Dundee Sainte-Denise-Louise
A word from the president
Dear friends,
Many historic boats can be restored, but the Sainte-Denise-Louise project is the only one that is also a duty of remembrance. It recalls the exemplary and extraordinary story of this Dunkirk fishing dundee which, in May and June 1940, while the town of Dunkirk was surrounded, took part in Operation Dynamo. It is the only French boat entitled to the name Little Ship of Dunkirk.
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116 soldiers owe it their freedom — only a small part of the some 350,000 men evacuated from the Dunkirk pocket, thanks to a remarkable chain of solidarity. We want to bring it back to life, as a real means of passing on Dunkirk’s maritime memory and history.
- It will sail again and welcome the public on board.
- It will tell younger generations what those days of May and June 1940 were like.
- It will remind us that, in the hardest moments, ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
Rebuilding the Sainte-Denise-Louise is not simply building a boat. It is fulfilling a duty of remembrance that is neither an administrative nor a legal obligation. It is a moral obligation.
It is up to us to ensure that those who fought, those who risked their lives, and those who enabled so many men to regain their freedom are never forgotten.
We inherited this memory. In our turn, we have a duty to pass it on. Your support will not only pay for timber, steel or hours in the yard. Your support will pass on a story: a story of courage, solidarity and freedom.
The Sainte-Denise-Louise saved 116 men in 1940. Today, it is our turn to save its memory.
Pierre-François Deniau, president
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