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UNITED KINGDOM WVA BULLETIN MEMBERS’ EDITION

WVA Chronicle

WARTIME MARITIME MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION ISSUE DATE: 15 DECEMBER 2025 CUSTODIANS • VOLUNTEERS • SUPPORTERS

Week 7 — The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships

Custodianship, restoration, and remembrance with the boats that braved Dunkirk.

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The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) keeps alive the vessels and stories of the 1940 evacuation. Their volunteer owners maintain the boats in working order, sail them on remembrance cruises, and share the history with new generations. Each hull that crosses the Channel today proves that small craft and determined crews can shape history.

Membership is more than a badge. ADLS skippers train crews, steward historic logbooks, and carefully document every repair. They coordinate with museums, cadet groups, and harbour authorities so that young people can step aboard and understand what it took to rescue thousands under fire. Every plank that is saved keeps a living classroom afloat.

DofE Students can learn from this example: respect the craft, plan maintenance early, and record work clearly. The ADLS shows how heritage sailing also builds modern skills in risk assessment, seamanship, and teamwork — the same qualities needed for safe passages today.

THIS WEEK’S FOCUS

Custodianship: how volunteer crews plan winter maintenance and log every change.
Remembrance under way: preparing boats and people for commemorative crossings and riverside events.

FROM THE DIRECTORSHIP

“The ADLS keeps living witnesses on the water. Copy their discipline: write things down, care for the small details, and take pride in every safe return to harbour.”

Watch how the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships keeps wartime craft active today. Look for winter lift-outs, hull preservation, and the volunteer teamwork that keeps each vessel safe for remembrance voyages.

The clip pairs well with a crew briefing: what pre-sail checks, safety kit, and logs would your team prepare before casting off?

The ADLS keeps historic craft seaworthy through methodical maintenance and community support.

Note: This video is a dramatisation, an AI recreation, and a historical interpretation, created for the Youth Programme for educational purposes.

CONDITION REPORTS

ADLS owners log hull condition, engines, and safety kit after every season. Students can practise by sketching a simple inspection checklist and noting what needs attention before the next sail.

CREWING & COMMUNITY

Each voyage pairs experience with enthusiasm. Volunteers teach mooring drills, ropework, and watchkeeping so younger sailors feel confident on deck and know the story they represent.

HERITAGE UNDERWAY

Commemorative runs like the “Return to Dunkirk” demand route planning, fuel checks, and liaison with other vessels. Think about the signals and contingency plans you would want before setting off.

Signal lab – from your name to a wartime hoist

Try the tools below to see your name in Morse, semaphore, and international code flags. When you hit Send signal we will sketch all three systems, and you can even listen to the Morse. The same box can decode a WWII Royal Naval Patrol Service signal sent from HMS EUROPA at the bottom of this section.

Harbour Readiness Tabletop

Plan how a Dunkirk Little Ship gets ready for a remembrance crossing. Each scenario mirrors the careful prep ADLS crews make before slipping lines. Tick the steps you would take, then check your plan. Aim for a clean record of correct launches to show your team can be trusted with the flotilla’s legacy.

Scenario brief

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Harbour log
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