A river veteran is hoping that people will spare a thought for the town’s unsung war heroes on Remembrance Sunday.

For many people, the Second World War evokes visions of brave armed servicemen fighting on land and sea or the plucky blitz spirit of those who had their homes bombed.

However, valour can also be found with the men and boys working on the River Thames.

Gravesend tug boats, and the men that worked on them, played a big role in conflicts during the war.

The tugs were requisitioned by the Military of Defence and their crews where then called under the command of the Merchant Navy.

They often went on dangerous missions, whether it was to rescue servicemen and refugees or to work in heavily-mined areas such as ports, rivers and waterways.

Gravesend tugs were operational during the battle of Dunkirk as well during the construction of the temporary harbour for the D-Day Landings at Arromanches, France.

Many ships were destroyed in service, in some cases losing their whole crew.

Brian Wood, 84, signed up for the tugs as a teenager and can still recall the service of his comrades.

He said:“There were three tugs stationed in Iceland and we had tugs stationed in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Glasgow. All of the shipping was diverted to Glasgow because of the danger on the Thames. A lot of local tugs were stationed on the River Clyde.

“Lads from 14, boys serving as cooks and older skippers, men of all ages, lost their lives. There was no retirement age during the war at all.”

Mr Wood, of The Withens Nursing Home, Hook Green Road, Southfleet, started off as a cook in 1944 and retired from working on the river after 50 years in 1994.

Nicknamed “Chunky” by his fellow tugmen (after chunks of wood), his only break from his beloved career was in 1948 for National Service, lasting 18 months.

Mr Wood said he wished more people would recognise the courageous efforts of the tugmen.

He said: “There doesn’t seem to be much on the men, they’re all fading out now.

“I was 15 years old when I started and there was a lot of work done by local tugs. The Thames Estuary was one of the most heavily mined areas in the country. There were a lot of ships lost there.”

In 1993 Mr Wood paid for a plaque to commemorate the Gravesend men who died when they went up to do their bit.

The plaque can be found at the entrance to Royal Terrace Pier, Royal Pier Road, Gravesend, where men used to sign up for the tugs. It notes the loss of the crews of seven tugs who were destroyed in enemy action.

Mr Wood spent a lot of time and care writing the memorial passage on the plaque and he said it was not just for his friends, but his family too.

His brother Jack died while serving on a rescue tug in 1940.

He said: “I wanted to make something for my brother as well as the lads on these ships.

“Lots and lots of men died, it’s just incredible. All they had was a little silver Merchant Navy badge.”

A service in honour of Merchant Navy seamen takes place next to St Andrew’s Church in Royal Pier Road, at 12.30pm on Sunday.