Manx National Heritage has preserved an important piece of the Isle of Man’s wartime heritage after they acquired the medals and a 'mentioned in despatches' certificate of a Dunkirk hero.
The medal presented to Arthur James Allen by the town of Dunkirk, and the mention in dispatches certificate, which he was awarded for his part in the evacuation of British troops from that port in May and June 1940, were recently offered for sale, and were obtained by the heritage body.
Mr Allen was a ‘Donkeyman’ (responsible for the auxiliary power plant or ‘Donkey’ engine) aboard the requisitioned Isle of Man Steam Packet Company [IOMSPCo] vessel Tynwald when she sailed into Dunkirk to rescue British and French troops in the late spring of 1940.
The town and its beaches were filled with British and French troops who had fallen back in the face of Germany’s blitzkrieg onslaught, and who were awaiting rescue.
Along with other Steam Packet vessels, Tynwald and her crew braved dive bombers and mines to make the perilous crossing and evacuate 9,000 troops – more than any other vessel engaged in the rescue.
