WW2 British, Dunkirk 'Propaganda' Figurine, 1940

Was £210 now £190 British 'Propaganda' Figurine, standing on the prow of one of the 'Small Ships', named the 'Sally Anne and designed to be used as an ash tray. Manufactured from painted plaster in 1940 the figure strongly resembles the popular entertainer Tommy Trinder, who had recently stared in the film 'A Foreman Goes To France'. British press later exploited the successful evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, and particularly the role of the 'Dunkirk little ships', very effectively. Many of them were private vessels such as fishing boats and pleasure cruisers, but commercial vessels such as ferries also contributed to the force, including a number from as far away as the Isle of Man and Glasgow. These smaller vessels—guided by naval craft across the Channel from the Thames Estuary and from Dover—assisted in the official evacuation. Being able to move closer into the beachfront shallows than larger craft, the 'little ships' acted as shuttles to and from the larger ships, lifting troops who were queuing in the water, many waiting shoulder-deep in water for hours. The term 'Dunkirk Spirit' refers to the solidarity of the British people in times of adversity, this very rare survivor represents an early example of how propaganda turned a defeat into victory