[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1470-E1471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 THE QUEEN MARY: FROM MAJESTIC PASSENGER LINER TO GALLANT TROOPSHIP OF 
                          THE SECOND WORLD WAR

                                 ______


                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 1995
  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, as the our Nation honors those whose 
sacrifices and dedication brought an end to the Second World War, we 
must also include the Queen Mary. Just as devoted as those who carried 
rifles in combat or wore riveters' masks on the home front, the Queen 
Mary sailed above and beyond the call of duty with her wartime 
assignment. Her combat troopship uniform of camouflage gray paint may 
have temporarily hidden her normally glamorous fittings, but she--
because those who toiled above and below her decks--had a heart and 
soul that showed through that dull exterior and served as a beacon of 
hope and inspiration in those dark days.
  It is a privilege to join with those who are honoring the Queen Mary 
for her wartime service. I have included a detailed history of her 
wartime activities in the Congressional Record so that generations to 
come may know of her contributions in the fight to preserve freedom. 
May she continue to serve an inspiration to us all.
 The Queen Mary: From Majestic Passenger Liner to Gallant Troopship of 
                          the Second World War


                    the launching of the queen mary

       In May of 1930, Britain's Cunard Steamship Company awarded 
     John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland, the task of 
     constructing what was being hailed as the ``ultimate ship.'' 
     Less than a year later, production was stopped due to 
     Cunard's financial hardships. With the help of the British 
     Government and some creative financing, John Brown and 
     Company was able to continue production on the Cunard ship, 
     and the Royal Mail Steamer, christened the Queen Mary, was 
     launched at Clydebank on September 26, 1934.
       It would be another 18 months before she would make her 
     first transatlantic voyage. During that period workers 
     labored night and day to install engines, fittings and the 
     furnishings that would ensure the Queen Mary's reign as the 
     world's ultimate passenger liner. When the ship set out on 
     her maiden voyage from Southampton on May 27, 1936, she was a 
     floating resort boasting five dining areas and lounges, two 
     cocktail bars and swimming pools, a grand ballroom, a squash 
     court and a small, but well equipped hospital. She carried 
     some of the world's most rich and famous passengers, from the 
     Duke and Duchess of Windsor to many of Hollywood's screen 
     idols. She was considered by the elite as the only civilized 
     way to travel.


                   the transformation into troopship

       When she docked in New York Harbor in September of 1939, 
     the civilian passengers she carried would be her last for 
     years to come. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the 
     Queen Mary was called up for duty.
       To transform her into a troopship, she was stripped of her 
     signature Cunard red, black and white and slapped with a coat 
     of camouflage gray. Placed in storage, along the Hudson 
     River, were her finer amenities including several miles of 
     plush carpeting, expensive art deco furnishings, and more 
     than 200 cases of crystal, china and silverware. The luxuries 
     were replaced
      by an underwater sound detection system, a single four-inch 
     gun, a mine sweeping protective system, and a degaussing 
     girdle meant to neutralize magnetic mines. More than 2,000 
     stateroom doors were removed in order to install tiers of 
     wooden bunks and rows of canvas hammocks. Once posh shops 
     and boutiques were now the site of military offices.
       Future refits would include the installation of several 
     thousand standing room bunks to the ship's Promenade Deck, 
     first-class swimming pool, and ladies' drawing room. 
     Additional toilet facilities would be added as well as 
     storage areas to house the several hundred tons of food and 
     water that would be consumed by the many troops. Enhancements 
     to the armament and the anti-aircraft defenses. Included a 
     40mm cannon, a 24 single-barrel 20mm cannon, six three-inch 
     high/low angle guns and four sets of two-inch rocket 
     launchers.
       Any trace of elegance, except her graceful silhouette, had 
     vanished.


                           the gray ghost era

       The Queen Mary was the largest and fastest troopship to 
     sail, capable of transporting as many as 16,000 troops at a 
     speed of 30 knots. Even Adolf Hitler couldn't stop her, 
     despite his offer of $250,000 and the Iron Cross to any U-
     Boat captain that could sink her. During the war, The Grey 
     Ghost would encounter several close calls with the enemy, 
     however, she would always manage to outwit the combined 
     military intelligence of Germany, Italy and Japan.
       After the United States entered the war near the end of 
     1941, the Queen Mary--now fondly referred to as The Grey 
     Ghost--began transporting American troops. On August 1, she 
     successfully carried a record number of 16,000 troops and 
     crew across the Atlantic, but her second trip of similar 
     proportions would not be so fortunate. On September 27, 1941, 
     The Grey Ghost left New York Harbor bound for the United 
     Kingdom. Five days later she was nearing Scotland when the 
     bridge watch sighted the British cruiser H.M.S. Curacao, a 
     4,200-ton veteran of the First World War. It was now being 
     used as an anti-aircraft escort ship. The Grey Ghost's Senior 
     First Officer became increasingly concerned about the 
     Curacao's proximity and ordered that the Queen Mary turn 
     slightly away from the approaching ship. In a split second, 
     the massive troopship sliced the smaller vessel in half. The 
     Grey Ghost was ordered not to stop for any reason and she 
     carried on despite the disaster. She sustained sizable damage 
     to her stem, while the Curacao sank rapidly. Of the 439 
     aboard the Curacao, only 101 men survived.
       In June of 1943, The Grey Ghost began her duty as a GI 
     shuttle, making transatlantic crossings on a schedule that 
     resembled her pre-war party days. The six day GI ``shuttle'' 
     had thousands of men passing time playing 

