As the country commemorates the British Army’s miracle escape from the beaches of Dunkirk, one Kent town’s role in getting thousands of soldiers home has been largely forgotten.

Reporter Joe Crossley rediscovers Sheerness’s pivotal part in the success of Operation Dynamo 85 years on, and why Sheppey’s history does not get the recognition some believe it deserves…

On this day in 1940, hundreds of thousands of British troops were trapped on the north French coast after a disastrous retreat from Nazi Germany’s European blitzkrieg.

While stranded Tommies looked for salvation across the English Channel, Sheppey became the centre of the Royal Navy’s rescue plan to bring the battered British Expeditionary Force back from the brink of destruction.

By the outbreak of the Second World War, Sheerness Dockyard had been a vital hub for the country’s naval power for almost 300 years.

So when the Admiralty was tasked with saving the Army from being wiped out on Dunkirk’s beaches, they chose the Island as a major assembly point.

This was partly because the Royal Navy docks were in the perfect geographical location for the gathering of the “Little Boats” sailing from Essex, London, and Medway.

There were also skilled engineers based there who could work on the engines of the small crafts, making them fit to make the hazardous trip.

It also had stores of boats which could be put into service quickly, as well as coal supplies for older Royal Navy vessels nicknamed Smokey Joes.

Once ready, these boats were sent to Ramsgate and then across to Dunkirk.

In all, the makeshift fleet would bring 338,000 British and French soldiers back to “Old Blighty” between May 26 and June 4.

This was an extraordinary success, especially considering wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill hoped just 40,000 men would be rescued.

Almost 22,000 soldiers were brought across the Channel by boats which set off from Sheppey, with around 8,500 of these taken directly to Sheerness by 22 ships.

During the operation, the town was “hectic”, according to the founder of the Bluetown Heritage Centre, Jenny Hurkett.

The 76-year-old has been giving talks on the subject and showing the original 1958 Dunkirk movie in the on-site Criterion Music Hall.

She paints a picture of what the town would have been like during those dark days.

“You can imagine an awful lot of work had to be done in a short space of time, so the logistics of it were amazing,” she said.

“How they assembled crews to go with ships and make sure they were ready; that they had enough fuel and provisions, and knew where they were going. All of those things had to be organised.

“When the troops came in, they were given sustenance, and then they would have had to walk from the docks to the train station and bus station.

“As they were walking through, people of Sheerness came out and offered them cigarettes, drinks, and to take notes on their behalf to their families. The whole community really came together.”

But Mrs Hurkett believes Sheerness’s role in the “Miracle of Dunkirk” is not given the recognition it deserves, and the Island’s important history is often “forgotten”.

In comparison, Ramsgate, which also played a huge part in the rescue mission, was perhaps rightly at the heart of the commemorations to mark the anniversary.

Last week, it saw more than 70 of the Little Ships, some more than 100 years old, making the journey from the town’s harbour across the Channel to Dunkirk.

Read more: Kent’s War in Colour – a look back at wartime Kent, unlike anything you’ve seen before

But on Sheppey, while a beacon was lit in Minster on Wednesday, May 21, there were no large events which pointed to Sheppey’s involvement.

The history enthusiast added: “The filmmakers of the Dunkirk film recognised our history by shooting part of the movie in Sheerness Docks, so it is a puzzle to me why we haven’t done anything here to mark the anniversary. We do feel forgotten when it comes to our heritage.

“I have no idea why [we are]. But it’s the passion that keeps us going.

“At least once a week, I have coach parties here from not only all over Kent but from Essex and further afield, and we give them a tour of the Island. They all come back and say ‘Why don't we know this history?’

“We're a tiny little Island, but we’ve punched well above our weight.

“In fact, anyone who’s invaded along the east coast has tried [to get on] Sheppey.

“We’re trying to do our little bit, but it would be nice if the powers-that-be could recognise the history that Sheppey has.

“We’ve got a huge amount, lots and lots of stories to tell, and we’d love the opportunity to tell people.”

There are five museums, including Bluetown Heritage Centre, which celebrate hundreds of years of Sheppey history.

They showcase the Dutch invasion of 1667, the 300 years of Sheerness Dockyard, and how British aviation innovation began on the Island in 1909.

The other museums are: Sheerness Heritage Centre, Queenborough Guildhall, Minster Abbey Gatehouse Museum, and Eastchurch Aviation Museum.

Mrs Hurkett has been campaigning to get brown heritage signs installed at junction 5 of the M2 for two decades so people know to turn off.

But the plan to get the signs - which would feature logos for Elmey Nature Reserve, beaches, and maritime attractions - have hit a brick wall.

Highways England told campaigners the tourist information centre at Sheppey Leisure Complex had to be within four miles of the proposed sign location, which it was not.

But Mrs Hurkett says the battle goes on.