Of course all Dunkirk Little Ships are unique with their link being their presence and participation in Operation Dynamo when the British navy was boosted by hundreds of small ships which had been requisitioned by the Navy to evacuate the British and French forces from the Normandy beaches. The story has been told many times including most recently in the film Dunkirk.

During my 35 year career as a classic boat broker I have sold Lady Isabelle 3 times and twice to the same person. She was an inveterate collector with a fleet at one time of 5 British built boats. When she moved from the UK to her home base in California she bought back Lady Isabelle to keep on her jetty outside the house where she could admire her every day. However Vickie died in late 2024 with the clear instruction that we were to repatriate this special 'little ship' and we duly organised for her to be loaded into a 40ft container for her trip from the Pacific to the Thames.

Several of the Gibbs launches moored on the Thames during the years of World War II were commandeered as members of the Home Guard. Indeed in the Reading Upper Thames area many were owned and driven by women who had their own uniform. Members of the Home Guard patrolled the river 24/7 in fear of an invasion via the Thames corridor. You can still see remnants of the concrete bunkers on the riverside in several locations.

Lady Isabelle was built of varnished mahogany on oak in 1930 by Harry Gibbs of Hampton Wick where he had a yard on Trowlock Island (the original build plate is visible forward of the steering column). The history file accompanying the boat tells of her original owners using her with their chauffeur for shopping trips! After the war years her owners are documented as are the various refits with plaques on the engine bulkhead attesting to each stage of her long life.

Lady Isabelle was one of the larger of the inland waterways fleet while being one of the smallest of the sea going boats but nevertheless she is a proud and bona fide member of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) . Undoubtedly she would have struggled to cross the Channel solo but photos show larger boats towing a whole stream of smaller 'feeder' boats which were able to act as ship to shore to bring soldiers out to the larger ships heading back to the UK. According to 'The Little Ships of Dunkirk' by Christian Brann she arrived on La Panne beach amid heavy shelling and completed 3 rescue trips with 50 soldiers clinging on for the final trip. She could cut through calm water at 12 knots thanks to her powerful 6 cylinder Gray marine engine. Apparently her Staines based owners (Lord and Lady Staines) never forgave the boatyard which allowed their precious Gibbs to be requisitioned !

Her subsequent ownership and history seems to be relatively well documented and at one stage the boat even had a cabin. However in 1981 when she was in a very sorry state a new owner commissioned the legendary Peter Freebody to restore the boat to its original state and a reconditioned 1934 Gray was sourced and fitted while the boat was being completely refurbished. Subsequent owners in the last forty years have maintained this glorious varnished carvel constructed Gibbs launch to a very high standard. Not only has Lady Isabelle returned to Dunkirk (albeit on a trailer to be launched into the harbour) but she also paraded proudly at the Diamond Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 when a few drops of rain were hardly a deterrent to this brave old lady. Her interior bears various plaques and she has an old life belt with the dates of the returns as well as an original wooden trunk emblazoned with her name.

Interestingly during one of the phases of her long history Lady Isabelle won a prize in the sixties for adventurous cruising. What would her original owners have made of her membership of the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach? Indeed I believe they would have been very proud as I was recently at the Monaco Classics where Lady Isabelle won two coveted prizes, one the Concours d'Elegance and the other for quality of restoration and originality. She is now back on her trailer in the UK awaiting her next adventure and complete with her new Nanni engine fitted prior to the trip to the Cote d'Azur. The 1934 Gray is also available if someone is keen to attempt a complete engine restoration. New leather cushions in hallmark British Racing Green were added as well as a new hood cover and forward cockpit tonneau. The cockpit is exceptionally spacious with plenty of room to add more seating or a table and of course there is the two seater forward cockpit which would have accommodated a gunner during the war years.

Who will commit to the next decade?

For more information please ring the office on 01491 578870 and ask to speak to Gillian or Heather.