During 'Operation Dynamo', Commander V.A.L. Bradyll-Johnson oversaw the Eastern arm of the Dover breakwater. Numerous handwritten messages and instructions were sent to him and the naval officers under his command. One such order instructed to maintain a list of men in each boat by name, initials, and official number, and for civilians, to record next of kin and address. Additionally, requisitioned boats were to be inspected upon arrival, with a full list of requirements and defects noted. Immediate necessities included fuel, water, and two days' provisions for the crew.

These brief notes, collected and preserved by Bradyll-Johnson over many years, provide valuable documentation of the Dunkirk involvement of vessels such as Papillon. Written over several days by various naval officers, they reveal that Papillon arrived for service at Dover on 30 May 1940. At that time, her two 4-cylinder Morris petrol engines were reported as defective. The vessel's skipper was E. Somers Holmwood of Kingston by the Sea, Sussex, with crew members S.J. Downes of Shoreham, B. Hawood of Brighton, and Mr. Griffiths of Peacehaven, who was temporarily assigned to an RNLI lifeboat.

Papillon was likely a local boat, owned by C.P. Mackenrot of Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex, and built in 1930 by Leslie W. Harris at Burnham-on-Crouch. Records indicate that no extra fuel was required upon arrival, as she carried 30 gallons of petrol, had a full crew, and suffered only a minor electrical fault. Further notes confirm she had two casks of water, was adequately supplied with oil and fuel, and that a fault in her condenser had been repaired. She was also loaded with six spare tins of petrol and water. However, her civilian crew were noted as being uncertain of the conditions of service.

Papillon sailed on 2 June 1940 and returned the following day to relinquish her route order and replenish fuel and oil tanks. It is probable that the men who operated her during this period were volunteers unconnected with the vessel, as she was left for collection at Burnham-on-Crouch rather than being sailed home.

On 7 June 1940, Papillon was requisitioned again by the Royal Navy for Operation Cycle, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Le Havre. Her skipper remained E. Somers Holmwood, who gave his address as Old Watch House Club, Kingston, Shoreham, Sussex.

• 1940–1941: Continued service with the Admiralty, conducting local coastal and river patrols.
• 1941–1943: Laid up.
• 1943–1945: Employed for Fire Service duties until the end of World War II.
• 1951: Owned by Mr. Stanley Howard of Ipswich and kept at Foxes Marina, Ipswich.
• 1988: Purchased by Mr. Richard Huggett of Erith, Kent. At this time, Papillon was in poor condition. Mr. and Mrs. Huggett undertook extensive refurbishment to restore her seaworthiness.
• 1990: Sailed to Dunkirk for the 50th Anniversary with the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS).
• 1997: Acquired by Ian and Karina Gilbert, who kept her on the Thames at Weybridge.
• 1997–2015: Participated annually in the Traditional Boat Festival at Henley-on-Thames.
• 2000, 2005, 2010: Attended the 60th, 65th, and 70th Anniversary Returns to Dunkirk.
• 2012: Took part in the Queen's Golden Jubilee Pageant on the Thames.
• 2015: In May, Papillon led the 75th Anniversary Return to Dunkirk, flying the Commodore's Flag under the command of Commodore Ian Gilbert. Later that year, Geoff Turner and Jodi Smith purchased Papillon and relocated her to Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
• 2016: Participated in a commemorative cruise in Ramsgate in May, followed by sailing to Dunkirk to take part in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk, released in July 2017.
• 2017: Attended the Dartmouth Royal Regatta in August.
• 2018: Took part in a commemorative cruise at Ipswich Marina and returned to Burnham-on-Crouch, her place of construction. In July, she attended the Military Knights of Windsor Picnic, moored alongside Windsor Castle on the Thames, and participated in the Traditional Boat Festival at Henley-on-Thames.
• 2019: In May, attended the Commemorative Cruise weekend at St Katharine Docks on the Thames in London. Participated in the ADLS escort fleet for the 75th D-Day celebrations out of Portsmouth and visited the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, with the ADLS fleet in June.
• 2021: Featured in the documentary 48Hrs to Victory, hosted by Dermot O’Leary for Channel 4.
• 2022: Returned to Dunkirk for an overnight stop before attending Oostende Voor Anker in Belgium for the Maritime Festival. Subsequently returned to the Isle of Wight and attended the British Classics at Cowes. Also participated in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee fleet review in the Solent, presided over by Princess Anne.
• 2023: In May, attended the commemorative cruise at Chatham Historic Dockyard and the Traditional Boat Festival at Henley-on-Thames in July.