Dunkerque ‘Little Ship’ Skylark IX needs salvaging

A Scottish museum is being urged to salvage Scotland's only original Dunkerque Little Ship after she sank on her moorings on the River Leven

A Scottish museum is being urged to salvage Skylark IX, one of the original Dunkerque Little Ships, which made four trips to the Dunkerque beaches in 1940 and saved around 600 troops.

Skylark IX foundered at her moorings near Balloch on the River Leven two days after this year’s 70th anniversary of the evacuations.

The Glasgow Museum of Transport is being urged to salvage the historic 50ft motorboat, believed to be the only Dunkerque Little Ship in Scotland, and display her for posterity.

Skylark IX was built by J Bolson & Son at Poole in 1934 and was one of 11 similar Skylark launches built to carry tourists in Poole and Bournemouth.

For the past 30 years she has operated passenger trips on Loch Lomond, and she marked the Dunkerque anniversary by taking veterans to scatter poppies on the loch.

Latest