FORTH PRINCESS – DUNKIRK VETERAN

History and Heritage – The Forth Princess, a Dunkirk Veteran.

We have been researching the history of the Forth Princess.  Formerly known as the Britannia, we have discovered that she is in fact a Dunkirk veteran.

Therefore, the boat we sail on today is one of the ‘little ships’ that saved the British and Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk!

Originally named Britannia today, she is now  known as the Forth Princess.

She is also only one of two Dunkirk veteran vessels in Scotland that are still operating, that we know of.

Operation Dynamo was the name given to the successful evacuation of Belgian, British, Indian, Dutch, French and Polish troops from the beaches at Dunkirk between 27 May and 4 June 1940. It was not only a pivotal moment of the Second World War, but one of those that changed its final outcome. A total of 338,226, British and Allied troops were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, aboard a total of 861 vessels, of which 243 were sunk.

Evacuation reaches its High Point on 31 May 1940

On the 30 May orders were issued to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Divisions, which made up the British 2nd Corps, to withdraw to the beaches and to Dunkirk for evacuation. The British rearguard, of 1st Corps made up of the 1st and 50th Divisions now moved inside the Dunkirk perimeter and joined up with the British Base staff at Dunkirk and came under the command of the French.

We have also placed this information panel in the saloon of the Forth Princess.

Today, you and your friends and family can join her sailing on our Blackness Castle, Three Bridges Cruise with her ‘Red Duster’ being flown with pride.