In May 1940, over 800 private little ships were sent to war as part of Operation Dynamo. Their mission was to evacuate British and French troops from Dunkirk.

Some of those ships taking part in the evacuation were from the Essex coast. The six from Leigh-on-Sea; Renown, Reliant, Leticia, Resolute, Defender and Endeavour were volunteered for service by their crews who sailed them rather than being requisitioned by the Royal Navy.

In total 338,000 troops were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, however some 250 little boats were lost and never returned.

One of the Leigh little ships that did return to Essex was Endeavour. This cockle bawley has since been restored and can been see just off the coast of Old Leigh as well as in the 2017 film 'Dunkirk'.

In this episode, Chris Burls from the Leigh on Sea Endeavour Trust tells Owen all about this little ship's big history.

More information about the Endeavour Trust can be found on their website: www.endeavourtrust.blogspot.com

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