A GROUP of sailors is set to recreate the heroic journey of the Leigh fishermen who risked their lives to rescue Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during the Second World War.

Between May 26 and June 4, 1940, almost 900 ships crossed the Channel to evacuate 338,000 British and French soldiers from the French beaches.

Among them were 700 so-called “little ships”, which included six from Leigh.

Now one of these boats, the Endeavour, will repeat the voyage to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk rescue. It will be sailing from Ramsgate tomorrow, as part of a flotilla of ships marking the event.

Poignantly, among her six crew members, will be Trevor and Graham Osborne, relatives of two Leigh men, Frank and Leslie Osborne, who lost their lives during the rescue after their boat, the Renown, hit a mine as she was towed home.

Trevor, 62, of Heather Drive, Hadleigh, said: “I am honoured to do this. Our whole family is very proud of what our relatives did in the war and it will never be forgotten.”

The Endeavour, which worked as a shrimping boat in the Sixties and Seventies, also took part in the 65th anniversary celebrations, in 2005, after undergoing a £100,000 restoration.

Fellow crew member and Leigh town councillor Peter Dolby said: “It’s a privilege to be able to take part in something recognising the ultimate sacrifice people from Leigh made to rescue so many Allied troops from the beaches at Dunkirk.

“It is fitting, this year, we have relatives of those who lost their lives in the evacuation.”