Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/916056
The truck pier consisted of trucks that were built on rented old chassis. Understandably, no picture vehicle company would want to rent period trucks to use in the salty sea, so a mould was made of a 1938 model Bedford, and used to manufacture ten trucks, along with some old trailers and vehicles that were purchased to extend the set. Some of the boats that came to the rescue in 1940 would sail to shore on the high tide and then wait through the low tide for the sea to rise again, rescuing the soldiers. That was the case with the so-called Blue Trawler, built from another boat's steel hull. BOATS AND SHIPS The search for the group of ships needed for the filming was mainly done by marine coordinator Neil Andrea. The main hero boat, the Moonstone, was found on a lake in Scotland and had never been sailed before on sea. After a thorough engine and steering check and some interior alterations, it served extremely well on the sea locations in France, Holland and Weymouth, England. It was remarkable how many angles could be acheived with only minor adjustments on the boat. The main destroyer used in the end, after a worldwide search, was the 3,000-ton, 120-meter long French destroyer called the Maillé Brézé. A hospital ship came from Stavanger, Norway, and three mine sweepers were rented from Holland. A back piece of the hospital ship was built in Dunkirk and sunk in the harbour. Then came all the little ships from England. Kevin Ishioka, Supervising Art Director from the US, was primarily in charge of the major changes and alterations that had to be made on the ships and boats. He was also in charge of the planes that were manufactured by Gateguards in England. A. & B. The truck pier on the beach at Dunkirk. C. The cut-out destroyer in place on the beach. D. The cut-out destroyer under construction. E. Plans of the Blue Trawler by Set Designer Carine Demongueres. F. The Blue Trawler being set on the Dunkirk beach by an excavator. G. The Castor after changes for background filming. H. A tidal study for the Mole and the hospital ship by Amanda Riffo. I. The hospital ship ROGALAND not yet painted. J. The half-scale sinking hospital ship under construction. K. The scaled destroyer mounted on a gimbal and shot in a backlot tank. K J G I H