Today (7th May) five new silhouette works have joined the ‘Tommy’ figure of an Allied soldier at Ramsgate Harbour in tribute to the town’s brave and fundamental role in the success of Operation Dynamo in May 1940.
Last year Kevin and Jill Finn – past Commodore of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships- The Ramsgate Society, Ramsgate Tunnels and the Port of Ramsgate purchased and installed a Tommy figure to stand protectively over the Operation Dynamo monument at the harbour for the 85th anniversary of the wartime rescue of Allied Troops from the beaches of Dunkirk.
With the development of Pier Yard taking place outside the Maritime Museum an opportunity arose to create an area of remembrance honouring not just the troops but also the civilian skippers, the RNLI skippers, the Royal Navy, the Women’s Voluntary Service and the children who were evacuated from Ramsgate railway station.
The community group behind Ramsgate Little Ships-Operation Dynamo, which consists of the ADLS, Ramsgate Tunnels, Royal Naval Association, the Queen’s Head, the Port of Ramsgate, the Royal Temple Yacht Club and Ramsgate Town Council, reached out for assistance to Standing with Giants, a UK charity dedicated to creating large scale remembrance installations.
Standing with Giants created the original Tommy figure and arranged the art work for the new figures.
Those figures were installed this morning in temporary positions along the Pier Yard railings thanks to sponsors Kevin and Jill Finn, the Port of Ramsgate, Royal Naval Association, Ramsgate Tunnels, Thanet council and the generosity of Pioneer Sheet Metal in Ramsgate, which supplied and manufactured the silhouettes.
The figures will be repositioned to their permanent settings once the renovations of Pier Yard have been completed later this year. They mark the resilience of the local community and the vital role the town played during the war and will help tell the wider story of home front life, standing as a powerful reminder that the impact of war reached far beyond the battlefield.
Next week there will also be a temporary installation of 338 life size soldiers, one to represent every 1000 rescued from the beaches in Dunkirk in Operation Dynamo.
These will be situated around Ramsgate’s inner harbour and are created by Standing with Giants. It is expected that the installation, which runs from 15th May to 28th June, will attract a large number of visitors to the town during the six week period that they are in place.
Those visiting for Armed Forces Day Parade on 27th June will have the chance to see the largest Standing With Giants installation this side of Portsmouth.
Each silhouette represents a life, a story, and a moment in history, creating a striking visual reminder of both the scale of the evacuation and the human cost behind it.
The return to Ramsgate by the Dunkirk Little Ships, marking 86 years since the operation, will take place over the late Bank Holiday weekend 22-25th May.
Some 25 ADLS ships will arrive to commemorate Operation Dynamo and a full weekend of events is planned for the town.
There will be live music with the Queens Head, markets, a fair, and a commemorative parade on Sunday, May 24.
Events include a Little Ships in Concert performance, military vehicle displays, parades, workshops and more.
Operation Dynamo was the name given to the evacuation of the Allied Troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in France, between 26th May and 4th June 1940. The Allied troops had been pushed back to the sea after the rapid Blitzkrieg invasion of France by the German forces with nowhere to go.
The Royal Navy, coordinated by Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey, requisitioned a fleet of ‘little ships’ in order to access the shallow water off the beaches of Dunkirk and ferry the troops out to the waiting Royal Naval boats.
A proud fact for Thanet was that out of the 19 lifeboats that were requisitioned, only two of them went across with their own crew. Those two boats were from Ramsgate and Margate RNLI and they were credited with saving 2800, and 800 lives respectively.
Although this was a retreat, it was celebrated due to the large number of troops rescued. Originally it was expected that 45,000 troops would be rescued in two days but against all the odds 338,000 troops were rescued over a nine day period despite being under constant bombardment.
The Silent Return
The Royal Temple Yacht Club is inviting people to take part in a moving community event taking place at Ramsgate Royal Harbour on 23rd and/or 24th May.
The Silent Return, We Are Shadows procession is a respectful, non-verbal act of remembrance marking the return of soldiers to Ramsgate during Operation Dynamo.
Participants will take part as “Shadows”, forming part of a silent procession that reflects the experiences of those who arrived here after Dunkirk.
No acting experience is required, only a willingness to take part in a calm, respectful and reflective activity.
Young people aged 13–16 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or responsible adult at all times during the event.
It will take place between 8.30pm – 9.30pm (option to stay on to watch the Dynamo: Spirit of Ramsgate projection at the Tunnels until 9.50pm) in Harbour Parade.
Participants will be asked to: wear dark/black clothing; remain silent throughout the procession; move slowly as part of a guided group being led by the Queen’s Regiment Corps of Drums with their illuminated batons.
If you would like to take part, complete the registration form at: https://forms.gle/hAXehuWPr3t9G2zd8
Further information will be shared with all registered participants in advance of the event.
Programme
Friday 22nd
Little Ships arrive at the Harbour (possibility of earlier)
Live music at the Harbourside
Funfair
Replica Spitfire on display
Visit a Little Ship with booking via Ramsgate Tunnels
Saturday 23rd
Live music at the Harbourside
Local handmade market
Children’s workshops
Military Vehicle display
Replica Spitfire on display
Visit a Little Ship with booking via Ramsgate Tunnels
Sea Cadets Sunset Ceremony
Tommy Silhouette Parade at sundown
Service at Ramsgate cemetery 10.30am
Sunday 24th
Live music at the Harbourside
Sea Cadets Sunset Ceremony
Tommy Silhouette Parade at sundown
Military Vehicle display
Replica Spitfire on display
Visit a Little Ship with booking via Ramsgate Tunnels
Monday 25th
Live music at the Harbourside
Replica Spitfire on display
There will also be events at Ramsgate Tunnels including Local History Day on May 16 with displays from local museums and heritage sites across Thanet and East Kent, celebrating the area’s rich history, from flying aces to historic holy sites.
A selection of Ramsgate Archive papers, chronicling the town’s history over the past hundred years, will be on display.
The team of passionate and friendly volunteers will also be on hand to offer expert advice and inspire visitors in their own historical investigations.
The Tunnels’ popular Deep Tunnel Shelter Tours will operate as normal, throughout the day (normal ticket prices apply; pre-booking advised).
Fantastic a truly great event and honour of there legacy
Stunning
It’s the royal navy not British navy
From the pub opposite?
Was there no celebration for VE Day on May 8th this year?
Well there was in Birchington, but I can’t speak for the rest of the country.