Dunkirk Diary.

More from Jack Skinner. Jack kept a diary throughout the Dunkirk Evacuation, strictly against the rules but not giving away much detail. Typically understated for its time.

You can read more from the diary and other accounts by officers, crew and troops rescued by our ship in "HMS Medway Queen – Memories of Dunkirk”, available direct from the author or from the Medway Queen Visitor Centre.

Private Collection

Remember, Saturday is part of Heritage Open Days and ship tours are free of charge.

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A souvenir from the isle of Wight in the 1970s depicting the Medway Queen Club on one side and the Ryde Queen Boatel on the other.

Medway Queen served as a club/restaurant/disco on the Isle of Wight from 1966 to 1974.
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PSPS Collection

Lower picture a direction sign from Mill Lane showing the way to the club.

Private Collection

Heritage Open Days sequence; day 5 already and half way through.

Another brilliant souvenir. Duncan Harper travelled on Medway Queen at the age of 14. He drew this picture whilst on board and persuaded the ship’s officers to autograph it.

Private collection

"The Chocolate Boy"

What a Job Description! The Chocolate Boy was obviously a summer season job and the chances are that the individual changed every year. His job was to prowl the decks making sure that everyone had a plentiful supply of chocolate and ice cream at a price that would sound cheap to us now but may not have been quite such a bargain at that time. According to log book notes the ship was working a daily service between Chatham/Southend/Herne Bay/Margate.

Mr. Hayden Parker wrote in some years ago enquiring about his Grandfather who was The Chocolate Boy in 1935 and we found him listed for that year. The photo dates from a few years later.
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Private Collection

On Monday 15th June 1953 Medway Queen was part of the Spithead Coronation Review and carried a party organised by the Young Women’s Christian Association. They travelled from London Waterloo (platform 10), behind Lord Nelson class locomotive 30856 Lord St. Vincent, at 7am, bound for Southampton Old Docks, Medway Queen’s passengers arrived at berth 47, opposite the famous Ocean Terminal building, at 8.36am with the vessel timed to depart at 8.55am;

Image PSPS Collection

​You can read the full story of the day in “The Medway Queen”, available on line or from the Medway Queen Visitor Centre. The account was adapted from "Southern Way 15" (July 2011) and depended on information supplied by Bob Ratcliffe who was on the “Medway Queen” train, Brian Goodhew who was working on the ship on that day and Cmdr Alistair Wilson RN Retd who was a Midshipman commanding an Admiral’s barge at the event.