The Magnificent Queens

Contributor:

One of the great stories of the war that had to remain untold until the end of the war in Europe is that of the ocean journeys of two of the world's largest liners, the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth. When the war clouds broke over Europe the luxury ocean liner RMS Queen Mary was outward bound from Southampton carrying a record number of 2,332 passengers. All through the autumn and winter, she would lie in the Cunard White Star pier in New York harbour in the United States, while decisions were taken at the highest level regarding her future employment.

Meanwhile the RMS Queen Elizabeth, launched by H. M. The Queen in September 1938, was being completed at Clydebank, Scotland, United Kingdom, and in normal circumstances should have joined the Queen Mary on the North Atlantic service in July, 1940. But her presence had become a source of anxiety for the British Government who recognized that she presented a sitting target for enemy bombers, thus endangering the entire shipyard, and also that her vast hull took up space which was ungently needed for other work.

In February, 1940, the Admiralty demanded that the Queen Elizabeth should leave the Clyde at the earliest possible date and remain away from the British Isles. Since the number of ports outside the United Kingdom which could accommodate the world's largest liner was limited it was decided that she should be sent to New York, which was already playing host to the Queen Mary. This would involve a 3,000 miles unescorted voyage across the Atlantic in February and March - the months most notorious for bad weather - with the ever present danger of attack by enemy warships or submarines.

On 26th February, 1940, escorted by six tugs, the Queen Elizabeth left her fitting-out basin and proceeded down the Clyde. Three days later, after completing basic sea trials, shore leave was cancelled and the crew were informed of the ship's destination. Soon after, the barely completed vessel sailed for New York, arriving safely on the 7th of March, to berth alongside Queen Mary.

For nearly a fortnight the two ships lay immobile, side by side at their berths, while fascinated New Yorkers speculated wildly as to their future. Then on 20th March, Queen Mary slipped down the Hudson and away from New York. Her work for the war effort was about to begin.

The value of big and fast transport in times of crisis was demonstrated sooner than could have been expected. At Sydney, Australia, where the Queen Mary arrived on 17th April, she was prepared for service as a troopship - This big job which was completed in the amazingly short period of fourteen days - and after embarking 5,000 Australian military personnel she departed for Great Britain. However, between her departure from Sydney and her arrival in Great Britain, France had fallen and the Empire stood alone. The Mediterranean now became the key theatre of war and therefore, on 26th June, after embarking 5,000 British troops, the Queen Mary in convoy with other transports, among them Aquitania and Mauretania, departed for the Middle East.

Meanwhile the Cunard White Star Line had been advised that Queen Elizabeth was also required for government service, and at the beginning of November she sailed from New York to Singapore where she was to be fitted out in readiness to join the Queen Mary and other transports to bring Australian and New Zealand troops to Egypt.

Both vessels left Sydney at the beginning of April, sailing together in convoy. The Queen Mary making her sixth voyage as a transport while the Queen Elizabeth was making what was, in effect, her first voyage with passengers. The Queen Mary embarked 6,000 Australian troops and the Queen Elizabeth another 5,600. Before departure they were joined by the Mauritania with 4,400 New Zealand troops (Incidentally this was.the only time during the war that Queen Mary would travel in convoy). Together these three great liners representing in their design and construction the last word in the development of passenger steamship, headed out into the Indian ocean; their valuable human cargo destined for Suez and a destiny in battle with Adolf Hitler's and Benito Mussolini's fearsome legions.

Throughout the summer of 1941 both ships carried on their trooping service without interruption. Their massive grey hulls and distinctive lines, their enormous decks thronged with khaki-clad figures, became familiar sights in Sydney and Suez, Fremantle and Trincomalee. By the end of the year they had carried over 80,000 troops, the majority of whom were reinforcements for for the Allied armies in the Middle East.

To the 800 British officers and men who comprised the crew of both Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth it was a time of incessant work and great strain. Not only were they working in torrid climatic conditions far removed from the North Atlantic weather conditions that the vessels had been designed for, but they were never free from the danger of enemy attack.

