In late 1968, Queen Elizabeth was sold to the Elizabeth Corporation, with 15% of the company controlled by a group of Philadelphia businessmen and 85% retained by Cunard. One major factor that limited the ship's departure date was that there were only two spring tides that year that would see the water level high enough for Queen Elizabeth to leave the Clydebank shipyard,[15] and German intelligence were aware of this fact. Top to bottom: the MAURETANIA, the NORMANDIE, the QUEEN MARY. The Elizabeth sailed at 8.pm. The QUEEN ELIZABETH was not successful as a cruise ship. BT 387 is arranged by ranges of ships names therefore you will need to browse the series. Some two thirds of Cunard's passengers crossed the Atlantic on holiday: hence the company's slogan 'Getting there is half the fun'. During this time, and for a while after, she was under American control through a lend-lease agreement. Three years later it was announced that the QUEEN ELIZABETH would return to the Clyde in December 1965 for extensive improvements by her builders, John Brown & Company. The new ship was constructed on No.4 slipway by using 5-ton derrick cranes and a 10-ton tower crane. Both Queen Elizabeth and Churchill sent messages of congratulation to Captain Townley. In the entrance channel to the harbour at Port Everglades a second boiler blew and the SEAWISE UNIVERSITY now had just four boilers functioning out of a possible twelve. For the first time in several years the QUEEN ELIZABETH began to show a profit. The view from the top of the shipyard crane of the. 1947-02-13 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1947-05-24 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1947-09-11 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1948-05-14 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1948-06-24 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1948-10-31 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1949-05-06 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1949-08-27 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1949-10-14 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1950-11-16 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1952-05-07 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1952-06-18 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1953-06-11 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1954-08-26 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List, 1954-12-23 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List. Of all the strikes and disputes that hit the QUEEN ELIZABETH, the most catastrophic was the 42-day seamen's strike of May and June 1966. [15] Over forty years ago, in 1972, the world's largest liner, the RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, was lying on her side in Hong Kong harbour, a burnt-out hulk. It was not until 1926 that Cunard began thinking about the replacements for the express steamers. WebRMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger Lists 1947-1954 RMS Queen Elizabeth, World's Largest Liner. Engines were checked and boilers tested, but only six of the twelve boilers were considered functional for the long passage. Flt.Lt. This had been included on the, The QUEEN ELIZABETH's bow, unlike that of the, As a triumphant fanfare to the launch of the QUEEN ELIZABETH, the. It was on 3rd February 1971 that the first engine trials were carried out and sailing day was set for Wedmesday 10th February. Cherbourg was chosen as the French port for the new ships as it had deeper water and a larger harbour than Le Havre. A major problem to be settled concerned the insurance of the liner while she was being built, together with the future full sea risks when she was operational. As a triumphant fanfare to the launch of the QUEEN ELIZABETH, the Mary captured the Blue Ribandin August 1938 with a speed of 31.69 knots, a record that would stand for fourteen years. The outcome was the Cunard (Insurance) Act, passed in December 1930. WebSearch and download () lists of passengers boarding at UK and Irish ports and travelling to places such as America, Canada, India, New Zealand and Australia between 1890 and 1960 (BT 27) on the findmypast.co.uk website and also on the Ancestry.co.uk website. At around this time the Queen's microphone failed but with great presence of mind, Her Majesty quietly and almost unheard by those around her said: "I name this ship QUEEN ELIZABETH and wish success to all who sail in her." [32], After the fire, Tung