Pic(k) of the week 39: BATTLE OF DUNKIRK SHIPWRECKS

September 21, 2020

Pic(k) of the week 39: BATTLE OF DUNKIRK SHIPWRECKS - 80 years ago

As the Allies were loosing the battle of France on the Western front, “Operation Dynamo” (part of the Battle of Dunkirk) was the defense and evacuation to Britain of British and other Allied forces from May 26th to June 4th 1940. Thousands were successfully evacuated with all kinds of ships and vessels (including small fishing boats) but unfortunately more than 60.000 British soldiers alone, were killed in the operation. The 2017 movie “Dunkirk” tries to tell this story...

Since 2020 commemorates the 80th year anniversary, it was time do some photography around this important event in Central European history. This weeks Pic(k) is an aerial drone image of a vessel called “Claude”, of which the remains still lay on the beaches of Dunkirk all these years later.

The “Claude” started its life in 1915 as a WWI “X” Lighter, also known as a “Beetle”; specifically designed for amphibious operations of troops, horses, guns and stores from a ship to an open beach, It was converted to a water tanker in 1922 and used as such on May 29th 1940, to eventually be left behind once Operation Dynamo was over.

To document this important part of history, I wanted to go out during a spring tide, where the low tide water level is even lower than normal. Preferably not during a weekend to avoid the crowds and obviously in the best light possible. As I wanted to do the shoot with morning sunrise light, the date was set on SEP 18 when the morning low tide at Dunkirk was just before 9am; as a bonus it was a Friday and although chilly the weather couldn't be better! This meant an early wake-up, couple of hours drive and a nice morning walk on the beach to the best spot. But it was all more than worth it.

While I shot several images of the scene and of a second ship called the, I eventually picked the image where a land sailor came close to the shipwreck, as the one with the most interesting composition and light. Land sailing is very popular near Dunkirk, as the beach is extremely wide during low tide.

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