A SHIP which once rescued soldiers from the beaches of northern France during the Second World War has welcomed veterans back onboard.

The MV Coronia – known formerly as Watchful – was visited by the Durham Light Infantry whilst being renovated.

The ship is owned by Graham Beesley and his partner Pauline Field who bought it nearly two years ago and keep it docked at Hartlepool Marina.

The pair are restoring the ship with help from volunteers and hope to return it to its former glory.

Mrs Field said: "When we first saw the ship she had weeds on her, rubbish and graffiti. The owner told us she was going to get scrapped but we knew we couldn't let her die and came up with a plan to buy her.

"She's an iconic ship to lots of people."

The North Yorkshire couple have been working hard and hope to have renovation finished next year in time for the 80th anniversary of Dunkirk.

They plan to sail the ship back to northern France in an effort to relive its historic past.

The pair said they were honoured to have been greeted by the veterans during the visit.

Among those to visit the marina was Second World War veteran John Waller.

He said: "I think its wonderful the ship is being renovated - without people like Pauline and Graham these types of ships die."

Other veterans to take part in the the visit included men from Durham Light Infantry's Hartlepool, Bishop Auckland and Stockton branch.

The ship was built in 1935 as a leisure craft in Great Yarmouth.

It used to take tourists out to seal colonies to view wildlife in the area.

MV Coronia was made with two Crossley engines – which are now on display at the Science Museum in London.

In 1939, at the time the war was imminent, the ship was seconded to the a Navy base where it was was painted battleship grey and given the name Watchful – before then it was called Brit.

It took to the beaches to save hundreds of men with its trustee crew which included Captain Alexander Turner.

Mrs Field and her partner are trying to trace Captain Turner and believe he came from the Sunderland area.

The have been told he is possibly living in New Zealand and are appealing for information from the public.

Mrs Field said: "Captain Turner was onboard when we were a defeated nation and needed our men home.

"Churchill estimated the little ships would bring 100,000 men home but we actually brought about 337,000 men back to our shores - that's show how important these ships were – without them a generation would be lost."

Following Dunkirk, the ship was a tender for the Navy until the end of the Second World War.

It then returned to its role as a leisure craft in Scarborough.

Light Infantry veteran Collin Reine said he could remember the boat during that time.

He said: "The veterans were interested in visiting the ship as it will have rescued so many men from Dunkirk during the Second World War.

"I first heard the name Coronia at eight years old during a trip to Scarborough when it was a leisure craft.

"I'm sure Durham Light Infantry men will have been onboard the MV Coronia."