Families of former crew members joined dignitaries and enthusiasts to commemorate the 100th anniversary of one of the most famous ships of the Second World War.

The centenary celebration at Rochester Cathedral was just one of a series of events this month marking the milestone birthday of the Medway Queen paddle steamer, hailed as the Heroine of Dunkirk.

Among the congregation was Alan Cook from Northern Ireland whose grandfather Alfred Cook was the commanding officer at the helm of the perilous voyages across the English Channel to pick up thousands of stranded allied troops.

The Medway Queen, converted into a minesweeper for the mission, became the most famous of the thousand “little ships” which made the journey in May 1940 to pick up about 300,000 military personnel as the Germans closed in on coastal ports.

It was only when Mr Cook, an architect from County Down, took his grandad’s medals for a valuation on the Antiques Roadshow television programme that the true story of his bravery was revealed.

It led to further research featured in the spin-off programme Antiques Roadshow Detectives which showed how Capt Cook helped to save 7,000 men over 10 days from the beaches in northern France.

He received a Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for his valiant efforts made just days after his appointment recorded in various wartime diaries.

Mr Cook read a tribute at Sunday’s service to his grandfather who died when he was 13.

He said: “When I first came on board, I got shivers down my spine. I was reduced to tears thinking about the immense achievement of the role she played in saving thousands of lives.

“It’s not just about my granddad , it’s about the entire crew. They are all heroes. As soon as he returned he wrote to The Admiralty requesting that they all be rewarded, even though he must have been exhausted.

“My granddad is part of our lives and I can’t wait to return with future generations of our family. And the boat is part of part of our lives.”

Capt Cook’s granddaughter Linda Stone was also at a separate reception on Tuesday.

She recalled how relatives had relayed to her tales of bravery and courage.

She said: “It’s hard to believe that a thousand people would have been on board, some of them badly injured. They would be propped up so they could see the white cliffs of Dover.”

Relatives of the men who built her at a shipyard in Troon, Scotland, also travelled down for the week of celebrations organised by the Medway Queen Preservation Society.

The vessel was so-called because she was initially built to do pleasure trips around the River Medway.

After the thanksgiving service, a reception was held on board at Gillingham Pier where she has been lovingly restored over the years.

Pam Bathurst, society vice chairwoman, said they currently had 800 members from all over the world.

She said: “The response we have had has been amazing.

“It has taken us a year to track people down. For some, who have been members for years, it was the first time they have seen her and they were so impressed with the work that has been done.

“We have had people come from Scotland and Ireland and have stayed down for a few days to join in the celebrations.”

Mrs Bathurst added: “When I first saw her she was submerged in water on the banks of the Medway and I thought ‘what on earth are we doing?’

“It’s taken us 40 years to get her to this stage, but who cares?”

She said if they can find enough funds to complete the interior they will be able to hire her out more for functions.

She said: “Once she starts generating an income, we may one day be able to afford a boiler.

“The plan has always been to get her back to sea because that’s where she belongs.”

The society is constantly seeking funds and holding fundraising events in a bid to raise an estimated £2 million for a boiler.

Yesterday (Tuesday), a reception was held for the Armed Forces with representatives from the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and Army invited.

Special guest was Lady Colgrain, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent.

A march past took place around the pier and the ship’s flag was blessed.

Last month, a documentary tracing her history was premiered at Canterbury Christ Church University at its campus in Chatham Maritime.

The hour-long film charts her construction at Troon in Scotland, her busy life as a commercial day trip vessel, a night club on the Isle of Wight and her heroic wartime service.

Kent-based filmmaker Peter Williams produced and directed the movie which is partially dramatised around first-hand evidence of who sailed on her answer rescued by her.

Over the decades the MQPS members, a band of volunteers, have successfully bid for millions of pounds for repairs with the ultimate ambition to get her up and running again.

At one point she was shipped to a dry dock in Bristol where experts spent years rebuilding her hull funded by a £1.86 million Heritage Lottery Grant.

Apprentices have also been taken on to hone in on specialist skills at the workshop next to the mooring in Pier Approach Road.