had one of the liner's anchors and the metal letters "Q" and "E" from the name on the bow placed in front of the office building at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California, which had been intended as the headquarters of the Seawise University venture;[33][34] they later went on display with commemorative plaques in the lobby of Wall Street Plaza, 88 Pine Street, New York City. The forms had to be filed within 30 days of the end of June or December. WebThe Cunard - White Star Liner QUEEN ELIZABETH 1938 - 1972 LIVERPOOL SHIPS ACCRA OF 1947 ELDER DEMPSTER LINES AUREOL ELDER DEMPSTER LINES BRITANNIC and GEORGIC CUNARD WHITE STAR CARINTHIA CUNARD LINE EMPRESS OF BRITAIN CANADIAN PACIFIC EMPRESS OF CANADA LOSS BY FIRE Just after midnight on 25th September 1967 the two, The QUEEN MARY found a buyerin the form of the City of Long Beach, California and she left Southampton on 31st October 1967 carrying 1,000 passengers on what was billed as 'The Last Great Cruise', involving a passage around Cape Horn. [6] The two liners were replaced with the new, more economical Queen Elizabeth 2. to the Ambrose Channel Light Vessel off New York at 27.91 knots. For just fourteen days between 7th and 21st March 1940, the world's three, largest liners were together at New York. On 6th March 1946, when the QUEEN ELIZABETH arrived back in Southampton, the Ministry of War Transport announced that the ship would be the first ocean-going passenger steamer to be released from His Majesty's Government service. In addition, the following types of lists were introduced used between 1835 until 1856: Agreements for Foreign Going or Foreign Trade ships (Schedule A) There are a small number of log books in BT 98 and BT 99. The two-funnelled MAURETANIA and the, SYLVANIA are berthed at Pier 92. Two masts and two funnels. From the mid 1940s until the mid 1950s both the 'Queens' were given a short summer overhaul at Southampton. The extent of original materials at the GG Archives can be very beneficial when researching your family's migration from Europe. These essentially distinguished between ships sailing in waters around Britain (home) and those sailing further afield (foreign). The first-class restaurant on the QUEEN ELIZABETH. The keel, boilers and engines remained at the bottom of the harbour, and the area was marked as "Foul" on local sea charts, warning ships not to try to anchor there. The river was also widened in places, especially at Dalmuir where the QUEEN MARY had grounded for many anxious seconds as she proceeded to the Tail of the Bank. On her next voyage, the week before the maiden voyage of the UNITED STATES, the QUEEN ELIZABETH averaged 31.09 knots for one day's run. Built at the famed John Brown Shipyard in Clydebank, Queen Elizabeth was the largest passenger ship ever constructed, a title she held from her launch until 1996 when finally eclipsed Recently introduced legislation by the International Maritime Commission also influenced the board's decision. Following the First World War, Germany was building up her passenger fleet from 'scratch' in an era of new developments. In 1959, the ship made an appearance in the British satirical comedy film The Mouse That Roared, starring Peter Sellers and Jean Seberg. A model of the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth has sat serenely for the last 15 years, gliding along on its pedestal in a PEM gallery. Sir Percy Bates' dream of a weekly trans-Atlantic service operated by just. Cunard White Star Tourist Class, January 1949. WebAll surviving agreements and crew lists with their logbooks are held by The National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU. There were four fins, two on either side of the ship. This argument was buttressed by the statement that the British Government charged the United States for transporting American troops in the QUEEN MARY and the QUEEN ELIZABETH. Mildenhall Wilfred Charles. Work on the QUEEN ELIZABETH proceeded rapidly and by February 1937 Colvilles were supplying steel to Clydebank for this ship at the rate of 500 tons a week. WebScenes on the main podium prior the launching, the two Princesses are notable, especially Princess Elizabeth , our future Queen! A year later, in January 1973, the old QUEEN ELIZABETH still lay in the harbour at Hong Kong, a burnt out hulk lying on her starboard side. [9], Queen Elizabeth sat at the fitting-out dock at the shipyard in her Cunard colours until 2 November 1939, when the Ministry of Shipping