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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
PS
Solent Queen (ex - Queen of Thanet, ex - HMS
Melton)
Built in 1916 by W
Hamilton & Co at Port Glasgow
Engines : Compound diagonal
Dimensions : 234.9 ft x 29.1 ft
792 Gross Registered Tons
Built for the Admiralty for minesweeping duties in
World War I
Laid up after the war, then sold to breakers in 1927.
Purchased by the New Medway Steam Packet Co in 1929
Served on the Thames estuary, cruising to Essex, Kent and French
ports
Requisitioned for minesweeping in September 1939, being based at
Dover.
Took part in the Dunkirk evacuations, making four crossings.
Returned to the New Medway company for the 1947 and 1948 seasons
Sold to the Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal
Mail Steam Packet Co
Placed on the Southampton station as excursion steamer, making her
maiden voyage as PS Solent Queen on Whit Sunday, 1949.
Badly damaged by fire on June 22nd, 1951 whilst under survey and
repair at White’s yard.
Written off and placed in the hand of the insurers, the highest bid
came from Dover shipbreakers.
Left the Solent under tow to Dover on October 2nd 1951.
Return
to
New Medway
Steam Packet Co
GSN
Southampton, Isle of Wight and South
of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
Paddle Minesweepers
British Paddle Steamer
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