| Original caption: “Small but handy: They proved their worth in bringing the BEF to our shores. These two small craft were able to land a number of men.” Motor Cruiser Quisisana with Sub-Lieutenant A. J. Weaver (1890 – July 7, 1953), Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, aboard as Naval Officer, being towed into Dover after Operation Dynamo, with 18 survivors of the Coldstream Guards, probably by W. H. J. Alexander Limited steam tug Sun X, commanded by Tug Master William A. Fothergill (July 18, 1898 – July 9, 1970), with hundreds of French soldiers aboard. Identification of the tug is probable but not absolutely proven, since the visible photograph does not show a readable tug name, and the Sun X log does not explicitly name Quisisana. Quisisana was ideally suited to take the troops off the beach at La Panne and, with 2 “Handy Billy” engines, was quite capable of making her own way across the Channel in the prevailing calm conditions. She returned without major damage. Sun X was bombed on May 31, and her boats were damaged; she turned back. On June 2 at 1515 Hours, Sun X left Dover in company with 3 other tugs, Sun XI, Fairplay 1, and Foremost 87, towing 4 boats; 1 of them was Skylark III. The flotilla arrived off Dunkirk at 2215 Hours. The crew noted that the town was burning furiously, shells and bombs exploding all over the place, and a pall of black smoke blowing gently to the westward, blotting out the coastline. The crew cast off the tow. The tug unsuccessfully attempted to move the grounded Southern Railway steamer SS Rouen in Dunkirk Harbor before removing 200 men; the vessel had insufficient draught. Sun X picked up boats loaded with men from the transport. At 0400 Hours on June 3, 1940, Sun X discovered that the other tugboats were out of sight. She was ordered to return to Dover. At 0900 Hours, she returned to Dover and disembarked 211 troops. At some point, Weaver transferred from Sun X to Quisisana. Royal Navy Lieutenant Christopher L. G. Philpotts (April 23, 1915 – March 6, 1985) was sent with Sun X with 3 boats and went ashore at Dunkirk as Beach Master and did not return. He took command of the Dutch Coaster Sursum Corsa, which ran aground on May 30 and was abandoned as a wreck. He returned to Dover and sailed again on Sun X on June 2, but returned with his boats. This photo appeared in British and American newspapers in June 1940, and is commonly used to illustrate the “Little Ships” that saved the British Expeditionary Force. Quisisana, built in 1927, was laid up and rebuilt in the early 21st century. It is now a fixture at “Little Ship” commemorative events. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0384.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.06 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 2975 x 2000 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 4, 1940 |
| Location | |
| City | Dover |
| State or Province | Kent |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Archive | Library of Congress |
| Record Number | LC-USZ62-132602 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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