HRH Prince Michael of Kent attends Flagship of the Year ceremony for Dunkirk Little Ship
by National Historic Ships UK 21 May 19:31 BST
21-26 May 2025
(l-r) Simon Stephens, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, Ross Ahlgren with brass plaque © National Historic Ships UK
Today, Wednesday 21st May, the 1934 Dunkirk Little Ship Llanthony is part of a flotilla of more than 75 Little Ships on their way from Ramsgate to Dunkirk to mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. The 85th anniversary fleet departed Ramsgate early in the morning on 21st May and is expected to arrive in Dunkirk around 4pm local time.
Yesterday, there was another very special celebration for Llanthony as she was presented with a broad pennant to fly at the mast and engraved brass plaque as one of National Historic Ships UK's (NHS-UK) Flagships of the Year for 2025. In attendance at the ceremony was HRH Prince Michael of Kent, and the pennant and plaque were presented to Llanthony's owner Ross Ahlgren by Admiral Sir George Zambellas, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports; and NHS-UK Council of Experts member and Royal Museums Greenwich Curator of the Ship Model and Small Boats Collection, Simon Stephens. The flag was raised by Stephen Dennett from the family-owned Dennetts Boatyard, which completed an award-winning restoration of the vessel last year.
One of four very different historic vessels awarded Flagship of the Year status by NHS-UK, Llanthony was built by the famous yacht designers Camper & Nicholson in 1934 and once owned by Lord Astor. She saved 280 lives at Dunkirk, and her 20 year old commander was awarded the Navy's Distinguished Service Cross. An award-winning restoration was completed last year by Dennetts Boatyard, Chertsey.
Among the commemorative fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships marking the Return to Dunkirk at Ramsgate were a significant number of vessels listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels, managed by NHS-UK. These included four previous Flagships - steam tug Challenge (2024), 1931 motor yacht Breda (1921), 1924 paddle steamer Medway Queen (2020) and 1927 fishing vessel Caronia (2017).
About Llanthony:
Built in 1934 by Camper & Nicholson for Lionel Beaumont-Thomas, a well-to-do -Welsh businessman, British Army officer, and politician. Later owned by Lord Astor, whom, it is rumoured, helped the romance of Lady Simpson and King Edward VIII onboard.
Upon the breakout of war in 1939, Llanthony was requisitioned by the Admiralty. Transferred to Ramsgate in May 1940, she was placed under the command of Sub Lieutenant Robert Timbrell, aged only 20, of the Royal Canadian Navy. With a crew of six Newfoundland woodsmen, two London bus mechanics, and an RN petty officer whose equipment consisted of a First World War pistol, an uncorrected magnetic compass, and minefield charts. The beach at Dunkirk is very shallow at low tide, so she anchored offshore and began ferrying 16 soldiers at a time from the beaches aboard using her two tenders. She could carry around 120 soldiers per trip but was subject to intense fire by the Germans when at anchorage and finally on day four an explosion near the bows, caused a loss of five crew members and both anchors snapped.
The fuel tanks were forward of the engine room and the fuel pipes were severed so that both engines died. Timbrell dug her into the sand and continued to load soldiers whilst the crew used what was at hand to re secure her and fix her engines. Timbrell returned to Portsmouth with a sorry-looking Llanthony - her bows were smashed, and her funnels riddled with bullet holes. In total, Llanthony rescued 280 troops from Dunkirk and Lieut. Timbrell was awarded the Navy's Distinguished Service Cross.
After the war, Llanthony returned to private ownership and later cruised the Mediterranean as a charter yacht, but eventually the years caught up with her. Under present ownership, a full restoration was undertaken by Dennetts Boatyard, Chertsey, with the goal to regain her original beautiful lines and replace her iconic Camper & Nicholson superstructure. Llanthony is now a sophisticated gentleman's motor yacht, with an interior inspired by the elegant art deco steamships of the era. In April, her restoration won the Powered Vessel over 40ft category at the 2025 Classic Boat Awards.
Read more about her history on the National Register of Historic Vessels.
About the Flagship Awards:
NHS-UK's annual Flagship Awards have been running since 2009. The Awards provide an opportunity to demonstrate and celebrate the value of historic vessels to the wider public. This can be through a variety of online activities, special events, open days, workshops and tours. Competition was particularly strong for the coveted accolade this year. Applications were received from a range of vessels on the National Register of Historic Vessels and National Historic Fleet based on their seasonal programmes and planned level of outreach. NHS-UK has awarded four very different craft the status of Flagship of the Year 2025.
Flagships promote the role of National Historic Ships UK by publicising its annual Photo Competition, Excellence in Maritime Conservation and Marsh Volunteer Awards. They will also be flying the flag as ambassadors for the UK's maritime heritage sector. NHS-UK will work closely with each of the Flagships to promote their vessel and offer support and advice.
The four 2025 Flagships are:
- Barnabas - 1881 Cornish fishing vessel, now teaching the unique skills of sailing and preserving traditional boats to the local community
- Sir Walter Scott - Victorian passenger steamship celebrating 125 years of steaming on Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands
- Llanthony - 1930s Gentleman's Motor Yacht which saved 280 lives at Dunkirk and recently completed an award-winning restoration
- Dane - 1947 Narrowboat which carried cargo in the Potteries and is now a vital part of the educational offering at the Middleport Pottery heritage site