09/11/2025
The memorial pictured at St. Clements church pays tribute to the fishermen of Leigh-on-Sea who bravely went to rescue troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940. On their return home, Renown, our cockleboat was blown up and all lives were lost.
The memorial depicts the prow of a sinking boat - Renown being enveloped by a canopy representing a giant wave and two uprights form a letter ‘V’.
Here is an extract from the Vice-Admiral, Dover - ‘The conduct of the crews of the cockle boats was exemplary, probably none had been under gun-fire before and certainly none had been under navel discipline. In spite of this fact all orders were carried out with great diligence even under shell-fire and air-craft attack.” (Vice-Admiral, Dover) Admiral Ramsay - Official Report for Operation Dynamo.
The Navy was commandeering small boats to undertake one of the greatest rescue attempts of all times (Operation Dynamo) thirty miles across the North Sea at Dunkirk. They requisitioned six cockle boats - Renown, Reliance, Resolute, Defender, Endeavour and Letitia and on the 31st May 1940 - the labourers of the sands, as they were called, set sail with their boats to Dunkirk, on a brave mission.
Not only were they later to demonstrate immense courage under fire, they showed courage as fishermen - most had never left the estuary to enter the unpredictable waters of the channel for the 30 mile journey to Dunkirk. For the best part of 8 hours these fishermen in their six boats fetched 100s of men from the beaches and harbours of Dunkirk. Only when they could do no more did they start their fated return journey home.
On the journey back the Renown broke down with what is believed to be engine problems. The Letitia helped the crippled boat and eventually a trawler took on the troops, and started to tow both boats. The Renown and its crew bravely fought the sea elements and the earlier German onslaught, however the fated ship hit a mine and all hands were lost to the sea.
Leigh lost four brave men, Frank Osborne, Leslie Osborne, Harry Noakes and Navel Rating Officer Harold Graham Porter.
🌹
