A PLAQUE to commemorate the bravery of Burnham men who risked their lives to save 600 soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk will be unveiled this evening.

The ceremony, set to be held at the Burnham war memorial at 6pm, is to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the men’s bravery.

The opening address will be made by Nick Skeens of Burnham Town Council, and the plaque will be unveiled by Reverend Gordon Warren, Chaplain of the Dunkirk Little Ships Association.

On May 30, 1940, ten men set off from Burnham to Dunkirk in northern France, where Allied armed forces were surrounded by the Nazis, facing almost certain death.

The men boarded four boats, the Seasalter, Vanguard, Ma Joie and Chantecler, at 4.45am under Admiralty Orders to “proceed at your utmost speed direct to the beaches eastward of Dunkirk.”

Nearly 12 hours after leaving Burnham the fog lifted to reveal the ruins of Dunkirk and shells exploding on the beaches. The Burnham boats immediately became a target for Nazi aircraft – who missed.

Over the next several hours, facing down the might of the German army, the Burnham boats managed to save 600 men from the beaches.

The Ma Joie sadly had to be abandoned due to a broken rudder, but all other boats and crews made it to the safety of Ramsgate.

The crews of the Burnham boats were Len Salmons, Dick Cook, Bill Bridge, Albert Grimwade, Joe Clough, Dick Woods, Walter Amos, George Harvey, Albert Paine and Ken Whiting.

They motored back to Burnham and their crews resumed their waterfront lives, never boasting about their extraordinary bravery.