It was described by Churchill as “a great tide of vessels”. But of the 861 little ships that took part in the evacuation, 243 were sunk by German bombers and gunfire.

They, and the men who crewed them, faced horrific dangers. Pudge, a Thames sailing barge which is still a familiar sight on the Medway, was one of many which narrowly escaped.

Built in Rochester and operated by the London and Rochester Trading Company, Pudge was one of three barges being towed across by a tug. Their shallow draught and capacious holds made them ideal for getting close to the beaches.

But the tow tug hit a mine. Both it and two of the barges were sunk. Pudge survived. After pausing to pick up survivors she carried on, taking 300 soldiers from the beaches before returning to Kent.

Paddle steamer Medway Queen’s contribution to the evacuation is legendary. She made seven trips across and brought back 7,000 survivors.

One man who was particularly glad to see her was John Howarth, who lived at Wainscott.

John had already been rescued from the beach, but a Stuka dive bomber attacked the rescue boat which was sunk beneath him.

For two hours he floated in mid-Channel.

“I was surrounded by bodies and almost resigned to death,” he told reporters. “Then over the horizon came the most amazing and uplifting sight.

“It was the Medway Queen, and she was chugging her way back across the Channel to England, crammed with blackened and battle-weary troops.

“Never was a sight more welcome. I was very lucky she stopped that day.”

Bob Viney, who lived at Lordswood, had gone to France as a driver with the Royal Artillery.

After being cut off from his unit in Belgium, he found his way to the beaches at La Panne, just down the coast from Dunkirk, arriving on May 29 – his 20th birthday.

“We were bombed and shelled all the way,” he said. “The town itself was on fire. We were sent into a wood just inland from the beach. There were thousands of people there.

“I finally got away on June 1. We paddled an oil drum raft out to the waiting boats. I was taken on board the destroyer HMS Worcester, and brought back to Dover.”

Vic Knight, who lived in Beechings Way, Gillingham, was a regular soldier in the Rifle Brigade, having joined up in 1938 at the age of 19. He was at Calais, part of a force sent to take pressure off the evacuation effort by stemming the German advance.

Although his efforts helped others to escape, Vic ended up in captivity.

“While we were at the quayside two hospital trains arrived,” he said. “I went to help get the wounded on board.

“Stuka dive bombers kept up a continuous attack on the ships. I took up a position on the beach and engaged the enemy until my ammunition ran out.

“Then I buried the Bren breech block in the sand. Others buried their rifle bolts. The Germans came and took us prisoner.”

Altogether 338,226 British and French troops were rescued from the beaches. It was an action that came to define the British spirit, and eventually turn the tide of the war.

For more memories of Medway don't miss Friday's print edition of the Medway Messenger