With the entry of Japan into the war, they began their long service as troop transports for American troops. The initial successes of the Japanese with their swift progress towards Singapore menaced the whole of the Far East and seriously imperiled the Australian continent which had so largely denuded itself of armed forces to serve the Allied cause in the western hemisphere. At the moment of crisis both ships were in North American waters, undergoing one of their periods of overhaul. Three days after the fall of Singapore, the Queen Mary steamed from Boston, Massachusetts, United States for Sydney with 8,200 U.S. troops. Three weeks later, also carrying 8,000 American soldiers, the Queen Elizabeth began a 7,700-mile voyage from San Francisco, California, United States to the same destination. After disembarking their passengers in Australia, the ships were ordered to return to New York to assist in the transportation of American forces to Great Britain. It was the first time since 1940 that the ships had returned to home-waters, and on their arrival welcome arrangements were made for the crewmen to take a well-earned, if somewhat brief, leave with their families.

In the early summer of 1942 the North African campaign was going badly. Erwin Rommel was striking into Egypt and reinforcements for the British 8th Army were urgently needed. Once again, in British ports, the transport ships gathered, among them the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth. From Great Britain to Suez they voyaged, by way of Freetown and Simonstown; and after reaching their destination, they were further despatched to New York, by way of Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro, to embark the first American forces ready for war service.

In the Queen Mary's record of war service, one voyage is named "the long voyage." Beginning in December 1942, it did not end until April 1943. In the intervening four months the ship visited West, South and East Africa, the British East Indies and Australia, steaming nearly 40,000 miles and burning over 56,000 tons of fuel oil. By the time she reached home waters again she had carried over 30,000 troops and the stores required for feeding this vast army reached the record figure of 3,876,600 lbs in weight.

With the completion of "the long voyage" the Queen Mary completed her first period of trooping, which had lasted over three years. Like the Queen Elizabeth, she had been based for the greater part of the time in Sydney, during which time the two ships had steamed some 339,000 miles and carried 105,000 troops. Now with their task in Eastern waters accomplished for the time being, they, together with other ships that the British Government had freely made available, these magnificent vessels took up the duty of transporting thousands of Americans to Britain in preparation for a future liberation of enemy-occupied Europe.

Stripped of their luxury fittings, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth would carry across the Atlantic in one year twice as many passengers as were normally carried in peacetime by the entire Cunard White Star Fleet. From May to September, 1943, the average number of troops ferried by each ship on every voyage exceeded 15,000, and during the winter of 1943-44, despite adverse weather conditions, the average number of troops aboard rarely fell below 12,000 for the Queen Mary and 13,000 for the Queen Elizabeth - Figures which increased with the coming of summer, and by the end of 1944 they could claim to have ferried, since their war service began, a total of 944,000 troops, of whom over 80 per cent had travelled eastwards from New York.

On the westbound run the vessels left Britain with from 2,000 to 5,000 passengers - a hybrid complement that provided the ships officials with more problems of catering and accommodation than the straightforward eastwards voyages. There might by two to three thousand prisoners of war to be berthed and fed in accordance with international requirements, plus groups of service personnel (Enlisted ranks not always being provided with the best accommodation space - one wartime photograph shows 300 soldiers, homeward bound, crowded in to a dormitory that had, in peacetime, been one of the liner's observation lounges). Sick and wounded men, sent home, were tended in a makeshift hospital that had once been the Queen Mary's beautiful ballroom. Better berths were given to ships "special passengers" - such as diplomats, business and industrial leaders who had been granted official permission to travel overseas and to the Queen Mary, in particular fell the honour of carrying across the Atlantic on three occasions Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his Chiefs of Staff. No doubt many important discussions took place on board during these voyages that would help shape the eventual course of the war.

In fact,each voyage was a considerable feat of organization and perfect co-operation between the sea transport staff of the Ministry of War Transport, the War Office, the Admiralty and the American authorities on the one hand and the ships' owners on the other. Superb teamwork by the officers, crews and permanent military staffs aboard evolved into a smooth-running machine that could absorb 15,000 men, feed and house them during the voyage, then disembark them with scarcely a pause. Then commence the whole operation once again. The amount of stores required was considerable. For just one voyage by one ship the complement would require some 76,400 lbs of flour, cereal etc.; 21,400 lbs bacon and ham; 155,000 lbs meat and poultry; 4,600 lbs cheese; 16,000 lbs jam; 29,000 lbs fresh fruit; 31,400 lbs tea, coffee, sugar; 31,400 lbs tinned fruit; 124,300 lbs potatoes; 53,600 lbs butter, eggs and milk powder.

