UK ships cross channel to mark Dunkirk evacuation

[May 27, 2010]  LONDON (AP) -- Dozens of World War II-era ships are crossing the English Channel to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation.

Former troops saved in Operation Dynamo are also taking part in the flotilla that re-enacts when Britain called upon any possible vessel to help save troops trapped on French shores by advancing Nazi forces during World War II. Some 338,000 troops were rescued from the French beaches between May 27 and June 4, 1940.

Included in the flotilla sailing Thursday are 50 of the original "little ships" -- yachts, fishing boats and barges -- involved in the evacuation.

Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill described the evacuation as a "miracle of deliverance," and it is an event seen as capturing Britain's national spirit of resilience.

[Associated Press]

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