Queen Elizabeth's Top Secret Maiden Voyage | Cunard Line History

On 3 March, 1940, the largest ocean liner ever built set sail on her maiden voyage. This new ship - named RMS Queen Elizabeth - was not carrying any passengers on that first voyage, and only had a small skeleton crew aboard.

In fact, the Queen Elizabeth was sailing under complete secrecy. With the world expecting the ship to make a short voyage to Southampton, the untested and untried Queen Elizabeth set sail for New York at high speed at what has been described as a "mad dash" to safety across the North Atlantic ocean.

Join maritime historian and author Chris Frame for the first in a series of Cunard History Videos and explore the rich early history of the Queen Elizabeth, from her construction at John Brown Shipyard to her early years of service as a troopship during World War II.

To learn more about Queen Elizabeth, please visit: https://www.chriscunard.com/queen-elizabeth/queen-elizabeth-history/

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Image References:

Img [1] – RMS Queen Elizabeth / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Postcard_Stevens_with_RMS_Queen_Elizabeth.jpg

Img [2] – RMS Queen Mary / Colin Hargreaves / Permission Granted
Img [3] – RMS Queen Mary / Creative Commons Share Alike 2.0 / Altair78 / Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Mary_forecastle1.jpg

Img [4] – Cunard White Star Logo / Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0 / WC1905 / Wikimedia Common: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cunard_White_Star_Line_Logo.JPG

Img [5] – John Brown Building / Creative Commons / No Known Copyright Restrictions / Flickr The Commons / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:General_store_John_Brown_%26_Co_Flickr_2843695626_a0cb87aeb6_o.jpg

Img [6] – Turbine Engine / Image or media file based on a work of a National Park Service employee. As a work of the US Government, such work is in the Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Close_up_view_of_1929_Allis-Chalmers_steam_turbine_with_engine_housing_removed._-_Sloss-Sheffield_Steel_and_Iron,_First_Avenue_North_Viaduct_at_Thirty-second_Street,_Birmingham,_HAER_ALA,37-BIRM,4-121.tif

Img [7] - Queen Elizabeth Construction / Work created by the United Kingdom Government and is in the Public Domain because it is one of the following: It is a photograph taken prior to 1 June 1957; or It was published prior to 1970; or It is an artistic work other than a photograph or engraving (e.g. a painting) which was created prior to 1970 / Wikimedia Commons / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Elizabeth_Construction.jpg

Img [8] – Queen Elizabeth / Work of the US Government / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tenders_alongside_the_RMS_Queen_Elizabeth.jpg

Img [9] – junkers Ju 87 / Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-646-5188-17 / Opitz / CC-BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-646-5188-17,_Flugzeuge_Junkers_Ju_87.jpg

Img [10] – New York Skyline / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Mary_New_York.jpg

Img [11] (and Thumbnail) – Queen Elizabeth at Sea / UK Government / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ss_Queen_Elizabeth_FL10011.jpg

Img [12] – Queen Elizabeth Wartime Grey / Henderson & Cremer Collection / Used with Permission.

Img [13] – RMS Mauretania / UK Government / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Repatriated_Soldiers_and_Civilians_Return_From_the_Far_East_H42406.jpg


Img [14] – Three Ships New York / Public Domain / Flickr The Commons / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_three_largest_ships_in_the_world,_New_York,_1940_-_photographic_postcard_(3796186285).jpg

Img [15] – Wartime Service / Public Domain / UK Government Work / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_troops_arrive_in_the_Middle_East_having_been_transported_by_the_liner_QUEEN_ELIZABETH,_22_July_1942._E14706.jpg

Img [16] – Queen Elizabeth Troops / Henderson & Cremer Collection / Used with Permission.

Img [17] – Two Queens / Australian Government Work / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Troop_transports_Queen_Mary_and_Queen_Elizabeth.jpg

Img [18] – Waves on the Atlantic / Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Big_Waves_on_the_Atlantic_1945.jpg

Img [19] – Troops Stern View / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leaving_Europe.jpg

Img [20] – Queen Elizabeth / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StateLibQld_1_147799_Queen_Elizabeth_(ship).jpg

Img [21] – First Class / Ian Boyle / Simplon Post Cards: http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/CunardLine2.html#anchor63145