issued special licences to declare her seaworthy. In all, 2,228 passengers had booked passage on the QUEEN ELIZABETH's maiden voyage. Over a two-hour period engine revolutions were increased from 100 (17 knots) to 154 (26 knots). The QUEEN ELIZABETH making her final arrival at Southampton at the. The contract was signed on 6th October 1936 and the keel of ship number 552 was laid on 4th December. Coincidentally, just one week later, the EMPRESS OF CANADA was burnt out in Gladstone Dock at Liverpool. It was agreed that the QUEEN ELIZABETH should spend twelve weeks on the Clyde (at her old wartime anchorage) plus ten weeks at Berth 101 in Southampton and in the King George V dry dock. Suggestions ranged from laying up the Elizabeth in a sheltered Scottish loch to selling her to the Americans. Barry Claud Barrington. The tender ROMSEY which had brought the officials out to the stricken ship made a solo attempt at pulling the liner off the mud, but the towline parted under the unequal strain. Many of the QUEEN ELIZABETH's fittings had been placed ashore in New York, Sydney and Singapore when she was converted into a troopship and all these globally scattered items had to be returned to Southampton for refurbishment, assembly, sorting and fitting. CPO. Tung, the head of the Orient Overseas Line, intended to convert the vessel into a university for the World Campus Afloat program (later reformed and renamed as Semester at Sea). Shuttle'. He presented the ship with a plaque from the Department of Defense to commemorate the liner's remarkable war service. It was out of the question for the. For the purpose of this list, they have been included as Cunard ships. Over the next three days the ship took on eighteen of her twenty-six lifeboats. Boat drill was carried out on departure from New York. Some two thirds of Cunard's passengers crossed the Atlantic on holiday: hence the company's slogan, In September 1959 an announcement was made to the effect that an independent committee of three, headed by Lord Chandos, had been set up to examine the Cunard Company's proposals for replacing the ', The year 1960 proved to be another good one for Cunard. Try search terms such as ship register or registrar general shipping and seamen. Like a Greek tragedy the tale of woe gathered force. The QUEEN ELIZABETH had a heavily raked bow. Steam turbines. [21] Queen Elizabeth's engines were capable of driving her to speeds of over 32 knots. As the moment arrived for the launch, the QUEEN ELIZABETH was delicately balanced on her slipway and for many hours previously, because of the removal of most of the supporting timbers, an almost imperceptible movement had already taken place. In 1928 the Germans launched the BREMEN and the EUROPA. Sir Percy Bates told the Southern Railway that it was a question of. research. By using this site, you accept the use of cookies on your device. In 1951 the 'Queens' sailed from Southampton every 15 or 17 days, but the 1952 schedules show each liner sailing everyfourteen days, enabling fifteen round voyages to be made between May and October compared with just eleven in 1951. The QUEEN ELIZABETH dominates a cricket match during. The National Maritime Museum holds 10% of agreements and crew lists for 1951-1976. The Directors decided that work must stop on No.534 - the QUEEN MARY - at noon on Friday 11th December 1931. So much for the cynics who, in the early days of the war, had prophesied that the Queens would lie uselessly alongside their safe pier in New York for the duration of the war! For a short time the Queen Elizabeth, now under the command of Commodore Geoffrey Trippleton Marr attempted a dual role in order to become more profitable; when not plying her usual transatlantic route, which she now alternated in her sailings with the French Line's SS France, the ship cruised between New York and Nassau. Information on the holdings of The National Archives are decribed in The National Archives' Merchant Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists after 1861. It was eventually decided to send the QUEEN ELIZABETH to Canada for drydocking at Esquimalt. Two thousand men were ferried out daily to work on the SEAWISE UNIVERSITY as she lay at anchor off Hong Kong. The two ships' real potential had yet to be appreciated. However, the launching ceremony, which was being broadcast to the nation by radio, did not go without incident. It was Chamberlain's firm belief that the British Government should guarantee a building loan to