Dunkirk Little Ship Mimosa rescued off Cromer by RNLI

Cromer Lifeboat was called to the aid of Mimosa, a 48ft veteran of the Second World War, on Friday, June 23.

The wooden motor cruiser was reported stranded half-a-mile north of Overstrand at 1.55pm.

Mimosa and Cromer's all-weather lifeboat. (Image: Jane Brucass)

Volunteer crewmembers rushed to the end of the Cromer Pier where the RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was being prepared for launch. 

The boat plunged down the ramp at 3.44pm and made "best speed" north-north-east, where it found the 88-year-old pleasure cruiser adrift in the water.

Lifeboat coxswain Paul Watling and colleagues went aboad and made sure the Mimosa's crew were alright, before ordering the launch of a secondary, Y-class inflatable from the all-weather lifeboat to assess the damage.

Cromer's all-weather lifeboat on the way to Mimosa (Image: Mark Southgate)

The two crew members on the inflatable found Mimosa’s propeller was caught on a fishing buoy. They tried in vain to free the boat from the line but the rope eventually had to be cut.

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This left Mimosa adrift, but using the port engine it was soon able to start the journey to Wells Harbour.

The lifeboat escorted them as the remaining rope was still attached to the damaged propellor and could have caused further issues.

Cromer Lifeboat coxswain Paul Watling (Image: Supplied)

Mr Watling said: "Once again our extensive training ensured we were able to assist Mimosa and ensure the safety of its crew.

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"Thankfully the location of the Mimosa, and the calm sea helped make this rescue considerably easier, for example, the conditions meant we could launch the Y-class lifeboat.

"The crew did a fantastic job and it was a great outcome."

Once at Wells, Mimosa dropped anchor and its crew waited for the tide to enable Wells' harbour master to come and escort them into the harbour.

Mimosa was requisitioned along with many other pleasure boats in 1940 for the evacuation of 300,000 British and Commonwealth troops from France ahead of the Nazi occupation. 

She was provisioned and fuelled at Dover and made three trips to the beaches off Dunkirk.

After the evacuation Mimosa was chartered as an auxiliary patrol vessel and her name was changed to Ocelot, which hid her contribution to the war effort.

It was to be 57 years before her Dunkirk history was revealed after careful research.

This vessel is featured individually on a series of stamps issued in Palau in 2015 called the 'Little Ships of Dunkirk', and she also featured in the 2017 film Dunkirk.