Home > Ocean Liners > Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth
For many years the largest ship in the world and, some have argued that she's "the ultimate ship". She certainly had a fascinating life, right from the word go...
RMS Queen Elizabeth in her peacetime colours.
The Queen Elizabeth was designed to provide a fast, regular, luxurious transatlantic crossing with her sister ship the Queen Mary. Despite looking similar to Queen Mary, she was far more modern and was not as heavily art-deco inside as the Queen Mary.
When she was completed, World War 2 had already started. She was painted grey and her maiden voyage was cancelled.
When she was completed, World War 2 had already started. She was painted grey and her maiden voyage was cancelled.
RMS Queen Elizabeth in her wartime "grey ghost" colours.
Sitting in the Clyde she was at great risk from German bombers and also an inconvenience since her berth was urgently needed for the construction of warships.
In complete secrecy she set sail for New York at full speed, without any sea trials and with most of her launch gear still attached to her hull. Even the captain did not know the destination for his new ship until he opened the sealed envelope he had been given. She arrived in New York 4 days later. She sat there from March to November of 1940 then sailed to Singapore to be fitted out as a troopship.
Video of the Queen Elizabeth arriving in New York in 1945 with 15,000 troops on board
In complete secrecy she set sail for New York at full speed, without any sea trials and with most of her launch gear still attached to her hull. Even the captain did not know the destination for his new ship until he opened the sealed envelope he had been given. She arrived in New York 4 days later. She sat there from March to November of 1940 then sailed to Singapore to be fitted out as a troopship.
Video of the Queen Elizabeth arriving in New York in 1945 with 15,000 troops on board
When the war was over, the Queens had carried over a million troops, many of which had then to be taken home - often along with their new brides! The Queen Elizabeth finally was completed with her luxury fittings and entered scheduled service with Cunard for the first time in March 1946, 6 years after her first secret trip to New York. During the war she had carried over 750,000 troops and travelled 500,000 miles.
Together with the Queen Mary she gave 20 years service after world war two and were incredibly successful and profitable, validating the vision of her creaters in the early 1930s of two big ships providing a weekly 'transatlantic ferry' service in complete luxury.
Together with the Queen Mary she gave 20 years service after world war two and were incredibly successful and profitable, validating the vision of her creaters in the early 1930s of two big ships providing a weekly 'transatlantic ferry' service in complete luxury.
She was decommissioned along with the Queen Mary when the competition from Air-travel became too fierce. After an unsuccessful spell in Florida, she was eventually bought by a Hong Kong shipping magnate, C.Y.Tung, who intended to turn her into a floating University - the Seawise University. He completed huge renovations on the ship in Hong Kong Harbour which included completely restoring all her boilers, to give her back her very high speeds. Sadly, though, an arsenist had other ideas and a fire started on the 9th of January 1972 in multiple parts of the ship simultaneously. With fire doors open, sprinklers deactivated, and hull "shell" doors open near the waterline, she was doomed...
Eventually she rolled onto her side in Hong Kong Harbour where she continued to burn for over a week.
The best Queen Elizabeth Internet Resources
John Hudson's Photos of Queen Elizabeth, now called Seawise University, on fire in Hong Kong Harbour. These are the only colour photos I've seen.
Clive Harvey's superb Queen Elizabeth book "The Ultimate Ship"
Ringo Varisco's amazing Queen Elizabeth book
British Pathé videos - Queen Elizabeth Leaves (1946), Queen Elizabeth Sails Again (1946) - trials on the River Clyde and back in peacetime colours, Royal Mail Ship Queen Elizabeth docks at night (1948), - Lots more videos here.
Cunard Queens - RMS Queen Elizabeth, "The Forgotten Queen".
RMSQueenElizabeth.com
Queen Elizabeth Historical Society
Clive Harvey's superb Queen Elizabeth book "The Ultimate Ship"
Ringo Varisco's amazing Queen Elizabeth book
British Pathé videos - Queen Elizabeth Leaves (1946), Queen Elizabeth Sails Again (1946) - trials on the River Clyde and back in peacetime colours, Royal Mail Ship Queen Elizabeth docks at night (1948), - Lots more videos here.
Cunard Queens - RMS Queen Elizabeth, "The Forgotten Queen".
RMSQueenElizabeth.com
Queen Elizabeth Historical Society