"You needn't worry...He will keep out of your way:" The Ramming of HMS Curacoa

During the dark days of World War II, HMS Curacoa was accidentally rammed and sunk by HMT Queen Mary off the coast of Northern Ireland on October 2, 1942. It was a military blunder that cost hundreds of lives and continues to haunt the Queen Mary today.

The HMS Curacoa, under the command of Captain John W. Boutwood, was charged with protecting the liner as she made her way to Gourock, Scotland. He took up a position about five miles ahead of Queen Mary at around 10:00 am as she made her way to disembark the over 10,000 soldiers aboard. The Cunard White Star liner was commanded by Captain C. Gordon Illingworth, who had his ship steer a standard zigzag course - known as Zigzag No. 8. Captain Boutwood, however, was not sure at which point in the pattern Queen Mary was currently at, which was the first in a series of errors.

The two ships started drifting dangerously close to each other. The Queen Mary's Junior First Officer Stanley Wright ordered "Hard-a-starboard!" Captain Illingworth emerged from the chartroom to see what the matter was. Examining the situation, he told Wright not to worry and ordered a correction.

After taking the appropriate action, Captain Illingworth told his subordinate that he "needn't worry about her. These fellows know all about escorting. He will keep out of your way."

At around the same time aboard Curacoa, some of Captain Boutwood's officers were concerned that Queen Mary was not keeping a steady course - and she eventually began overtaking the cruiser. Senior First Officer Noel Robinson took the watch from Wright and saw how close the Curacoa was approaching from starboard. He at first tried to ease off to port, but finally ordered Queen Mary "Hard-a-port!"

But it was too late.

The two ships collided with each other at 2:12 pm. The massive Queen Mary split Curacoa in two, leaving the cruiser's halves engulfed in flames. She sank six minutes later with a loss of 338 men - from a total crew of 439. The Queen Mary was under strict orders not to stop for anything and continued on to Scotland, where she was outfitted with a concrete plug and sailed to Boston for more permanent repairs.

Each ship was subsequently found to be responsible for the disaster. A recent dive to the Curacoa's wreck found that her rudder was still set ahead and made no attempt to correct course. It is likely, however, that everything happened so quickly that the cruiser's crew had no time to respond.

Either way, it was indeed a tragic day for both the Queen Mary and the British Royal Navy.

References: David A. Thomas & Patrick Holmes, Queen Mary and the Cruiser: The Curacoa Disaster (London: Leo Cooper, 1997), 79-91.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! May it be a grand day!

My family aboard the Queen Mary for Thanksgiving Brunch last year. I'm taking the photo.

Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year!!!

May 2012 be a good one for you and your loved ones!

The Queen Mary's Main Hall

"The Shopping Center of the Queen Mary; here one may buy most everything that would be sold by the exclusive shops on Bond Street, London or Fifth Avenue, New York."

The Queen Mary's Main Hall has changed a little bit over the years, but not a terrible lot. It's still being used for its intended purpose as a shopping center - even 75 years after the maiden voyage.

The arcade contained a "smart haberdashery and clothing shop, a cigar store, a book shop and ship-to-shore telephone booths" for passenger use. In addition, Main Hall also provided access to the library, drawing room, lounge and bar. It had to have been a rather lively area when the ship sailed.

References: The "Queen Mary": A Pictorial Souvenir Of the "World's Largest Floating Palace" - QUEEN MARY (New York: Pier & Ocean Liner News Co., Inc., 1936).

The "tunnels were rather lonely places" to work.

Ron Winter served as one of the Queen Mary's junior engineering officers when she set sail in May 1936. His memoirs are fascinating, and he chronicles ship life in a masterful way. Winter describes what it was like to work in the Queen Mary's various machine and engine spaces (the subject for future posts).

In this particular passage he describes the ship's long tunnels:


From the After Engine Room ran the tunnels which carried the [propeller] shafts from the engines, way under the stern of the ship. These shafts were supported every few feet in bearings, and a gangway ran down through the tunnels so that these bearings could be inspected, and also the stern glands where the shafts passed out through the ship's bottom into the sea. The tunnels were well lit and very much cooler than the engine rooms, and in very hot weather it was a pleasant change to work down there. The sight of these very long and enormous shafts - 2 ft 6 in in diameter - turning away was very impressive, though the tunnels were rather lonely places and you were conscious of being hundreds of feet away from human company.

These spaces still exist on the Queen Mary walking tour today and - although the propeller shafts have been stopped for 44 years - are still rather impressive. They are pleasantly cool too, just as Winter describes, as well as lonely.