Everything was meticulously planned with no detail too small to be ignored. Obviously, to allow 15,000 troops (corresponding to an entire army division on every trip) freedom to wander at will about the ship would be to invite chaos, and to obviate this, each ship was divided into red, white and blue zones. Before the troops began to embark each man was issued with a coloured label indicating the zone in which he would be berthed. He was required to wear it throughout the voyage, and for him any other zones were strictly out of bounds.

The troops messed in the ship's main restaurant, 2,000 sitting at each meal. Each man was issued with a coloured card indicating his meal time, which had to be rigorously observed. The preparation of over 30,000 meals a day was a colossal task for the kitchen staff who were commonly assisted by fatigue parties drawn from among the passengers. The troops themselves provided their own eating utensils and were additionally required to assist the kitchen staff by doing their own washing up in specially installed equipment. The time at sea was not spent entirely in lining up for meals. Troop accommodation had to be cleaned for daily inspection, and there were the regulation boat and other drills, which all ranks were required to attend, and to which they would be mustered by a public address system that reached into every corner of the ship. There were eagerly awaited news bulletins and impromptu entertainments and film shows arranged to accommodate all who desired to attend, and well stocked ship's canteens allowed the men to purchase anything from Coca Cola to shaving soap.

Finally, as they drew near to their destination, arrangements had to be made for the men to disembark. One of the first tasks was to issue around, 30,000 ration packs for their onward journeys. Then the men would parade on deck for an official welcome to Great Britain, after which there commenced an orderly disembarkation into the tenders that would ferry the troops across the Clyde to the trains waiting to carry the troops on to their designated base camps.

Between the Spring of 1940 and May 1945, the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth phantom-like in their grey war paint had steamed over 930,000 miles - the equivalent to 38 journeys around the world - to bring safely over the oceans some 1,250,000 fighting men of the United Nation. Britain rendered no charge on the United States for these shipping services which was a mighty contribution to Lend-Lease in reverse.

Source:
The Two "Queens" - War Service of the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth (Hutchinson's Pictorial History of the War, Vol.26, pp 389 - 392)

Last Major Update: Oct 2013

Photographs

RMS Queen Mary in the King George VI Graving Dock, Sembawang, Singapore, Aug 1940RMS Queen Mary (right), RMS Queen Elizabeth (left), and HMAS Sydney (foreground) off WilsonRMS Queen Mary at anchor, 1940sQueen Elizabeth and Vice Admiral J. A. G. Troup on the bridge of RMS Queen Mary on the River Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom, 4 Jun 1942
See all 10 photographs of The Magnificent Queens


The Magnificent Queens Interactive Map




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Tory says:
17 Dec 2013 04:18:13 AM

Why weren't British ground troops used in the Philippines, Okinawa, Iwo Jima and all those other South Pacific island battlegrounds? Is it because they were needed more in Europe? Did the British feel the US could handle it themselves?
2. Commenter identity confirmed David Stubblebine says:
17 Dec 2013 09:25:45 PM

Troy: The war in Asia and the Pacific was divided into regions with different areas falling under different commands. The Philippines, Okinawa, Iwo Jima and the other South Pacific islands were all in the American area of responsibility so US forces spearheaded all those campaigns. British forces (largely Australian) were equally busy in Burma, Malaya, and India during the same time period. Make no mistake about it, the British did their full share of heavy lifting outside of Europe.
3. simon morrissey says:
23 Nov 2015 09:34:23 AM

A friend has a silver electroplated 4 inch [?] shell base engraved 'To .... from the RN petty officers and ratings of Ship No 41171. 25th December 1944'.
He believes that this might be either the Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth when serving as troopships. Can you throw any light on this? Many thanks for any help or guidance.
4. Anonymous says:
20 Oct 2016 03:55:52 PM