the Cunard Company on the condition that the two companies merged into one united front against the foreign competition. The Philadelphia businessmen still held a small interest in the new company and would lease the ship from Cunard for $2 million a year. The QUEEN ELIZABETH leaving the fitting-out berth at John Brown's. Chesney Henry. [10] Supposedly, the liner started to slide into the water before the Queen could officially launch her, and acting sharply, she managed to smash a bottle of Australian red over the liner's bow just before it slid out of reach. Digitized Passenger ListsOceanic to Ryndam. pp. Sanders Samuel Donald . Click onBT 98to search by date and name of British port where the ship was registered. If oil were adopted as the best type of fuel, Cunard would always have to bear in mind the possibility of oil shortages, and back in 1926 it had been seriously suggested that the new ships might be generally arranged so that in the case of such an emergency arising it would be possible to convert them to coal burning. The prospect to Cunard was just too daunting, and contributed greatly to the decision to dispose of the QUEEN ELIZABETH. She was there to launch the second of Cunard's superliners - the QUEEN ELIZABETH. The maiden voyage had been arranged to depart from Southampton on 16th October 1946. Promptly at 2.pm the liner pulled away from the quayside. Originally vetoing the idea of allowing her portrait to be hung in the ship when the liner was launched, Queen Elizabeth had now relented. The QUEEN ELIZABETH's bow, unlike that of the Mary, was heavily raked. However, because of the prestigious nature of the, On 14th April 1947 the QUEEN ELIZABETH was homeward bound and after leaving Cherbourg encountered thick fog in the Channel. The distance to be covered in a year would be about 145,000 nautical miles. This enabled a third anchor, the bower, to be carried allowing the anchr to fall well clear of the stem. Before 1747 no systematic records of the crew of merchant ships were kept. L.Sea. The small vessel's skipper hoisted a flag signal: "What ship is that?" Within each box the lists are randomly arranged. in the Firth of Clyde, the U.K. terminal port for the G.I. This meant that the crew had to re-sign on foreign-going Articles. WW2 Service: Throughout World War II she served as a very valuable troopship, completing the long period of duty in March 1946. 83,673 Gross Tons -- 2,314 Passengers. During her 1953 overhaul, two fires broke out on board the QUEEN ELIZABETH in dry dock. To identify records held in local archives, searchour catalogueand refine your results using the filters. This shipping empire was owned by a Mr C.Y. Following this ultimatum the Southern Railway decided to go ahead with the construction of a dry dock 1,200 feet in length, 135 feet wide and 48 feet deep, with a wide area outside the entrance for the ship to swing. The value of '534' for insurance purposes during building was fixed at the full price payable by Cunard, namely 4 million. The Verandah Grill on the QUEEN ELIZABETH -, exclusively for the use of first-class passengers. In mid Atlantic on 6th June she steamed 700 miles at an average of 30.43 knots, her fastest day's run since entering passenger service after the war. The Mercantile Marine Act of 1850 required masters to keep a ships Official Log to record events on board including: Logs were deposited after each foreign voyage, or half-yearly for home trade ships. and the QUEEN ELIZABETH together at New York on 10th March 1940. after a visit to the Liverpool Cruise Terminal. The QUEEN MARY photographed in mid-Atlantic. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence The passenger carrying business was now losing money: 1.9 million in 1962, 1.6 million in 1963 and 3 million in 1965. Her master, Captain Ford, had attempted to avert the incident by ordering 'half-astern' on the starboard engines, but it was too late. The first hint of competition from the airlines came in October 1951 and this resulted in speeding up the turn-round of the 'Queens' in 1952. She remained there until 11th March 1966 undergoing the 1.75 million refit and returned to Southampton with about 400 workmen on board who were completing the modernisation of cabins. Winter cruises from New York to the West Indies were poorly patronised and one was cancelled and replaced with an unscheduled Atlantic crossing. and acceptance trials over the Arran Mile, in the Firth of Clyde. The U.704, under the command of Kapitan