queen mary ww2 troop ship

World War II Front Line Nurse was anchored at Pier 90. 331 of 432 crew were lost from the Curacoa. 1942 World War II Troop Ship Crossings Crossings - July Through December If you have information about a crossing, please submit your information. HMS Curacoa was named after the island more usually spelled Curaçao – it appears this was the old spelling which had been used by four successive Royal Navy ships since 1809. my father was on the Queen Mary when this happened and saw the ship sinking. It’s so worth a visit from us the family’s of those that perished. In this particular case however the escort was very, very close to us. Our speed reduced to 10 mph. My father, was on the Queen Mary , when this tragedy happened. This is his account from his diary: Friday, October 2, 1942 – R.A.F. Did I read of acommemorative memorial to all lost in the tragedy on one of the ... Queen Mary: 74th General Hospital and other Army personnel (total of 11,950 troops & 1,190 crew) sailed alone: Gourock, Scotland: 44-03-07: My elder brother was one of the unfortunate ones to perish. Rita The Queen Mary just carried on going (we were doing about 25 knots). Still much loved ,he was only 19 a stoker 1st class his name was Charlie Sadler. He entered foreign service September 27,1942. 1944 World War II … amphibian flew over the ship at 7:00 A.M. and flashed orders. and gave position. Queen Mary as troop ship (Part 1) After tea up to Prom deck, terrifically crowded -—RAF dance band in operation — very hot with... Queen Mary as troop ship (Part 2) 40-millimeter anti-aircraft guns on the deck were deflecting possible air strikes . Beginning in December 1942, it did not end until April 1943. Her carrying capacity was over 15,000 troops and over 900 crew. Although she was originally constructed as an ocean liner, in February 1940, the RMS Queen Elizabeth entered service as troop transport ship and was released from war duty about six years later. Perhaps he is among them…….. R.I.P. They were traveling in a zigzag pattern and the Queen Mary was going so quickly that the cruiser could not get out of the way. Source: Troopships of World War II by Roland W. Charles, published by the Army Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 1947 Troop ships for which additional information is available on this website. The Queen Mary's bow sliced the Curacoa in half. After the end of the war, the liner continued to serve transatlantic line. It does appear that your wife’s grandfather was indeed my father’s brother. He also shared that part of his “nervous” condition post WWII was from awakening to the screech of the ship being cut in half and his going topside to see it go down, and the men disappearing from sight, his feeling of helplessness the Queen unable by rule to stop and rescue. She always spoke so fondly of him and I’m always very interested to read what happened to these men, such a traffic accident in the war. WW2 - Cunard Liner Queen Mary on War Service (as a Troop Transport Ship), New York, USA circa 1945 The battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary, sunk in the Battle of Jutland during World War I. come to an end with the surrender of Japan there remained the enormous task of bringing home the thousands of military personnel scattered across the globe What a shame the names of the people in the images above are not recorded. Thousands of Jews worshipped in the ship’s temple from 1936-1939, as did hundreds of Jewish soldiers once the ship was converted to a troop carrier. His Curacao in 1942 my father was his only brother and He lived in Chatham after the war and has a big family that I have never met as I live in Yorkshire. Ship signaled S.O.S. . They were left in the water and he was swimming for over 2 hours. He was on board when she hit HMS Curacoa and believed the reason they didn’t stop was becaus Churchilll was on board. My dear late mother Rose – she passed away nearly 6 years ago – her dearly beloved husband William Charles Roach Petty Officer on HMS Curacoa sadly did not survive the tragic incident. Gone was the famous black and white hull with orange-red stacks. very sad indeed. Met by cruiser at 9:00 A.M. and three destroyers at 10:00 A.M. Now within easy bombing distance of Norway. His name was Elton Horn lived in Nanty Glo, Pa at the time. With her running mate Queen Mary, she provided luxury liner service between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA via Cherbourg, France.She was also contracted for over twenty years to carry the Royal Mail as the second half of the two ships' weekly express service.. To Mr George Richardson, i have been looking into my wifes family tree and only found out only yesterday that her grandfather David W G Richardson had a brother John Robertson