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A piece of maritime history returned home to the Isle of Man today (Monday).
The Mona's Queen was among eight vessels sent to the evacuation of Dunkirk by the Steam Packet Company in May 1940, but she was hit by a German mine and sank off the French port.
The anchor was retrieved and restored last year as part of the 70th Anniversary of 'Operation Dynamo', and will be placed at Kallow Point in Port St Mary, as a permanent memorial to all the Steam Packet employees who lost their lives in World War II, and the wider role played by the company and all its crew.
It was greeted on its arrival in Douglas by an assembly including the lieutenant governor, members of Tynwald and local authorities, a group of sea cadets and the Ellan Vannin pipes.
Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward told Alex Wotton the return of the anchor meant a lot to the company (first part of audio file):
South Douglas MHK MHK David Cretney said it was a moving occasion for everyone (second part of audio file):
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