Film made for centenary of 'Heroine of Dunkirk'

The Medway Queen helped rescue British troops from Dunkirk in 1940

A documentary film has been made to mark the centenary of a ship that helped rescue thousands of troops from France in World War Two.

The Medway Queen, based in Gillingham, Kent, was built in 1924 and is undergoing a lengthy restoration process.

The ship was dubbed the "Heroine of Dunkirk" in 1940 after evacuating Allied troops.

Veteran Kent-based filmmaker Peter Williams said "this was an inspiring story of a little paddle steamer".

The Medway Queen was launched on 23 April 1924

The film had its premiere in Chatham on Wednesday.

Mr Williams said: "The Medway Queen went across seven times to France to rescue up to 7,000 men at a critical time in the history of the United Kingdom.

"If that isn't a story worth telling then I don't know what is."

The vessel originally took holidaymakers on trips around Kent before being commissioned by the Navy in 1939.

'It's pretty marvellous'

It became a nightclub in the 1960s and was left to rot in the 1970s before the restoration project began.

Pam Bathurst, from the Medway Queen Preservation Society, said: "She's a wonderful old lady. I adore her for what she did in the war."

"The film covers the story of her exploits in real time. It's pretty marvellous.

"I hope this will raise the profile of the ship, especially with the younger generation."

There will be a memorial service for the Medway Queen's 100th birthday in April.