Movie star boat needs lifeboat rescue

Thursday 19 October 2023

A broken down and dismasted vessel recently rescued by Alderney's lifeboat crew has been revealed as the boat featured in the 2017 blockbuster, Dunkirk.

The movie told a fictionalised version of the story around the role the 'little boats' played in the rescue of tens of thousands of British, French and other Allied soldiers.

Around 850 private boats sailed from Ramsgate on the Kent coast to Dunkirk in France as part of Operation Dynamo between 26 May and 4 June 1940.

They were tasked with helping to rescue as many of the estimated 336,000 soldiers trapped on the beaches during the outset of the German Occupation of France during the early stages of the Second World War. 

Pictured: Some of the cast of Dunkirk.

The story was told by Director Christopher Nolan in his 2017 film which starred Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh among others. Their characters all started the movie fighting the war while Mark Rylance and Barry Keoghan depicted an older and younger man who set sail for Dunkirk to help them.

Rylance and Keoghan's characters - Mr Dawson and George Mills - set sail on the vessel Moonstone, a fictional vessel.

In recent reality, the 43ft motorised sailing boat which was cast as Moonstone sailed into difficultly while navigating the Channel earlier this month.

Assisting a broken down and dismasted motor sailer. Not a good situation in the Channel shipping lanes! #rnli #lifeboats #volunteering #alderney pic.twitter.com/V8RvU5BEb9

— Declan Gaudion (@DecGaudion) October 6, 2023

On 6 October, the Alderney RNLI was called to assist after the boat's engine failed and it was dismasted in rough weather.

Declan Gaudion shared the video above of the rescue.

The boat's movie star identity was only discovered after the rescue with States of Alderney Member Alex Snowdon posting on X to say: "Well done RNLI for rescuing this historic boat which helped tell the important story of Dunkirk."