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Dunkirk flotilla sails to France for 75th anniversary events

Around 50 small boats arrived in the French port to commemorate Operation Dynamo in which 338,000 troops were rescued from Nazi forces.

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About 50 small boats involved in the evacuation of allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in World War Two have sailed from Kent to mark the 75th anniversary of the rescue, reports the BBC.

The craft, escorted by RNLI and Royal Navy vessels, arrived in the French town at 16:00 BST.

Operation Dynamo, between 26 May and 4 June 1940, saw hundreds of boats of all types rescue 338,000 troops after they had retreated from Nazi forces.

A return takes place every five years.

The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) has organised sailings across the English Channel since 1970 in honour of the fishing boats, pleasure yachts and lifeboats that took part.

In 1940, their crews had heeded the government's request to help British, French and Belgian troops stranded after a German advance.

Historians say if the evacuation had not been a success, the allied war effort may have been critically damaged.

Read more of this report from the BBC.