Horst Kessler, was wallowing in a Force 8 gale off the west coast of Ireland before returning south to its base in France. There was great complacency in the Cunard boardroom: people would always prefer to cross the ocean by liner, and preferably by Cunard ! The Clydebank yard was awarded the contract with a tender of 4,293,000. WebThe eight ships which were passed into the ownership of the new concern were - ALPS, ANDES, BRITISH QUEEN, DAMASCUS, LEBANON, KARNAK, TENERIFFE and TAURUS. There was still thick fog in Southampton Water and the QUEEN ELIZABETH returned to Cowes Roads to anchor overnight. A signal for assistance was sent and - within the hour - the company, port and salvage officials were on board and in conference with Captain Ford. On 5th April 1968 Cunard announced its decision. The first stop was at Trinidad where she rendezvoused with a tanker five miles off Port of Spain. After disembarking the U.S. troops at Sydney on 6th April 1942, the QUEEN ELIZABETH remained in port for thirteen days before sailing for Fremantle on 19th April. The Company injected $1 million into a new company called 'The Elizabeth (Cunard) Corporation' and held an 85% share. Search inBT 387for agreements and crew lists of allied foreign ships requisitioned or chartered by the British government in the Second World War. Cunard White Star Tourist Class, January 1949. Towards the end of 1940 additional seamen arrived on board the QUEEN ELIZABETH, having travelled from Halifax, N.S. Despite the effectiveness of the new stabilisers to minimise rolling, nothing could be done to reduce the pitching. Sir James Bisset was in command of the QUEEN ELIZABETH for many of these 'shuttle' voyages. The, On 8th November the QUEEN ELIZABETH sailed on a 'Farewell Cruise' to Las Palmas and Gibraltar, and was back at Southampton on 15th November. Flt.Lt. Shuttle voyage from Southampton, Commodore James Bisset had the, On 6th March 1946, when the QUEEN ELIZABETH arrived back in Southampton, the Ministry of War Transport announced that the ship would be the first ocean-going passenger steamer to be released from His Majesty's Government service. However, U.S. legislators had another surprise up their sleeve. This website uses cookies to improve functionality. [19] After 1942, the two Queens were relocated to the North Atlantic for the transportation of American troops to Europe. Typical winter conditions in the North Atlantic. sails up the Hudson (the North River) to her berth at Pier 90. !!! Chamberlain was also convinced of the tremendous importance from a prestige point of view of new large British ships steaming into New York harbour. The vessel was sold to Queen Ltd of Port Everglades on 19 July 1969. After Esquimalt the QUEEN ELIZABETH sailed for San Francisco, and, on arrival, briefly ran aground near the Golden Gate Bridge. her summer overhaul in the King George V dry dock. Bdmn. And so, on 24th June 1945, the QUEEN ELIZABETH left Gourock with her first load of returning G.I.s. Crew lists for ships on foreign voyages (Schedule C) Since the Registry General of Shipping and seamen regulations covered only British seamen, details of engagement, such as length of engagement, could be different, allowing a lascar seaman to be contracted for a period longer than one voyage and sometimes for several years. Seaman Lornie Peter Barnard. She also has the distinction of being the largest-ever riveted ship by gross tonnage. Because of the world depression, construction work had not gone very far before it was suspended.. On a particularly rough crossing in April 1955, during which there were gusts of wind to 70mph and a heavy swell of up to 50 feet, nearly 100 passengers and members of the QUEEN ELIZABETH's crew were hurt. The Elizabeth's final round voyage to New York left Southampton on 23rd October 1968. Only a little fuel remained after the transatlantic crossing, but a barge moved alongside to take it off as necessary. Tung and contained much well looked after second hand tonnage within its fleet. The certificate would then be given back to the seaman which is why they can be found in the personal collections of an individual or their family. In May 1962 the Cunard Line announced that, for the first time ever, the QUEEN ELIZABETH would be going cruising. Cabins designed for two passengers were equipped with. They became an establishment, a familiar sight to those who saw them arriving and departing, and a way of life to the crew who sailed them. The QUEEN MARY was berthed