Men who in 1940 risked their lives to crew the Dunkirk “little ships” should never be forgotten.

Those were the words of Lord Lieutenant of Kent Allan Willett, yesterday as many of the surviving boats visited Medway.

Speaking at a service on the quayside by Chatham’s No. 1 Basin, he said the owners of the surviving “little ships” were keeping the memories of “those gallant and selfless people” alive by lovingly preserving their craft.

Mr Willett was addressing a service to mark the 68th anniversary of the evacuation of Dunkirk.

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