References: C.W.R. Winter, Queen Mary: Her early years recalled (Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens, 1986), 97-99.

A Foggy Evening on the Mary

The evening of October 15, 2011 was a foggy one in Long Beach. I was walking back to my car when I happened to turn around and notice just how thick it was. You couldn't even see the downtown area across the bay!

I quickly grabbed my camera and went back aboard to take the following shots:

It felt as if the Queen was on the old North Atlantic run again. The fog seemed to have magically transported her from Long Beach to her natural element (at least when looking off to starboard). I could just stand there and imagine what it must have been like back she was sailing; all it lacked was the rolling.

Snapshot: Queen Mary Cabin Numbers

This photo was taken several months ago while aboard the retired RMS Queen Mary. It shows the type of plaque used for the hotel today, but also an example of the ship's original cabin numbers. I can only assume was used from 1936 to 1947. I came across quite by accident that day.

I've never seen anything like it before on the Mary - the number plaques I'm familiar with were painted on pieces of wood in either red or green paint (such as the one seen here).

Snapshot: Nomadic Returns Home

Nomadic - the last remaining White Star Line ship afloat - returned home to Belfast, Northern Ireland in July 2006 after serving as a restaurant in Paris for a number of years. Launched in 1911 and ported in Cherbourg, France, she was a tender for the great Olympic and ill-fated Titanic.

After the merger with Cunard in 1934, however, Nomadic went on to service the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth until their respective retirements.

"Atlantic Queens"

This film is about 45 minutes or so long, but offers a splendid look at the Queen Mary in 1956. Areas visited include many of the ship's magnificent First Class areas, but also the bridge, engine and boiler rooms. Captain Donald Sorrell is also interviewed and discusses how he famously docked the Mary without the use of tugs during a strike in New York.

All in all, it is an amazing little film!

Queen Mary 1956 from Keith Lloyd on Vimeo.

Snapshot: A Foggy Morning in Long Beach

This photo was taken last week and gives a truly spectacular view of the Queen Mary and Carnival Paradise on one particularly foggy morning. Mornings like this are common in Long Beach this time of year, which is perfect since Halloween is coming up soon!

Ghostly Experiences Aboard the Queen Mary

At the risk of sounding crazy, I believe that spirits still wander the halls of my beloved Queen Mary in Long Beach. I've had too many odd things happen to me to think otherwise and I'd like to share some of them with you right now.

If you're not into this sort of stuff, then you have my apologies.

My first encounter took place back in September 2005 when my mom and I were on the Haunted Encounters Tour. We were standing on the landing of the stairs in the First Class Pool, waiting for the rest of the group to finish looking around when something tugged at the bottom of her jacket. My mom thought this was curious indeed, but before she could turn and tell me, something tugged at the bottom of my jacket. It was very distinct - and seemed very much like a little child trying to get attention. We both thought it to be strange.

Paranormal investigators - by the by - say that the pool area is haunted by a little girl named Jackie. There is no documentation that states a little girl drowned in either of the ship's pools, but many guests and crew members have reportedly seen and heard her over the years.

Jump ahead 4 or 5 years when I was again in the pool (this time while taking the Paranormal Spiritwalk tour). I was leaning against a wall when - off in the far end of the room - I saw a black shadow mass pop out from behind a pillar. It seemed as if it were looking directly at me. It moved back and when I went to check it out there was absolutely nothing.

Once, I was on "B Deck" when I saw a black mass materialize in the hall and walk into a wall. There was no one else around - I checked. I was also unable to recreate what I had seen, so I have no explanation.

Then there have been several times where black masses have walked through me while standing in the pool's changing rooms. That's always fun...

Many people have reported similar things aboard the Mary over the years. If you've ever had an experience, I urge you to contact the ship at www.queenmary.com and let thQem know...then I urge you to share here as well.

The Death of Second Officer Stark

Voyage 119 West of the Queen Mary saw a tragically fatal accident - this time involving one of the ship's elite deck officers.

It was in the later part of September 1949 as the ship steamed towards New York. Senior Second Officer William Stark was coming off duty and popped into the deck officers' wardroom to relax a bit and have a drink.

He settled in and told the steward that he wanted some gin and lime juice. The other man - not the officers' usual steward - went back to the pantry and complied. Unfamiliar with the setup, however, he didn't know that the unmarked gin bottle he pulled was actually filled with tetrachloride: used for cleaning rags and the like.