A question in Trivial Pursuit refers to the Queen Elizabeth 1 as flying a Nazi flag from the main mast while entering New York harbor at the end of W.W.2. Is this true? What were the circumstances?
5. Joanne Tapiolas says:
20 Jul 2017 07:06:48 PM

My interest in the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth stem from my research into Italian Prisoners of War in Australia (italianprisonersofwar.com) Both ships during 1941 brought Italian prisoners of war from Libya and Middle East (Egypt) to Australia. No doubt this was on the back of taking Australian troops in the other direction.
6. Anonymous says:
10 Aug 2017 12:50:58 PM

I read somewhere that either the RMS Queen Elizabeth or the RMS Queen Mary during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 ferried an entire division from the United States to provide desperately needed reinforcements during the battle. Did it actually happen? or is it false?
7. Anonymous says:
7 Mar 2018 09:29:11 PM

Queen Elizabeth 1 went to Australia from a port in California with American soldiers. What year and how many times did this happen?
8. Anonymous says:
15 Apr 2018 04:45:58 AM

My Dad was stationed in England during WWII and was on the first ship back to the U.S. after the war ended. Do you know what ship that was?
9. Nicole Strickland says:
18 Apr 2018 07:12:20 PM

I am looking for sailing stories and memories of those who sailed on the RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH for an upcoming book. I just published a very similar book called "RMS Queen Mary-Voices from Her Voyages," which is on its way to being sold aboard the Queen Mary.

I figured that it will be nice to have a book like this for the Queen Elizabeth.

If you know of anyone who would like to share his or her Queen Elizabeth stories, please email me at rmsqueenmaryresearch@gmail.com

Many thanks,
Nicole
10. Lisa Robertson says:
11 May 2018 03:53:26 PM

My Grandmother was a passenger in 1942 on the Queen Elizabeth. She was married to a kiwi soldier and was evacuated from Egypt as Rommel advanced through the desert. She was pregnant and boarded with 8 other pregnant allied soldiers wives. They disembarked in South Africa for some time before completing their journeys to Australia and New Zealand. Are there any passenger lists for these journeys and does anyone know if the trip would have been all the way on the QE or would the ship have changed in South Africa. Any information would be gratefully received, thanks.
11. Norm says:
21 Nov 2018 05:03:49 PM

My dad was on the QM during that fateful day with HMS Curacao, l am looking for a site that can give me a list of crew members for that trip. Dad NEER spoke about this. It was only when l applied for his WW2 Medals that l put two and two together
12. The Susan DayAnonymous says:
24 Dec 2019 12:06:29 AM

My uncle, Lemuel Jones worked on the Queen Elizabeth throughout the war. I understand he was Chief Pursar. I would like to know more about his service. I visited his home in New Jersey in 1974. A picture of "The Queen" took pride of place and was draped in black cloth.
13. chris says:
31 Dec 2019 01:29:40 PM

Hello. I am researching on behalf of my father in law. His father served on board the Queen Elizabeth from 27/4/44 till 26/6/45. We do not have any other information other than his service number. We have tried to search using other avenues but have found that his service records are locked. His father would not talk about any of the events so information we have are from his seamans identity card book. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks Chris.
14. AnonymousRichard V. Horrell says:
29 Feb 2020 07:19:34 AM

The RMS Queen Elizabeth departed Gourock, Scotland March 2, 1940.
15. Anonymous says:
12 Mar 2020 06:50:57 PM

when the queen mary was in dry dock in Ireland after the accident were the crew there as well?
16. Aimee says:
11 Apr 2020 05:51:47 AM

Hello, my grandfather was in the 8th Army (Staffordshire) and talked of going on the QE1. I cannot remember clearly the details and, as he would be 100 this month had he still been here, I cannot ask him. I think he said that he travelled from Scotland to South Africa after the US troops had, commenting on how they’d had food from America that he’d never had before. That seems to match the account about in 1942, would I be correct?
I also think that he said that they marched from the QE1 from the docks in South Africa to Egypt. Would this all sound reasonable? He didn’t talk at length at any one time about his time in the war, more little snippets. Any insight would be lovely. Many thanks
17. Maureen Buick says:
18 May 2020 07:59:55 AM

