June 04th, 2022

Very welcome visitors to Medway Queen yesterday when Captain Horsham's daughter and her family called in.

Leonard Horsham joined the NMSPCo. in 1932, serving as First Mate on Queen of Thanet, Essex Queen and Queen of the Channel. In 1939 he was commissioned as a Lieutenant (later Commander) RNVR and served on minesweeping duties on HMS Royal Edgar and HMS Thames Queen until February 1946, when he returned to his job with GSNCo. In addition to his First Mate and Master’s exams Len became a qualified pilot for British Coastal Waters. He served with GSNCo. on freight ships in European waters and, for some time each summer as Master of the Medway Queen throughout her post-war excursion career. He died of cancer, aged 58, in Woolwich on 14th May 1969.

Medway Queen is open to visitors again today (Saturday) and tomorrow. 11am to 4pm, last admission 3pm.

Photo: Pam Bathurst with Captain Horsham's family. Martin Goodhew.
Text adapted from our members' magazine, Full Ahead, for Winter 2021