RMS Queen Mary
"Excuse me Captain, what time does this place arrive in New York?"
For very good reason, the most famous ship ever, and also one of the most successful. A Blue-Riband holder, a WW2 troopship and an after-life as a hotel.
For very good reason, the most famous ship ever, and also one of the most successful. A Blue-Riband holder, a WW2 troopship and an after-life as a hotel.
Introduction
The Grey Ghost - The Queen Mary During WW2Faster, more stylish and far more luxurious than her 2004 successor, the Queen Mary was completed in 1936 by the famous John Brown shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland she was designed to provide a fast Atlantic crossing together with her sister, the Queen Elizabeth.
Fastest ship in her day and the holder of the Blue Riband for many years. She hundreds of thousands of troops to and from the front lines during WW2 and as many as 17,000 on one trip! The D-Day declaration was signed on board what Sir Winston considered to be his HQ at sea and later commented that she had shortened the war by as much as 2 years. She became known as the "Grey Ghost" because of her grey war-time colour scheme and the inability of the enemy to find her. Look closely at the photo above and you'll see the "degaussing strip" - fitted during wartime to provide the hull with a negative charge so that mines could not stick.
The Grey Ghost - The Queen Mary During WW2Faster, more stylish and far more luxurious than her 2004 successor, the Queen Mary was completed in 1936 by the famous John Brown shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland she was designed to provide a fast Atlantic crossing together with her sister, the Queen Elizabeth.
Fastest ship in her day and the holder of the Blue Riband for many years. She hundreds of thousands of troops to and from the front lines during WW2 and as many as 17,000 on one trip! The D-Day declaration was signed on board what Sir Winston considered to be his HQ at sea and later commented that she had shortened the war by as much as 2 years. She became known as the "Grey Ghost" because of her grey war-time colour scheme and the inability of the enemy to find her. Look closely at the photo above and you'll see the "degaussing strip" - fitted during wartime to provide the hull with a negative charge so that mines could not stick.
My grandfather's Invitation to the launch of "S.S. No 534"
I was astonished to find this in my Mum's loft. It was in its original envelope addressed to my Grandfather.
I was astonished to find this in my Mum's loft. It was in its original envelope addressed to my Grandfather.
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63 years later, I visited Queen Mary in Long Beach, making a personal dream come true
I was finally able to fulfil my lifelong dream of visiting the Queen Mary on the 9th of December 1997.
Here are thumbnails of some of the photographs I took, click on them for a full-size image.
Here are thumbnails of some of the photographs I took, click on them for a full-size image.
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I want to take this opportunity to thank Long Beach California for buying and preserving the Queen Mary in 1967 and for keeping her open to the public. If that hadn't happened I would not have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being on board the Clyde-built Queen Mary. I spent an amazing day on and around her on the 9th of December 1997.
It does seem that some horrible mistakes have been made by her management in the past and the present - notably the decision to remove everything below 'R' deck - but I hope that she will be preserved for generations in the future to visit.
It does seem that some horrible mistakes have been made by her management in the past and the present - notably the decision to remove everything below 'R' deck - but I hope that she will be preserved for generations in the future to visit.
RMS Queen Mary Videos
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RMS Queen Mary Internet Links
- RMS Queen Mary on Elettra
- A site thats been on the go as long as mine, "The Queen Mary, A World-Class Maritime Landmark and a Community Asset.
- Cunard Queens - RMS Queen Mary
- Dave Lee's Queen Mary Photo Page
- "Sailing Day" - marvellous story of a young Scot going to work in the Queen Mary's engine rooms for the first time.
- The Queen Mary Enthusiasts Web Page - this is what got me interested in Queen Mary's fate in the 90s.
- The Queen Mary - Official Page.
- OceanLiners.com - Queen Mary
- SS Maritime Queen Mary
- RMS Queen Mary Association