A former Royal Navy sailor who is believed to have been the last surviving person to take part in the Dunkirk evacuation 85 years ago has died aged 105.
Duncan McInnes was on board HMS Saladin, which rescued hundreds of troops from the beaches of northern France in May 1940.
The telegraphist recounted making seven return trips while being dive-bombed by the Germans. Saladin was hit several times but remained afloat.
Against the odds he survived Operation Dynamo, the code name for the successful evacuation of 330,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk.
Although the retreat in the face of the rampage through France of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi forces was disastrous, it enabled Britain to continue fighting in the Second World War.
Mr McInnes went on to become a communications officer in Sumatra, Indonesia, before leaving the Royal Navy in 1960 and joining a telecoms company.
He later emigrated to but visited the UK in 2019 to attend a Veterans Cruise with the Association of Little Ships on the Thames River.
He died yesterday at his home in Perth, Western , days before the 85th anniversary of the start of Operation Dynamo.
Son-in-law Mark Rutley said: ‘We believe he was the last known survivor who took part in the evacuation.
‘It is extraordinary to think he was born in 1920, just two years after World War One ended.
‘His role at Dunkirk is a source of great pride for the family and he would have loved to have been part of the 85th anniversary commemorations.’
Mr McInnes was born on February 1, 1920 in Gosport, Hampshire and joined the navy in 1935, aged 15.
His father’s family came from the Isle of Skye.
He married in 1940 and had three children and five great-great grandchildren.
Regarding his war experiences, Mr McInnes recalled in his memoirs: ‘On arrival near to the beaches we could see columns of smoke coming out of the town which was burning and the beaches were black with troops.
‘There was a jetty and we managed to get close to it and finally tie up to it.
‘Immediately we embarked waiting soldiers who looks a sorry bunch.
‘I could only see them from the door of the wireless room which was immediately under the bridge.
‘It appeared the most popular one on board was the cook who provided the soldiers with hot mugs of sweet tea probably the first drink that they had had in days.
‘Then it was full speed to Dover to disembark the troops and back again into the turmoil of the beaches.
‘We managed seven trips and survived the dive bombing only by the skill of our Captain Commander Dover, one of the unsung heroes.
‘We were at the mercy of the JU88 the German Dive Bombers.
‘A large piece of shrapnel penetrated the side of the office and ruined our post office telegraph book which we had stuck in the small window but that probably save greater damage.
‘The ship had several narrow misses but prevailed mainly due to the manoeuvring skill of our Captain.
‘Then suddenly we felt the ship slow almost to a stop and opening the door of the office I saw the engineer officer rushing to inform the Captain of the damage to the engine room and our maximum speed dropped from thirty knots to about four.
‘I transmitted this information the HQ who instructed us to disengage from Operation Dynamo and to proceed at best speed to Portsmouth for repairs.
‘It was only when we docked in Portsmouth that I discovered we had suffered some 30 casualties.
‘Some were caused by burns clearing the after gun platform of burning cordite.
‘Once in Portsmouth we were given leave and I was able to see my wife and family once again.
‘I remember it well as it was the first time I had ever sworn in front of my Mother when I was describing how this F*****g German bomber nearly straddled the ship with his bombs.’
Built in 1917, HMS Saladin was an S-Class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy throughout the Second World War.
Operation Dynamo took place from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the north of France, between May 26 and June 4, 1940.
A month later, the intense air war that has become known as the Battle of Britain began.
The pilots of the RAF – celebrated as ‘The Few’ by Winston Churchill – kept the Luftwaffe at bay and curtailed Hitler’s hopes of launching an invasion of Britain.
The evacuation from Dunkirk was one of the biggest operations of the Second World War and was one of the major factors in enabling the Allies to continue fighting.
It was the largest military evacuation in history, taking place between May 27 and June 4, 1940 after Nazi Blitzkreig – ‘Lightning War’ – saw German forces sweep through Europe.
The evacuation, known as Operation Dynamo, saw an estimated 338,000 Allied troops rescued from northern France. But 11,000 Britons were killed during the operation – and another 40,000 were captured and imprisoned.
Described as a ‘miracle of deliverance’ by wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, it is seen as one of several events in 1940 that determined the eventual outcome of the war.
The Second World War began after Germany invaded Poland in 1939, but for a number of months there was little further action on land.
But in early 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway and then launched an offensive against Belgium and France in western Europe.
Hitler’s troops advanced rapidly, taking Paris – which they never achieved in the First World War – and moved towards the Channel.
They reached the coast towards the end of May 1940, pinning back the Allied forces, including several hundred thousand troops of the British Expeditionary Force. Military leaders quickly realised there was no way they would be able to stay on mainland Europe.
Operational command fell to Bertram Ramsay, a retired vice-admiral who was recalled to service in 1939. From a room deep in the cliffs at Dover, Ramsay and his staff pieced together Operation Dynamo, a daring rescue mission by the Royal Navy to get troops off the beaches around Dunkirk and back to Britain.
On May 14, 1940 the call went out. The BBC made the announcement: ‘The Admiralty have made an order requesting all owners of self-propelled pleasure craft between 30ft and 100ft in length to send all particulars to the Admiralty within 14 days from today if they have not already been offered or requisitioned.’
Boats of all sorts were requisitioned – from those for hire on the Thames to pleasure yachts – and manned by naval personnel, though in some cases boats were taken over to Dunkirk by the owners themselves.
They sailed from Dover, the closest point, to allow them the shortest crossing. On May 29, Operation Dynamo was put into action.
When they got to Dunkirk they faced chaos. Soldiers were hiding in sand dunes from aerial attack, much of the town of Dunkirk had been reduced to ruins by the bombardment and the German forces were closing in.
Above them, RAF Spitfire and Hurricane fighters were headed inland to attack the German fighter planes to head them off and protect the men on the beaches.
As the little ships arrived they were directed to different sectors. Many did not have radios, so the only methods of communication were by shouting to those on the beaches or by semaphore.
Space was so tight, with decks crammed full, that soldiers could only carry their rifles. A huge amount of equipment, including aircraft, tanks and heavy guns, had to be left behind.
The little ships were meant to bring soldiers to the larger ships, but some ended up ferrying people all the way back to England. The evacuation lasted for several days.
Prime Minister Churchill and his advisers had expected that it would be possible to rescue only 20,000 to 30,000 men, but by June 4 more than 300,000 had been saved.
The exact number was impossible to gauge – though 338,000 is an accepted estimate – but it is thought that over the week up to 400,000 British, French and Belgian troops were rescued – men who would return to fight in Europe and eventually help win the war.
But there were also heavy losses, with around 90,000 dead, wounded or taken prisoner. A number of ships were also lost, through enemy action, running aground and breaking down. Despite this, the evacuation itself was regarded as a success and a great boost for morale.
In a famous speech to the House of Commons, Churchill praised the ‘miracle of Dunkirk’ and resolved that Britain would fight on: ‘We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender!’