Sale web site: http://www.sheffieldrailwayana.co.uk/sale259P/index.php
Our lot: 834, listed under posters. All proceeds will be passed to MQPS via "Medway Queen - West" (formerly Reading Support Group). Our thanks to Great Central Railwayana Ltd. for all their help in this matter. Bid now, bid high! Richard Halton
Much of the information in the new document has been gleaned from back numbers of our magazine "Full Ahead" and its predecessor "Medway Queen News". Some has come from recent visitors to the ship or correspondence received and followed up. The document contains the names of those who crewed HMS Medway Queen at the time of Dunkirk but not later in the war.
A notable recent addition to our knowledge was the content of a diary kept by Jack Skinner on board HMS Medway Queen which includes the Dunkirk operation. I am pleased to report that it confirms much of what we thought we knew and adds some detail such as Lt. Cook joining as CO on 20th May 1940. We previously did not have an exact date for that. He also mentions a visit by the King on 14th March and their passage to Portsmouth for repairs after Dunkirk. Photo above: Dunkirk. Courtesy of PSPS Collection.
During the war Ryde became HMS Ryde and was used first as a minesweeper and later as an anti-aircraft vessel. In this latter role HMS Ryde took part in the D-Day invasion as part of the air defences for the Mulberry harbours.
There have been a number of schemes for preserving the vessel but it now seems unlikely that she will be saved. Therefore this is a good time to be properly documenting her history. Something that is long overdue. Richard Halton, who wrote “The Medway Queen” and “The Medway Queen Club” celebrating the Isle of Wight’s other paddle steamer nightclub, is looking for memories, anecdotes and photographs of PS Ryde or the Ryde Queen for possible publication. Any information is of interest, whether you worked on board, visited, travelled on her or just watched her steam past. Photographs of her at any stage in her career would be very welcome, especially photographs taken on board. If you can help this research in any way, relevant to any stage in the ship’s history, please get in touch with Richard by email on richardhalton1502@gmail.com . Loaned material will be treated carefully and returned promptly after copying. To safeguard the material for the future, copies will also be passed to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for their own archives unless you request otherwise. Richard Halton February 2019
As a result we are over halfway to the amount needed for electrical and safety work on the upper aft saloon and the campaign continues. Local press, radio, our society members, the website and KMTV have all contributed to the fundraising drive and generated fantastic results. Please don't stop now!
|
Archives
April 2019
|
RSS Feed
|
Medway Queen Preservation Society
Gillingham Pier Pier Approach Road Gillingham, Kent ME7 1RX Tel: 44 (0) 1634 575717 |
|
New Medway Steam Packet Company Ltd Registered Company No. 2100358 Charity No. 296236