A new short film telling the story of Poole’s vital role in the miracle of the Dunkirk evacuation 85 years ago has been part funded by Rawlins Davy Reeves.
The 30 minute documentary launched on Thursday April 10 has been commissioned by the Poole Maritime Trust to mark the major anniversary.
The community of Poole played a key role in Operation Dynamo between May 26 and June 4 1940, when 338,000 British, French and Belgian soldiers but this part of the town’s history is often overlooked, locally and nationally.
The film is part of a month long community exhibition at Lighthouse Poole.
Poole At Dunkirk 1940 will run from Wednesday 30 April to Tuesday 27 May.
This is the fifth history, heritage and nostalgia video RDR has been involved in, previously funding films on the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bath Travel and Palmair, the Echo and the 80th anniversary of D Day last year.
Rawlins Davy Reeves, Managing Director, Mark Kiteley said: “We are very proud to have been able to help this superb film become a reality.
“The story of Poole’s contribution to Dunkirk is a remarkable one and something the town can be hugely proud of.
“The film is a powerful historical record of this momentous event.”
The film which features archive footage from World War Two includes:
◾️The story of the flotilla of ‘little ships’ – fishing boats, pleasure craft, ferries, private yachts and Poole’s historic lifeboat the Thomas Kirk Wright – that set out for Dover and, in some cases, on to Dunkirk.
◾️The brave ‘fighting retreat’ of the 2nd Battalion Dorset Regiment, back to Dunkirk under the command of hero Colonel Eric ‘Steve’ Stevenson as part of the ill fated British Expeditionary Force.
◾️The arrival of small Dutch and Belgian ships in Poole Harbour in the run-up to Dunkirk, bringing with them some 3,000 refugees fleeing the Nazis and the significant role these boats, or ‘skoots, went on to play at Dunkirk.
◾️The role of Brownsea Island in looking after the refugees.
◾️The story of the Poole pleasure boat Ferry Nymph which is still working to this day.
Mark added: “We are a long established firm rooted in the community so doing this like supporting our area’s history and heritage is something that’s really important to us.”
The video link is : https://youtu.be/V192vYKuhDs
Link to RDR You Tube Channel