Richardson, i then found records that he had been lost at sea in 1942, he was a signalman on the HMS Curacoa, this led me to this site and your post was top of the page, maybe it was fate. I said to my mate “You know she’s zig-zigging all over the place in front of us, I’m sure we’re going to hit her.” And sure enough, the Queen Mary sliced the cruiser in two like a piece of butter, straight through the six inch armoured plating. Where could we find the list of survivors? During one trip across Atlantic, the ship crossed the ocean with record 16,683 troops aboard. Page Three Photo Album - The Grey Ghost at War. Why were WWII helmet designs so different by country & which design was the most effective? I have 2 Christmas cards from him from the ship, both to his mother. Ancient Rome used the navis lusoria, a small vessel powered by rowers and sail, to move soldiers on the Rhine and Danube. It was one of only a very few stories he told me about the war. My Grandfather was a stoker on the Curacoa who died in the collision. My father was on the Queen Mary. We only learnt what had happened after the war. … He could not remember how it happened. King George V chose the name Queen Mary for the ship in honor of his wife. My great uncle, James Docherty, Royal Marine, went down as a result of this collision. My grandad (Elwood Selsor) was a medic in the Army and aboard the Queen Mary during this incident. My great uncle Alexander (sandy) Ferguson was a stoker on the coracoa. Queen Mary, p. 77 42-12-11 Fort Dix New Jersey Americanunits of 2nd Armored Division in convoy; number not known Casablanca 42-12-24 The G.I. King George V chose the name Queen Mary for the ship in honor of his wife. 's War, by Edwin Hoyt, via D. Dunthorn (more) 42-12-11 Fort Dix New Jersey Total round trip mileage was 37,943 miles. Friday, October 2, 1942 – R.A.F. R.I.P. She was painted a camouflaged grey color and stripped of her luxurious amenities. One day, 2 October1942, an escorting warship, HMS Curacoa, which had been sent to meet and protect the Queen Mary on her approach to Britain, misjudged the liner's speed and zig-zag. That's a princely sum of men by any stretch of the imagination I would say. Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary were used as troop transports during the Second World War. Naval History Net is the primary source for information about RN ships and casualties, http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Curacoa.htm, http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1942-10OCT.htm#curacoalost, Is there a list of crew who perished on the ship Curacoa. My father, Francis S. Kalinowski, was a Warrant Officer in the United States Army Air Forces and was being transported the Queen Mary with his squadron at the time. Queen Elizabeth left the port of New York on 13 November 1940 for Singapore to receive her troopship conversion. I think he also said they were ordered to not mention what they felt or saw when they docked and started unloading. What good we could have done with one gun, I’ve no idea! The words are very moving. He had served in the Navy in world war one on the Royal Oak. My dad served on the Queen Mary, and a few times he told me of this story. His brother Frank, was father to myself Paul Francis and my younger siblin Ian Robert. Dubbed the "Grey Ghost" because of her stealth and stark color, the Queen Mary was the largest and fastest troopship to sail, capable of transporting as many as 16,000 troops at 30 knots. The Queen Mary was carrying about 20,000 American Troops to join the Allied Forces. My uncle, Ronald George Nicholls lost his life on 2nd October 1942 serving as a Stoker on HMS Curacoa. My father wrote an account of life on HMS Curacoa in ‘The Cruiser Experience’ that was produced by my uncle Eric C B Lee. When they were fully converted, each of them could carry well over 10,000 troops per trip. He saw more of the world than he believed was possible at the age of 19. As a troopship, Queen Elizabeth left Singapore on 11 February, and initially she carried Australian troops to operating theatres in Asia and Africa.After 1942, t… Listing Includes Date Voyage Began, Steamship Line, Vessel, Passenger Class and Route. $5.99 + $0.99 shipping . All Digitized Passenger Lists For the RMS Queen Mary Available at the GG Archives. This caused the Queen Mary to be referred to as the “Grey Ghost”. More, Grey Ghost always moved in a zigzag pattern, to avoid possible unnoticed torpedo attacks. My father, James Rand, was the ship’s electrical officer. My Grandfather was on the Curacoa, he spent two hours in the sea and was lifted by an Irish vessel, he was a petty officer, his name was Frank Barrow, he is sadly passed away now, such a wonderful man, husband father and grandfather, God rest all their souls :), My