article: Volunteers who have restored one of the Dunkirk 'Little Ships' are now hoping they will be able to take the unique vessel back to the beaches where it helped to rescue 600 British soldiers. Fire boat Massey Shaw was requisitioned from the London Fire Brigade in 1940 and transported to Dunkirk to help with the evacuation of Allied troops in the face of the Nazi advance. After carrying 600 soldiers back to Britain, the boat returned to London where it helped to save St Paul's Cathedral and other buildings damaged in the Blitz. Scroll down for video . Renovation: Massey Shaw has been restored to its former glory seven decades after helping to save 600 troops from the Dunkirk beaches . Voyage: Volunteers are now hoping to transport the Massey Shaw back to Dunkirk to celebrate its amazing achievement . Rusting: This shows the poor condition that the Massey Shaw was in before it was restored by a group of volunteers and a trust . Home: The Massey Shaw pictured moored in a dock near Canary Wharf, home to a number of giant global banks . Massey Shaw is still capable of pumping out 3,000 gallons of water every minute - as much as four fire engines - despite being 80 years old. The boat went out of service in 1971, and four decades was used as a walkway in a London dock, allowing people to get to other bessels. But London fireman David Rogers and the Massey Shaw Education Trust spent six years restoring it, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery. They are now seeking additional funding to allow them to transport Massey Shaw to Dunkirk next month, which will mark the 75th anniversary of the Little Ships' adventure. Comeback: It took six years to undo the damage wrought on the Massey Shaw and restore it to how it was in the 1930s . Interior: The engine room of the old fire boat, which is still working well even though it was first built 80 years ago . On board: The controls and fire bell of the Massey Shaw have also been repaired thanks to a National Lottery grant . Deck: The boat is mounted with a hose which can pump out 3,000 gallons of water every minute, the same as four fire engines . Saying goodbye: The Massey Shaw pictured on its final voyage before being decommissioned as a fire boat in 1971 . Mr Rogers said: 'The boat was built in the 1930s and during its career fought fires along the Thames and London before being called to Dunkirk in 1940. It was the only fire boat to go. 'It went with the little ships and was initially going to be used as a fire boat but the strafing and gun fire was too much. 'Because it has a shallow hull it was able to get into La Penne beach outside Dunkirk where she rescued 500 troops in three trips across the English Channel and another 100 back to the UK after that. 'It didn't stop there because as the Massey Shaw headed home a French merchant ship hit a mine about two miles ahead of her. The Massey went to the aid of the aid and the crew and rescued them as well from the water. Controls: Volunteers who restored the boat praised the quality of its 80-year-old engineering which still propels the boat . Journey: A charity needs to raise £10,000 so they can afford the fuel needed to take the Massey Shaw back to Dunkirk this year . Repairs: The engine being removed from the interior of the boat while restoration works were going on . Commemoration: The vessel boasts a plaque marking its historic status as one of the Dunkirk 'Little Ships' 'Of course she was involved in the London Blitz and the Massey Shaw's pumps helped saved St Paul's Cathedral.' The veteran firefighter, who spent 30 years with the London Fire Brigade, paid tribute to Massey Shaw's unique survival. 'There is nothing like it left from the 1930s, she is a beautiful ship and the engineering is something to behold,' he said. The trust is seeking at least £10,000 to pay for the fuel which would be needed to transport the boat from Britain to Dunkirk. After Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was sent to help defend France. But in May 1940, three German Panzer corps attacked France through the Ardennes and quickly advanced to the English Channel. By May 21, the German forces had trapped the BEF and the remains of the French and Belgian armies in an area along the northern coast of France. The British force retreated to Dunkirk as it was the best site for an evacuation and the Battle of Dunkirk raged between May 26 and June 4 1940. However, in one of the most bizarre military manoeuvres of the war, the Nazis halted their final advance - this gave the Allies three days to plan their escape and arrange the evacuation of 330,000 troops. Escape: Soldiers are pictured queuing up waiting to be rescued from Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo . Naval bosses ordered all owners of boats between 30ft and 100ft to offer them up to the Admiralty, as the Navy did not have enough vessels to transport all the troops itself. Many of these Little Ships - which included ferries, paddle steamers and yachts - were taken without their owners' permission because there was no time to contact them. A total of 700 vessels were joined by 200 warships and proceeded to cross the Channel to rescue troops who would otherwise have faced potential disaster at the hands of the Nazis. The mission, codenamed Operation Dynamo, was one of the most extraordinary moments of the war, and allowed the British authorities to rebuild their military strength. Up to 500 Little Ships are believed still to be in existence, and they regularly travel back to Dunkirk in flotilla to recreate the extraordinary operation.
highlights: Massey Shaw was requisitioned from the London Fire Brigade and helped rescue 600 troops from Dunkirk in 1940 .
  The vessel went on to save St Paul's Cathedral during the Blitz before being commissioned in 1971 .
  But the fire boat has been renovated and restored to its former glory by a group of volunteers thanks to lottery grant .
  They are now seeking another £10,000 so they can transport the Massey Shaw back to Dunkirk 70 years later .
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