The steward returned and gave Second Officer Stark his drink. Unfortunately, Stark's cold prevented him from smelling tetrachloride's distinct "sweetness." He threw it back and knew right away that something was not right. Stark didn't think the situation was too serious and is said to have laughed about it to his colleagues; chances are that he never knew what he had drunk.

His condition grew worse as the hours dragged on, however, and he died a few days later on September 22, 1949.

The Death of John Pedder

It was July 10, 1966 when Fireman/Cleaner John Pedder, aged 18, was found crushed inside Watertight Door 13 aboard the RMS Queen Mary. According to the ship's log, he joined the crew on March 30 of that year and was engaged in bilge pumping duties at the time of the accident.

Pedder was caught in the door at around 3:55 am and found by a refrigeration greaser named Cripps shortly thereafter. There were no witnesses to the accident, but the officers on duty were immediately notified by the undoubtedly startled crew member. The only sign of trauma was a bit of blood trickling down the nose, as well as the fact he was turning blue due to lack of oxygen.

The young man was removed from the door and placed on the deck by the time the night sister arrived on the scene. She was unable to determine whether or not he was alive, so he was administered morphine and was pronounced dead upon his arrival to the ship's hospital.

His ghost has been reported in the starboard side of Shaft Alley since that tragic day. Guests to the Queen Mary have reported seeing a young, bearded man wearing a white boiler suit in this area - sometimes looking for a wrench (likely the one he had used to manually open Watertight Door 13 when he was killed). Tour guides have also reported weird activity in the area, ranging from shadows to knocking sounds.

Does the spirit of John Pedder still haunt the Queen Mary? We may never know for sure - but his death was certainly one of the most tragic events to have taken place aboard the grand old ship.

Snapshot: Queen Mary at Rest

After 31 years of service, the famous Cunarder Queen Mary was sold to Long Beach, California. After arriving on December 9, 1967, she was reconverted for use as a museum, hotel and tourist attraction. Queen Mary has been in retirement for nearly 44 years now - longer than she ever sailed. She remains as one of the few links we have to a bygone age of travel.

God save the Queen!

Happy Birthday to Queen Mary!

It was 77 years ago today that RMS Queen Mary was launched by HM Queen Mary (consort of HM King George V) at the John Brown Shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland. It was a true triumph for the British in the darkening days of the 1930s. She really was a symbol of Britain's maritime power.

The Queen Mary began life as Job #534 in December 1930, although construction halted a year later due to the Great Depression hitting Europe. Securing a loan from the British government, work resumed in 1934 which culminated in one of the most anticipated launches in maritime history.

Today the ship lays at anchor in Long Beach, California - a stunning, solitary reminder of the bygone age of transatlantic ocean travel and majestically big ships.

Queen Mary Stack Beautification

In 2008, the Queen Mary's funnels were repainted to their original "Cunard Red" color after years of fading in the harsh California sun. An original paint chip was used to get the color just right, which proved to be an astounding success.

Over 120 gallons of paint were used in the process - and an environmentally friendly paint at that. It was created by Richard Hart, a chemist for JFB Hart Coatings Inc. of Chicago, and designed to reduce the level of smog-forming organic compounds in the atmosphere.

"I'm really proud of this job. After all, it's the Queen Mary," said Hart back in 2008.

From what I can tell - three years later - those three iconic smokestacks are still looking great!

References: Louis Sahagun, "Goodbye, old paint: A new coat for the Queen Mary," The Los Angeles Times, November 21, 2008, under Local, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2008/11/goodbye-old-pai.html (accessed September 6, 2011).

Queen Mary Goes into Drydock

Here's another newsreel for your viewing pleasure.

Newsreels on Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Mauretania and Aquitania in World War II

The Cunard Line has played a role in transporting soldiers across the sea since the Crimean War in 1853, and World War II was no exception. The once-glamorous passenger ships were quickly transformed - camouflaged and armed - for the new task of trooping.


This collection of newsreels will show how the most famous ships in the world were pressed into service and took part in the overall Allied war effort.

RMS Queen Mary Races Across the Atlantic!

I thought that this was quite appropriate today...

The Queen Mary: 75 Years Later

May 27, 1936 was a grand day for the British Empire. Its newest super-liner, the long-awaited Queen Mary, set sail from Southampton on her maiden voyage and into the pages of history. She subsequently took the Blue Riband from France's Normandie and earned a reputation as "the stateliest ship...in being."

Now, 75 years after the start of her illustrious career, the Queen Mary enjoys retirement in her permanent berth in Long Beach, California. Visitors from all over the world come to stroll along her historic decks and re-live a bygone era: the Golden Age of Ocean Travel.