Did either of the Queens dock in the US on July 1, 1945? I am trying to find out which ship my father arrived on after spending 22 months in a POW camp in Nazi Germany. thank you.
18. mamata pandya says:
17 Aug 2020 03:58:42 AM

My parents (Indian) went from India to USA on board a troop ship in 1945. There are some pictures of them on Queen Elizabeth.
Did the ship go via Bombay (India?)
Were there a few civilians on board that ship?
Did Queen Eliabeth also make a trip from New York to Inidia in 1947/
19. Anonymous says:
13 Oct 2020 08:42:52 AM

Looking for information on my father- William Robert Pruitt. At the time, lived in McDowell Co, WV. He inlisted in the Army.
I know he served time in the Philippines. DOB 6-20-23
I do know that he served with baseball player, Joe Garrigioly. I have a picture of their troop.
20. Michielle Ruonavaara says:
17 Dec 2020 08:19:08 AM

How can I find out if my great grandfather was aboard the rms queen Elizabeth in 1945
21. Philip Bateman says:
18 Dec 2020 06:53:17 AM

Do you have any records or photos on Oliver Bateman Staff Captain who was on the crossings during the Second World War. Please contact me if you have some. Reg Philip.
22. Ian Munro says:
1 Jan 2021 02:24:46 PM

I met my father for the 1st time 75 years ago today. He arrived at Union Station in Toronto having returned on the QE1 over Xmas. I was almost 4 and still vividly recall the excitement. I still have the Xmas menu which was a complete turkey dinner for all 15,000!
23. gwyneth Joynson nee IBLE says:
11 Jan 2021 06:34:03 AM

How can I find out if my father William George Edward Ible was on The Queen Mary during the war. He was a gunner in the Royal Navy and he said he went to New York?
24. Patrick Buckley says:
30 Jan 2021 06:05:00 PM

Reply to Gwyneth Joyson. ( 11th Jam. 2021)
If your father was an RN gunner then he could have been serving on one of the Royal Navy escort ships. If you have his service record it will tell you which ships he served on and the dates. You could then refer to of those ships on www.naval-history and see whether he served on an escort to New York.
Hope this helps.
25. Alice Koupal says:
5 Jun 2021 07:22:36 AM

How can i find out if my father was a American soldier that returned to the United states on the Queen Elizebeth in 1945
26. Charles Addington says:
5 Jul 2021 07:26:34 AM

Is there a record of the voyage of RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH from New York to Scotland in early January 1943?
27. Anonymous says:
19 Jul 2021 11:31:43 AM

Which of the Queens would have arrived in England/Scotland in Sept/Oct 1943 with 8th Airforce personnel
28. James Patton says:
4 Nov 2021 12:19:16 PM

Is there any records of the crew members who sailed from Glasgow to New York. My father sailed on the Queen Elizabeth from 24th April to 7th August 1940.Not sure how he got to New York or did he make the maiden voyage
29. Anonymous says:
30 Dec 2021 04:21:06 AM

How did all the female troops get home?
30. Stuart says:
6 Jan 2022 02:33:27 PM

Is there a list of Queen Elizabeth troopship voyages anywhere?
31. Thors_Alumni says:
9 Feb 2022 12:52:37 PM

I once read an article that one of the Queens was in America during the Battle of the Bulge and was hurriedly loaded with a full division of reinforcements for the battle as the scale of the Offensive became known. I have looked for more information into this over the years but never found another reference. It is very possible that the divison went across on another ship but I am reasonably certain that it was one of the Queens.
32. Tank Destroyer says:
20 Mar 2022 10:07:19 AM

@Stuart - I found this website somewhat helpful in identifying the troopship voyages. However, I would love to see a ship log of those soldiers returning from war.

http://ww2troopships.com/ships/q/queenmary/crossings1940.htm
33. Anonymous says:
29 Jul 2022 10:09:28 PM

Joaquin JACK Gonsalves
Caroline Gonsalves -Daughter

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The Magnificent Queens Photo Gallery
RMS Queen Mary in the King George VI Graving Dock, Sembawang, Singapore, Aug 1940
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