Dunkirk 'Little Ship' could be sunk

Kyt · Feb 21, 2008

The Medway Queen - the most famous of the Dunkirk 'Little Ships' - could be sunk by lack of Lottery funds | the Daily Mail

For six days and nights, she defied Hitler's Luftwaffe to save 7,000 servicemen stranded on the beaches at Dunkirk.

Her heroics made her the most famous of the "Little Ships" that helped pluck some 330,000 British and French troops from the hands of the Germans in 1940.

Her crew earned four awards for gallantry.

But now the Medway Queen, one of the country's oldest surviving paddle steamers, could be lost for ever unless millions of pounds can be found to restore her.

Although £2million has been secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund, experts say another £2million is urgently needed for her refurbishment.

They say it is time the Government stepped in to help and have accused ministers of neglecting one of the most important vessels in Britain's maritime history.

The Medway Queen, launched on St George's Day 1924, carried day trippers between Chatham, Margate, Herne Bay, Clacton and Southend.

Right up to 1963, when she retired, the smoking funnel of the 180ft-long luxurious paddle steamer was a familiar and cherished sight.

But it was war service which made her name. Commandeered in 1939 by the Royal Navy, she was equipped as a minesweeper.

As the British Expeditionary Force, with French and Belgian allies, were beaten back to the Dunkirk beaches by the Germans in May 1940, she formed part of the immortal flotilla of Little Ships - merchant marine and fishing boats, pleasure craft, even RNLI lifeboats - which answered the call to go to the rescue of the troops alongside a fleet of Royal Navy and Merchant Navy vessels.

On each of seven return trips, she collected 1,000 men - more than any other Little Ship - and, although attacked 20 times by German aircraft, was never hit.

Her machine guns downed three German fighters, earning her the title the "Heroine of Dunkirk".

Among the gallantry awards for her crew was the DSC for her captain, Alfred Cook.

After the war, she was refitted and became a pleasure steamer once again.

Following her retirement in 1963, she was used as a clubhouse on the Isle of Wight before being bought by businessmen who returned her, by then a rusting hulk, to the Medway.

Soon afterwards she sank and remained at the bottom for ten years until members of the Medway Queen Preservation Society managed to refloat her.

Since then, she has languished at the quayside at Damhead Creek, near Strood, awaiting refurbishment.

But the society is still searching for enough cash to secure her future. Naval architect Wyn Davies said it is time the Government stepped in.

"There is a chance that the Medway Queen could be lost," he said. "She is a very important ship, one of the last of her kind.

"This nation's very existence, let alone her success, was built on shipping and the sea - a sea on which we are still fully dependent - a fact we are in danger of forgetting."

John Kempton, chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society, said: "We are still in negotiation with the Heritage Lottery Fund and remain hopeful.

"Ideally, we would return her to a passenger-carrying vessel as she was in the 1920s. I'm sure people would love the chance to travel on her again."
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Antipodean Andy · Feb 21, 2008

This almost sounds like the paddle steamer that Kenneth McGlashan returned to England on after crash landing on the beach - as detailed in Owen's Down to Earth.

I don't have the book with me so can't remember if the ship was named. I don't think it was but KM had fond memories of the captain, his skill in handling the vessel - judicious use of the paddle wheels on either side - while under attack etc. I wonder...

Adrian Roberts · Feb 21, 2008

I don't have the book with me so can't remember if the ship was named. I don't think it was but KM had fond memories
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If it wasn't Medway Queen it could have been Waverley - which was eventually sunk by a Stuka after several trips; the present Waverley is an exact copy launched in 1947, and is presently the world's only ocean-going Paddle-Steamer (I had a trip on her once)

Nostalgair · Mar 7, 2008

Hi All,

I just stumbled over this thread.

The paddle steamer Kenneth hitched a ride home from Dunkirk aboard was called the "Golden Eagle".

View attachment 1475

Cheers

Owen

Antipodean Andy · Mar 7, 2008

Classy looking vessel.

Golden Eagle - PortCities Southampton

Nostalgair · Mar 7, 2008

It was an interesting voyage too!

Antipodean Andy · Mar 7, 2008

Certainly was. I remain intrigued by the captain and wonder where he ended up/what he did for the rest of the war.

Kyt · Mar 7, 2008

BBC - WW2 People's War - "BIRD OF SALVATION": Dunkirk 1940

spidge · Mar 7, 2008

I like the Golden effin Angel bit in the BBC story Kyt.

Nostalgair · Mar 7, 2008

Thanks Kyt.

That's a great post and particularly significant given Kenneth's story.

Cheers

Owen

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