The Medway Queen was designed for use as a conventional estuary paddle steamer, a type seen in large numbers around the UK's coasts before and immediately after the Second World War. It was built in 1924 by the Ailsa Shipyard Company in Troon, Scotland, for the Medway Steam Packet Company for service on the Medway and Thames rivers. Its construction was based on a "very lightly built" approach, built under survey as a class VI passenger ship.rnDuring the Second World War it was converted into a minesweeper and played a major role in the Dunkirk troop evacuation. It was one of the first ships to arrive at the start of the evacuation and one of the last ships to leave. Over a period of six days and nights the Medway Queen made seven return trips rescuing a total of 7000 men. During the final trip it was severely damaged and reported as missing but eventually limped safely back to Dover on a single paddle.
展开▼
