.

    Subscribe now

  • Members save 10%*

    Museum Members receive 10% off shopping both online and at the museum sites. *Exclusions apply, please see Terms & Conditions.

    Join as a member today.

  • FREE UK Delivery for orders over £50

    Our standard processing
    and fulfillment time is 1-2 working days from the time you placed your order, excluding Custom Prints, online-only telescopes and personalised clothing.

    All UK orders (excluding personalised clothing) are sent using a tracked service.

    Custom Prints (those which are customised by choosing a size and frame) and personalised clothing take a little longer to fulfill due to being made to order.

    Please see our Delivery & Returns page for more information and last order dates.

    Online-only telescopes are shipped directly from Celestron.

    FREE Standard UK delivery for all orders over £50 (Royal Mail)

    For all other orders, we offer Standard UK delivery for £4.95 per order (Royal Mail).

    We also offer UK FedEx 1-3 Working Days for £9.90. Excludes Custom Prints and Personalised Clothing.

  • International Delivery Information

    Delivery rate varies by country and value of order, and starts from as little as £6.95. 

    Please allow 5-7 working days for standard orders to be dispatched.

    Custom Prints (those which are customised by choosing a size and frame) and personalised clothing take a little longer to fulfill due to being made to order. Please see our recommended last order dates for these items on our  Delivery & Returns page.

    We send using a Royal Mail/FedEx tracked delivery service (excluding personalised products). Please allow 7-10 working days to receive after we have dispatched.

    Please see our Delivery & Returns page for all information.

  • Returns Policy

    For all returns, please contact us as soon as possible using the contact form, expressing your wish to return. Please wait for confirmation from one of our team before returning.

    Custom Prints (those which are customised by choosing a size and frame) and personalised clothing are made to order and therefore we are unable to offer a refund or exchange, unless they are faulty.

    Please see our Delivery & Returns page for full information.

  • Every purchase supports the work of Royal Museums Greenwich

    All proceeds from all purchases made on the Royal Museums Greenwich online shop support the work of the museum. 

    Should you wish to, you can now add a voluntary donation to your order. All donations, big or small, will make a difference.

    Thank you for your continued support.