An appeal has been made for memorabilia associated with the heroic role of Steam Packet vessels in evacuating troops stranded on the beaches at Dunkirk in 1940.

Port St Mary Commissioners will stage an exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary next year.

The anchor from the Mona’s Queen is sited at the port’s Kallow Point and is a place of pilgrimage to contemplate the dramatic event.

The evacuation of 340,000 servicemen from the French coast involved eight Steam Packet vessels, which between them rescued an estimated 25,000 troops while under heavy fire from German forces.

Mona’s Queen, King Orry and Fenella were lost within 24 hours around May 29.

Mona’s Queen hit a mine and sank, with the loss of 24 men.

The ship’s anchor had become detached from the vessel, so was not part of the war grave, and could be lifted off the sea bed and the operation to retrieve it was carried out in 2010 and it returned to the island in October 2011.

Captain Andrew Douglas spearheaded the raising of the anchor and after his death in 2010 the reins were taken up by Captain Hamish Ross, who died in April.

Captain Jack Ryan, whose two uncles were serving on board when she sank, along with Terry Kelly - whose father Paul died on the ship - fought to site the anchor at Kallow Point.

They argued it is the perfect spot for contemplation and many of the people on board were from the surrounding area.

A service is held there on May 29 each year. After this year’s service Captain Ronan said: ’Remembering is the important thing. It’s teaching the young generation about what happened.’

The authority is working hard to do just that. It mounted a very moving exhibition to mark the centenary since the end of World War One last year which focused on the personal stories of locals involved in the conflict.

’Given the popularity and success of the World War One exhibition we will do it according to the same concept,’ said commissioners’ chairman Michelle Haywood.

’We’re getting to the point no one alive remembers what happened. It was a remarkable contribution.’

Dr Haywood, who runs Discover Diving, is also involved in a dive at the wreck. ’The dive team will go at Easter, the Steam Packet is helping us travel. We’ll take footage of the wreck and display it at the exhibition and there will be a model of the ship to help people understand what they’re looking at.’

The dive team will place a plaque at the wreck site.

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