Sevenoaks Talk: A Heroine of Dunkirk, the Paddle Steamer 'Medway Queen' with Pam and Mark Bathurst

Doors open 10.45am Meeting starts 11am.

The Medway Queen was ordered in 1923 and entered service on the Strood-Chatham-Southend-Herne Bay route the following year. With occasional excursions elsewhere she served on the same route until the beginning of the Second World War. Chatham Navy week was an annual highlight and in 1937 the ship ran an excursion at the Coronation Naval Review at Spithead.

Medway Queen was requisitioned for the Royal Navy in 1939 and converted for mine-sweeping. In 1940 HMS Medway Queen joined the 10th Mine-sweeping Flotilla based in Dover. HMS Medway Queen remained an active minesweeper until late 1943 when she became an accommodation ship for a few months. In April 1944 she was recommissioned and attached to the mine-sweeping training base at Granton.

The 10th Flotilla played a key part in 'Operation Dynamo' in May-June 1940. Medway Queen and her crew made seven return trips across the channel to bring the men home. The ship's crew estimated that they evacuated 7,000 men while shooting down three Axis aircraft.

In 1946/7 she was refitted and returned to civilian use. The famous Invicta motif was placed on the ship's funnel and in 1954 there was the addition of a bracket on the funnel for navigation lights. In the early 1960s paddle steamers were struggling to compete with newer-type vessels and the Medway Queen made her last voyage to Southend on 9th September 1963.

In 1953 Medway Queen was included in the Coronation Naval Review at Spithead. She carried a load of pre-booked passengers and was part of the formal fleet review.

After several attempts at preservation had failed, the ship was purchased by three businessmen, Alan Ridett, Colin Ridett and Robert Trapp in August 1965. She was towed by the tug Dhulia to the Isle of Wight and became a restaurant & nightclub. The Medway Queen Club was popular for wedding receptions and the on-board restaurant was a favourite with locals and holidaymakers alike. In the evenings it became a night club with disco and live music.

Following the closure of the Medway Queen Club, the ship suffered hull damage and became semi-submerged in the river Medina. In 1984 she was moved back to the River Medway on a pontoon. The current Medway Queen Preservation Society was formed in 1985 to support this endeavour and later became owners of this historic vessel.

After many years of frustration and hard work the society secured the backing of the Heritage Lottery Fund and, later, the European Regional Development Fund to rebuild the ship’s hull and establish a base and workshop at Gillingham Pier. The hull rebuild was undertaken in Bristol and completed in late 2013. Medway Queen was towed back home and is now moored at Gillingham Pier where she can be visited.

No booking, just turn up.

The Society is a registered charity and membership fees and donations are an important part of our income. The Talk is free to members but guests and visitors are asked to make a donation towards hall hire and speaker's fee. There will be a donations box at the venue.

There is a large public car park (payment required, 50p for 2 hours, £1 for 3 hours) adjacent to the hall but it can be busy.