Gerfalcon Historical Timeline
23 June 1892
Birth of Valentine Searles-Wood in Waterlooville, Hampshire.
April 1893
Birth of Sibyl Read in Surbiton, Surrey.
25 February 1919
Marriage of Valentine and Sibyl Read.
Late 1919
Birth of John Valentine Searles-Wood.
1937
Gerfalcon commissioned by Cdr. Searles-Wood and built by William Osborne Ltd.
February 1938
Official Builder’s Certificate issued for Gerfalcon at Littlehampton.
Friday 06 May 1938
Gerfalcon was launched at William Osborne’s Littlehampton yard, as reported by the Littlehampton Gazette.
20 February 1940
Death of Sub-Lt. John Searles-Wood in sinking of HMT Fifeshire.
4 June – 8 August 1940
Gerfalcon serves in the Royal Navy Patrol Service after participating in Operation Dynamo.
2 May 1943
Death of Commander Valentine Searles-Wood in Blandford Forum.
28 May 1946
Joint ownership recorded: Sibyl Searles-Wood, Albert E.C. Murray, and Alan C. Tooke.
7 June 1946
Sibyl Searles-Wood resumes sole ownership of Gerfalcon.
12 December 1946
Ownership transferred to Edwin Thomas Stevenson-Steel.
28 November 1949
Ownership transferred to Margery Martha Sandys-Weekes of Poole, Dorset.
18 October 1952
John and Irene Stradling become joint owners in Berkshire.
2012
Gerfalcon participates in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames.
26 November 2014
Gerfalcon becomes a member of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS).
13 August 2019
Added to the National Register of Historic Ships UK.
2 January 2021
Survey carried out to assess restoration feasibility.
8 July 2024
Purchased by Gary Fletcher through Dean & Holland Yacht Brokers.
28 July 2024
Second, detailed survey undertaken.
23 August 2024
Gary Fletcher registers Gerfalcon with National Historic Ships UK.
11 May 2025
Gerfalcon undergoes a pre-85th return survey ahead of her return for the 85th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo.
May 2025
Gerfalcon makes it to the 85th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo, joining the remembrance of the Dunkirk evacuation and the enduring legacy of the Little Ships.
13 April 2026
Gerfalcon received a personal acknowledgement from Queen Camilla, recognising the restoration of a Dunkirk Little Ship and the work to raise awareness of Britain's maritime history.
15 May 2026
Pre-launch visit for the 86th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo, with the Mayor of Southend-on-Sea and a Councillor of Rochford visiting Gerfalcon and awarding certificates of recognition.
