Local History

The Tom Tit is one of the few remaining Dunkirk Little Ships that played a vital role in evacuating soldiers during World War II.

Tom Tit in 1938 with boatmen

It's now for sale and is currently moored in Datchet. Originally built in 1938 and rebuilt in 1996, the sea-boat certainly has a few stories to tell:

Soon after the start of World War II at the end of May 1940, the British Expeditionary Force found itself pinned back to the French coast as the German army advanced south and west in an effort to force a total capitulation of the allied forces.

The British troops were ordered to make for the little port of Dunkirk in the hope that the Royal Navy could rescue an estimated 50,000 of the British and allied forces.

But with the help of more than 400 little sea-boats such as the Tom Tit, the Royal Navy with RAF support rescued more than 350,000 British and allied troops.

Tom Tit owner John Hayes spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire's Henry Kelly about how two men took the boat on impulse to Dunkirk in June 1940 to help in the evacuation.

• Listen to the full interview here or read an article with extracts below:

The Tom Tit had originally been commandeered by the Admiralty in May 1940 to participate in the Dunkirk evacuations.

John Hayes

"Tom Tit was requisitioned and taken to Ramsgate," says John, "but when she first went across she caught fire and was brought back again."

But it seems that the sea-boat was destined to sail to Dunkirk.

John says: "The Tom Tit was taken without permission from the end of Ramsgate Pier by two brothers, one of whom had been to Dunkirk the previous day. They just thought: 'there's still some colleagues left there, let's steal a boat and go back'."

Ron Tomlinson and his brother Alan valiantly took the boat on impulse in June 1 1940. Their elder brother Fred saw what they were doing and warned them that one of Tom Tit's engines had been on fire.

But the brothers sailed on anyway, and despite a petrol leak (which they repaired en route) they reached Dunkirk safely and filled her up with soldiers.

The Tom Tit carried the rescued soldiers over to the big ships 16 times until a Sergeant Major on the jetty told them not to come back because the Germans were on the pier.

"It was staggering," says John, "Churchill expected only to rescue about 50,000 to 60,000 and the rest of the army would have been stuck in France and taken prisoner."

The rebuilt Tom Tit today

It was a daring rescue operation in which the brothers risked their lives.

"Ron Tomlinson had been across to Dunkirk in a boat called The Taggerton Towers," says John, "they'd lost their engine and were being towed. During that story one of the crewmen and another went across in a rowing boat to rescue some more troops.

"Only one of them came back - one was drowned in that one small incident. That was
characteristic of that whole Dunkirk episode."

The Tom Tit has since crossed the channel to Dunkirk in 2000 and 2005.

"Every five years the Association Of Dunkirk Little Ships goes across for a commemorative cruise and I've been across on two of those," says John.

When John came across the Tom Tit in 1990 when she was moored in Dover and leaking badly.

"I put her on a low loader and took her to Weymouth where I'd met an experienced boat builder who was prepared to rebuild her. She's now in first class condition."

John is now selling the Tom Tit as he's not getting as much use out of her as he originally thought.

The new owner will not only gain a beautiful sea boat, but a valiant little ship that made her mark in Dunkirk evacuation history.