Dad was on the Queen Mary on his way to war in world War two and landed first wave D Day. He was a stoker his name is Kenneth Clarkson. Some were identified, most were not. World War II Front Line Nurse was anchored at Pier 90. Wiki: In March 1940 Queen Mary and Normandie were joined in New York by Queen Mary's new sister ship Queen Elizabeth, fresh from her secret dash from the Clydebank shipyards in Scotland. Gone but not forgotten. My late father was a survivor of HMS Curacoa. Construction of “Hull Number 534”, as it was called when commenced, started in 1930. It was the Queen’s first voyage since October 2, when she had collided with the British cruiser Curacao. She was nicknamed the "Gray Ghost" because nobody could find her. He was a watchmaker by trade and left his watchmaking tools with her on his last leave. And sure enough, the Queen Mary sliced the cruiser in two like a piece of butter, straight through the six inch armoured plating. As she came north of Ireland on the 2nd October 1942 she was joined by HMS Curacoa, providing an anti-aircraft escort for the last leg into Scotland. After the end of WWII, the Queen Mary began a 10-month retrofitting process, … Many of the graves have small bunches of flowers on them. Now we are only convoyed by one destroyer and Flying Fortress. He was the 7th of 8 children and is remembered. Wounded US Soldier on street Sicily Italy 4"x6" World War II WW2 Photo 51. My father joined the RAMC and Tom the RNVR, becoming a Surgeon-Commander on HMS Curacoa. The WWII POW Who Sank A German Ship With A Milk Tin! During one trip across Atlantic, the ship crossed the ocean with record 16,683 troops aboard. Has anybody else have items like this, and I also wondered what to do with them, as would not like them to be lost or thrown away. My Mother kept this dreadful news to herself until approximately 15 years ago before relating this to her 3 children whom she bought up as a widow. Ww2 German Mountain Troop, Queen Mary Model In Cunard Ship Collectibles, Wwii Marine In other Ww2 Original Us Collectibles, Ww2 Navy Hat Indiana WWII US Pins, Wwii Grouping In Original Ww2 Collectible Us Uniforms, WW2 Jacket, WW2 Bayonet, WW2 German Ring, WW2 German Badge, 4x6 American Flag We could see our escort zig-zagging in front of us – it was common for the ships and cruisers to zig-zag to confuse the U-boats. I would love to hear from any seaman that knew him. My Father was a stoker on HMS Curacoa and survived if anyone out there has any information I will be pleased to here from them as his Navy Record shows nothing. To George Richardson, My Uncle, George Jones, was lost when the Curacoa was sunk. My Uncle Chief Petty Officer Roy Myers was one of the sailors lost on Curacoa in the collision with RMS Queen Mary in 1942. Sighted Ireland at 5:45 P.M. Sighted Scotland at 7:00 P.M. Land looks good especially on a leaky ship. The two ships collided with each other at 2:12 pm. Ships to transport troops were used in Antiquity. My concern is that he is not on the casualty list, and I wonder why? It was a large 81,237-ton liner, 1,019.4 ft (310.7 m) in length and 118 ft (36.0 m) in width. World War II Troopship Crossings departing in 1944. She was known as the ‘Grey Ghost’ during this period when she conveyed tens of thousands of men across the Atlantic. Captain David Bowley please contact me regarding my father, Richard John Myers DSM. After being converted into a troop ship, the Queen Mary accidentally collided with a British cruiser named the Curacoa. His name was Arthur Blott. HMS Queen Mary used as a troop ship in WW2 New York Harbor 5x7. We’re easy meat for the subs at this slow speed. It was too dangerous as the threat of U-Boats was always present. My interest is that I am in the process of writing a small book about a local Belfast man called George Johnston who passed away a couple of years ago. Also … The Bill Duggan Story . Your email address will not be published. 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. Regards, Her first maiden voyage happened on May 27, 1936 when she reached the speed of 33 kn (61 km/h; 38 mph). I would like to be able to contact you and learn more about your family and maybe about what your father did before the Navy. To confirm the links, my grandparents (David’s parents(?) After two year’s service aboard her, he left for another posting the day before the tragedy. This is troopship Queen Elisabeth. One of those who died on the Curacoa was George Percival Windsor Cunliffe, the father of Prof. Barry Cunliffe. Since she was the fastest ship in the… Our ship is taking on water to the first bulkhead. There were 2 of us on the poop deck on the aft of the ship and we were manning the 6 inch gun – in case we came under attack. 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