[[Page E 1471]]
     card and dice games, watching nightly films or reading books. Those 
     with more religious ties spent time in the ship's Protestant, 
     Catholic or Jewish chapels. Daily lifeboat and abandon ship 
     drills also made the monotomy more bearable, and some units 
     occupied their time with training lectures and exercise. 
     Eating and sleeping schedules were rotated in order to 
     accomodate the troops. The elegant First-Class Dining Room 
     became a 24-hour mess hall.
       The Grey Ghost also served as a means of transporting 
     prisoners, patients and ``very important passengers.'' Her 
     most notable wartime passenger was British Prime Minister 
     Wintson Churchill. Churchill and his entourage of government 
     officials were housed in staterooms outfitted with the 
     trademark Cunard luxuries. Instead of having to stomach such 
     wartime staples as chipped beef on toast. Churchill and his 
     staff savored such specialties as macaroni Bolognaise. 
     Navarin of Lamb and Corn Ox Tongue. Cigars and dinner mints, 
     displayed on silver trays bearing Churchill's family coat of 
     arms, were passed butler-style for all to enjoy. Despite the 
     indulgence. Churchill and his staff maintained a grueling 
     schedule aboard. Plans were orchestrated for an allied 
     invasion; aerial offensives against Hitler were worked 
     through, and many other strategies were in place before the 
     ship reached its destination.


                           the end of the war

       On May 7, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered ending the Second 
     World War in Europe and in August, Japan would be forced to 
     do the same. Almost immediately, The Grey Ghost began 
     transporting American soldiers home. As the ship approached 
     New York Harbor, troops swarmed the upper decks to get their 
     first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. Within two months, 
     the troopship had returned more than 31,000 American soldiers 
     to their native land, and the numbers would increase 
     dramatically as similar voyages were made.
       The ship's final tour of duty was one of her most pleasant, 
     ``Operation Diaper'' was announced in January 1946, and more 
     than 66,000 women and children were to be transported to 
     their new homes in America and Canada. Before she could begin 
     her ``Bride and Baby'' voyages, the ship had to be 
     demilitarized in order to comfortably accommodate the women 
     and children. Each of the staterooms was equipped with six 
     comfortable beds--compared to the 12 to 16 standing room 
     bunks occupied by the troops. Additional cabins, which would 
     house expectant mothers, were installed with call bells 
     connected to the ship's hospital. The functional mess halls--
     designed to move the troops in and out--were restored to 
     relaxing dining areas complete with starched linens, china, 
     crystal and silverware. The ocean liner was also given a 
     clean sweep from stem to stem as engines, boilers and 
     steering equipment were examined. Although her exterior was 
     still painted a dull gray, the ship took on an air of 
     elegance as she prepared for yet another historic voyage.
       In February of 1946, the Queen Mary joined the ``Bride and 
     Baby'' fleet and traveled from Southampton to New York in 
     just five days. The war brides enjoyed an array of lectures, 
     classes and social gatherings such as cooking and sewing 
     classes; English language lessons; afternoon teas; bingo 
     games and dancing lessons. The Queen Mary traveled more than 
     31,000 miles and transported more than 12,000 war brides and 
     their children to America before embarking on several ``Bride 
     and Baby'' voyages to Canada. Overall, the Queen Mary safely 
     transported nearly 25 percent of all service dependents 
     brought from Europe following the end of the war.


                               the legend

       After transporting more than 800,000 troops, traveling 
     600,000 miles and playing a major role in virtually every 
     Allied campaign, the Queen Mary retired from her 79-month 
     military career. In the course of her duties, the Queen Mary 
     had become a shipping pioneer. She was the first to carry 
     10,000 people at one time, the first to transport an entire 
     American military division in a single crossing, and the 
     first and only ship to ever carry 16,500 persons on a single 
     voyage. The Queen Mary was constantly hunted by the enemy, 
     but was never attacked. She never had to fire her guns in 
     anger and never lost a single passenger to enemy action.
     

                          ____________________