A memorial to the 300 killed on board the MV Crested Eagle was unveiled at Zuydcoote, France
A plaque has been unveiled at the site where a boat sank and hundreds died during the rescue of allied troops from Dunkirk in World War Two.
The MV Crested Eagle was attacked by German forces as thousands of soldiers were rescued from France by a British fleet in May and June of 1940.
A Royal Navy veteran whose brother died in the sinking attended the service.
The ceremony was part of a series of events in the French port town marking the rescue mission's 75th anniversary.
In late May and early June of 1940, between 300,000 and 400,000 British, French and Belgian troops were evacuated from the beaches as they fled a German advance towards the coast.
The rescue - called Operation Dynamo - was regarded as a success but there were also around 90,000 killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
The MV Crested Eagle was targeted by the Germans at Zuydcoote, a few miles north-east of Dunkirk, and the merchant vessel sank with 300 soldiers on board, all of whom lost their lives.
Dunkirk evacuation
On 20 May 1940, Nazi German troops reached the English Channel at Abbeville in northern France cutting off the British army
About 340,000 men, including 121,000 French and Belgian soldiers, retreated to the beaches of Dunkirk
Between 26 May and 4 June a ragtag British fleet, ranging from battleships to pleasure boats, braved the sea to rescue the stranded soldiers
The incredible courage shown by British civilians became known as the "Dunkirk spirit"
'Down came 12 Stukas'
Crowds gathered for Sunday's memorial ceremony and plaque unveiling, which was attended by 98-year-old veteran Vic Viner, whose brother Albert died in the attack.
Prince Michael of Kent, the honorary admiral of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, drew back a flag bearing the Zuydcoote village crest to reveal the metal plaque.
Mr Viner then laid a wreath at its foot and saluted before a silence was observed.
Mr Viner was on the beach in 1940 when the MV Crested Eagle was bombed - he had helped direct the rescue of some soldiers from sand dunes.
It was only later that he learned his older brother was among those who died on the boat after having escaped from another bombed ship.
Mr Viner said: "I had seen his destroyer come in and I was going to leave the beach and go round to see him, as there was a lull.
"I thought with a bit of luck I might find him, but just as I was going towards the harbour, down came 12 Stukas, straight on to the Grenade and blew her.
"The Grenade was sunk in the harbour and I learned later that brother Bert had got off the Grenade and on to the Crested Eagle.
"I was further up the beach and then we saw her being bombed.
"They set light to her fuel tanks so she became a blazing inferno, so the 300-odd on board were all burned to death, including brother Bert.
"He survived one ship, only to be killed on the next one."
Dunkirk veteran Vic Viner, 98, attended the memorial at the beach
Mr Viner's brother, Albert, was killed during the sinking of the MV Crested Eagle
Crowds gathered for the memorial service and plaque unveiling
The wreck as it is today of the MV Crested Eagle paddle steamer
Dunkirk veteran Arthur Taylor, 94, centre, led a military parade on Saturday in Dunkirk
A commemoration for the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) is being held on the port's quayside next to the little ships originally used to rescue men from the beaches.
Events marking for the 75th anniversary began on Thursday when around 50 little ships recreated their journey across the English Channel.
On Friday, veterans gathered at the British Memorial at the Dunkirk Military Cemetery for a service of remembrance.
Garth Wright, 95, from Plymouth, placed a wreath at the grave of one of his boyhood friends, Royal Artillery gunner Ken Stephens, who died on 27 May 1940 at the age of 26 as he fled advancing German forces.
On Saturday veterans were joined by military and civilian dignitaries, including Prince Michael of Kent, for a service at the Allied Beach Memorial before they visited the beach.
Later they took part in a parade through the port town, where thousands of well-wishers gathered to watch.
- Published23 May 2015