on the south side of Pier 90, and on the north side of Pier 88 lay the French Line's NORMANDIE. A barrier was then constructed around the hull to shut her off from the river and to prevent the Clyde-borne silt building up around and under the hull. At the Cunard Steamship Company's Annual General Meeting held on 28th May 1959, the Chairman Colonel Denis Bates speculated on how the world would be travelling in the future. The continuing popularity of the 'Queens' was shown by the fact that they carried 110,800 passengers between them in 1960. WebThe Cunard - White Star Liner QUEEN ELIZABETH 1938 - 1972 LIVERPOOL SHIPS ACCRA OF 1947 ELDER DEMPSTER LINES AUREOL ELDER DEMPSTER LINES BRITANNIC and GEORGIC CUNARD WHITE STAR CARINTHIA CUNARD LINE EMPRESS OF BRITAIN CANADIAN PACIFIC EMPRESS OF CANADA LOSS BY FIRE The QUEEN ELIZABETH at anchor off Nassau, Bahamas. To a post-war Britain she was to become what the, The QUEEN ELIZABETH left Southampton on 30th March 1946 and arrived and anchored off Greenock the following day. So it was clear that the ships must be fast, strongly built to face North Atlantic weather, and have a sufficient reserve of power to make up any time lost through bad weather. I joined the Cunard Line in March 1962 as an Assistant Purser and sailed on the QUEEN ELIZABETH throughout that year, before transferring to the Liverpool-based CARINTHIA in November, where I remained as Crew Purser for the next five years. Use the search box contained in BT 98 to search by date and name of ships port of registry. [9] During the trials, Queen Elizabeth took the wheel for a brief time, and the two young princesses recorded the two measured runs with stopwatches that they had been given for the occasion. When considering the comfort of those on board, Cunard had decided against the installation of stabilisers. A large amount of tropical growth that was fouling the liner's bottom plates needed to be removed: it was estimated that the growth reduced her speed by two knots or more. Some of the publications below may be available to buy fromThe National Archives bookshop. For the purpose of this list, they have been included as Cunard ships. This, it is stated, is the largest number carried in any transatlantic ship during the year and gives an average of 1,593 passengers in each sailing. Gregg William. It was proposed that the Cunard Steamship Company and the Oceanic Steamship Company (the White Star Line) would both sell their North Atlantic fleets and assets, including '534', to a new company to be called Cunard - White Star Limited. Built by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. In May 1936 tenders were opened from John Brown, Cammell Laird, Vickers Armstrong and Swan Hunter. [16] As passenger numbers declined, the liners became uneconomic to operate in the face of rising fuel and labour costs. TheNational Records of Scotlandholds agreements and crew lists under the reference BT 3, covering 1867-1913, for Scottish ships only. On Sunday 9th January 1972, three fires started simultaneously on board. The ships would have to run without repairs for eleven months of the year. Years indicate year of entry into Cunard service. The ship's company was brought up to 465 and at 3.30pm on 13th November 1940 the Elizabeth, heavily laden with fuel and water, slipped away from New York and headed south. Muster rolls for this period did not usually record the names of the whole crew but did provide: However, some lists, appearing randomly during this period, also show: There would have been calculation tables but none of these are thought to survive. From 1845 onwards the following lists were being used: Schedules C, D and A, B, G. WebThe RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by Cunard Line. Day it fell to the Queens to transport back to the United States many of the hundreds of thousands of the G.I.s they had brought to Europe, and, in the case of the QUEEN MARY, to transport 25,000 American servicemen's 'War Brides' and their children to their new home country. In an lighter vein, it should not be forgotten that it was a G.I. Ships did not have an official number before 1855. As a result only twelve boilers were needed for the QUEEN ELIZABETH, rather than the twenty-four in the, Another obvious difference between the two ships was the lack of a forward well deck on the new QUEEN ELIZABETH. Before the ship had even left her berth, one of the six operational boilers developed leaks in its tubes and was declared inoperable.