Dover tribute to Dunkirk mastermind Vice-Admiral Bertram Home Ramsay

Maj Gen Charles Ramsay paid tribute to his father, whose statue stands at Dover Castle

A ceremony has been held in Dover to remember the man who masterminded the evacuation of Dunkirk 75 years ago.

Operation Dynamo, which rescued more than 338,000 Allied soldiers, was run from Dover naval HQ under the command of Vice-Admiral Bertram Home Ramsay.

His son Maj Gen Charles Ramsay paid tribute and unveiled a plaque at Dover Castle to mark the 75th anniversary.

He said his father's contribution to the evacuation, which brought the troops home in 693 ships, was enormous.

"He was certainly a great organiser and leader, " he said.

"He'd done a lot of thinking about it and planning for it.

"He organised so many ships and provided a lot of protection for them."

The operation, between 26 May and 3 June 1940, was masterminded from tunnels underneath Dover Castle, where it is now commemorated in a permanent exhibition.

A plaque was unveiled to mark the 75th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation

English Heritage historian Paul Pattison said Vice-Admiral Ramsay's role was pivotal in saving the British Army.

"A large chunk of the British Expeditionary Force was trapped on the French coast at Dunkirk.

"There was no way out except being rescued by the flotilla of Royal Naval vessels and civilian ships that went to help."

Vice-Admiral Ramsay was knighted after Operation Dynamo, promoted to Admiral in 1944 and played a major part in the planning of the D-Day invasion of France.

He died in a plane crash in January 1945, when his son was a small boy.