Dunkirk: A Personal Perspective | CH Lightoller

Seafaring veteran CH Lightoller describes how he sailed Sundowner, his 58ft boat, to rescue troops from Dunkirk at the request of the Admiralty. On 1 June 1940, Lightoller, together with his eldest son and a young member of the Sea Scouts, set out at speed across the Channel ahead of the other vessels. German bombers attempted to strike the boat throughout, but Lightoller managed to rescue 130 men and bring them safely back to England. This recording was made for the programme 'Dunkirk: A Personal Perspective'.

Lightoller's boat was renamed from Hobo to Sundowner in honour of his Australian wife (in Australia, a hobo who tends to enter town at sunset is known as a 'sundowner'). Reportedly, the boat was built in Sheerness in 1912. Around 1930 at the request of Lightoller, it was salvaged and converted from its original form as a 52ft long steam pinnace to a 58ft long cruising yacht. Lightoller's log reveals details of Sundowner's history, including debates about whether the portholes should be polished brass or painted white. After Dunkirk, Sundowner was requisitioned for defence roles throughout the war and incurred damage to her stern.

Charles Herbert Lightoller was one of the survivors of the sinking of RMS Titanic. He recounted his memories for a BBC radio programme about the Titanic in 1936.

The photograph above shows Lightoller's boat, Sundowner, which now resides in the Royal Harbour, Ramsgate.