A special series of stamps has been issued to commemorate the Dunkirk evacuation, Royal Mail announced yesterday.

The four stamps, released to mark the 70th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, feature black and white images depicting the famous rescue of more than 300,000 Allied troops stranded on the beaches of Normandy by the Royal Navy and a "mini-Armada" of civilian vessels in 1940.

The first class stamp shows the evacuation of British soldiers from the beach at Dunkirk, queuing to be picked up by a Royal Navy destroyer.

Small vessels making up the fleet of "little ships" appear on the 60p stamp. Relief on the faces of British soldiers on board a Royal Navy destroyer as it arrives in Dover is clear to see on the 88p stamp, while the 97p stamp shows two boats returning from Dunkirk packed with evacuees.

Philip Parker, head of stamp strategy at Royal Mail, said: "Few events in British history sum up the nation's resilience more than the miracle of Dunkirk and it retains a place as one of the most momentous events in World War II history.

"Seventy years on, the sight of today's 'little ships' completing their commemorative return from Dunkirk to Ramsgate is a moving reminder of the extraordinary events that took place between May 26, 1940 and June 4, 1940.

"This set of stamps will remind millions of people across the country and abroad of the incredible work of the Royal Navy and the bravery of the civilian armada during Operation Dynamo."

The Dunkirk miniature sheet is part of the Britain Alone stamp set which marked the work of the British people who "did their bit" for the war effort.