This is the moment a migrant dinghy forced a flotilla of ‘Little Ships’ commemorating the legendary Dunkirk evacuation to make way – flanked by a French navy boat.
Commemorations of the 85th anniversary of the heroic effort to save British, French and other Allied soldiers from incoming German troops kicked off yesterday – but the pleasure cruisers and speedboats had to make way for an unlikely guest.
Their 45-mile trip across the English Channel, recreating the noble effort of May 1940, was disrupted by a demand from Border Force and the French navy to create a one-mile exclusion zone through which a migrant boat could ass.
Images show the dinghy, packed with people who appeared to be wearing lifejackets, as they were closely followed by a smaller craft and what appeared to be a hulking Loire-class French navy vessel.
Chris Cox, coordinator of the flotilla event commemorating Operation Dynamo, said of the unexpected interruption: ‘There was a migrant boat in the water that was being covered by a French naval vessel. As is good proportion, we steered clear and let the authorities look after it.
‘For the people in the small boat, they have never done this before and they don’t know what to expect. The last thing you want them to do is to try and make for a pleasure boat or Dunkirk Little Ship, which would not be good.’
A total of 13 boats carrying 825 migrants made the treacherous journey across the Channel on May 21 – with at least two people dying on one of the crossings.
The Operation Dynamo recreation, however, was unhindered on its journey from Ramsgate to Dunkirk, save for the slight interruption from border officials and the French.
A dinghy carrying migrants (left) is closely followed by another vessel in the Channel, clashing with the Dunkirk commemorative flotilla
A French navy ship, believed to be a Loire-class vessel, was seen monitoring the dinghy’s progress
Association of Dunkirk Little Ships organised the flotilla to ensure ‘the legacy of the Dunkirk little ships continues to inspire future generations’
Mr Cox added that it had been a ‘perfect day’ for a journey that ‘couldn’t have been smoother’.
He added: ‘Churchill asked the people to pray for calm conditions, and I think somebody must have been praying this week for us.’
The fleet of 66 vessels set sail from Ramsgate, Kent, at 6am on Wednesday before happening on the new arrivals.
The Telegraph reported that sailors were told in a maritime frequency message: ‘There is a (French) warship on our head with a migrant (boat) close by. And we’ve been requested to give one nautical mile distance from that vessel, over.’
A French-accented voice, believed to be from the French naval vessel Oyapock, then replied: ‘Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.’
One observer later said: ‘It is one of the most important days in history and they are shoving them out of the way.’
The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships organised the flotilla – depicted in Christopher Nolan’s epic 2017 film, to ensure ‘the legacy of the Dunkirk little ships continues to inspire future generations’.
It came as two migrants, believed to be a woman and a child, tragically died in the Channel, as the total to have reached Britain since Labour came to power passed 36,000.
The dead were pulled from waters off the Calais coast by the French navy after an overloaded dinghy got into difficulties.
French officials said most of the rest of the migrants aboard the inflatable refused rescue and carried on to UK.
Refugee charity Utopia 56 said it alerted emergency services to the tragedy, writing on X: ‘”The boat is broken, two people are dead.” This is the information we received during a distress call in the English Channel this morning.’
The Home Office confirmed there were 825 arrivals on Wednesday, bringing the total since the general election to 36,811, and a year-on-year increase of 37 per cent.
The total includes 13,569 since the start of this year. The latest tragedy unfolded in the early hours, a spokesman for France’s Maritime prefecture said.
Event coordinator Chris Cox, from the Royal Temple Yacht Club, said the day had been otherwise unhindered, with perfect sailing conditions
More than 60 boats took part in the commemorative flotilla event on Tuesday
Association of Dunkirk Little Ships organised the flotilla, pictured sailing out of Ramsgate
The dinghy which had 80 people aboard was designed to carry no more than 20, it is understood.
The unidentified migrants were ‘pulled out by a Navy vessel’ and sailors ‘performed first aid on the two victims, but they were soon declared dead’.
Ten other passengers requested rescue, while about 70 others asked to remain aboard the inflatable which continued its journey towards the English coast.
A French Navy boat and a helicopter with a medical team on board provided emergency cover.
Prosecutors in France have started an enquiry into the fatalities, while judicial police are searching for people smugglers who arranged the crossing.
In total, some 17 people have perished on small boats so far this year.
A woman died on Sunday night after a dinghy broke up off the French coast.
Last year saw a record 78 deaths.
