Andrew Britton - RMS Queen Mary

The RMS Queen Mary is seen cautiously entering the King George V Graving Dock in 1937 for annual overhaul. (Britton Collection)

T he idea for a colour ocean liner book series began with my cousin Jennifer. News soon spread around the family to Uncle Joe Webb (ex-RMS Queen Elizabeth fame) and Auntie Jean in Southampton who began to encourage and arm-twist. Uncle Joes brother, Bernard Webb (ex-RMS Queen Mary ), added his support and the project was on.

A huge project like this could not have come about without the help of my brother-in-law Mike Pringle who meticulously scanned each and every slide (several thousand of them) for this series. This amounts to months of unseen hard work. Without his help, this book and the whole series would not have come into being. I also owe my sister Ruth a massive thank you for all her patience and encouragement. A special thank you must go to my son Matthew for work on cover designs along the way and my wife Annette for putting up with masses of colour slides, boxes of ocean liner logbooks and shipping artefacts.

Many friends have helped by allowing me to include their original work and several have generously donated their material. I am indebted to Mrs Hilda Short and the Estate of the late Pursey Short for the donation of Purseys colour slide material of Southampton Docks. Purseys aerial photography of the docks is second to none. Thanks also to the Estate of the late Gwyilym Davies for their support in acquiring the entire collection of maritime slides of this distinguished photographer. I am very grateful to Randy Holmes and the Church of Latter Day Saints, USA, for allowing me to purchase the entire Arthur Oakman original slide collection for inclusion in this and future books. Additionally, the G.R. Keat and Norman Roberts slide collections have been sold to me for specific inclusion in this and future books for which I am extremely grateful. Petroleum giants Esso and the Cunard Line have very generously given me their original slides of Southampton Docks and the liners. Some of this material will be included in future publications in this series. Similarly, I am sincerely grateful to Graham Cocks for the generous gift of all his slides to this project. Bryan Hicks, John Goss, David Peters, John Cox, Alan A. Jarvis, Tom Hedges, A.E. Bennett, Richard Clammer, Marc Piche, Michael Lindsay, Barry Eagles and John Wiltshire have also given me permission for their fabulous original work to be included and I am very grateful to them. I would also like to thank Fran Muessig who generously provided the Braun Brothers outstanding original slide collection for use in this book. A special mention must be made of David Boone from the USA, alias the Tugboatpainter. So many of the colour slides included in the Britton Collection have originated from him. This collection also includes the outstanding slides taken by Ernest Arroyo.

Over the years I have enjoyed meeting and interviewing on tape many people who have generously given their time and hospitality. I would like to thank: Jean Webb, Joe Webb, Bernard Webb, Captain Peter Davidson, Commodore Geoffrey Marr and Commodore Donald MacLean. They have always welcomed me into their homes and been available at the end of the telephone to double-check facts. I will forever be in their debt.

My lifelong friend and mentor, the renowned author, railway and maritime photographer R.J. Dick Blenkinsop, placed his entire collection at my disposal. He even included some of his slides in a public lecture he was giving at Stratford-upon-Avon to assist me with making selections. As always Dick has patiently encouraged me with stimulating ideas and positive suggestions for illustrations and content in this and other books in the series. I extend my sincere thanks to Dick.

I must also extend my sincere thanks to Michael Jakeman who checks all my completed written manuscripts.

I dedicate this book in the series to my wife, Annette.

International load line certificate. This important document resided on board the Queen Mary , detailing her insurance requirements. When she retired to Long Beach, Treasure Jones took it off the wall on behalf of Lloyds. Subsequently it went to Captain Marr. (Britton Collection)

I am told that I was just ten days old when I was introduced to the Cunard RMS Queen Mary at the Ocean Dock in Southampton. Although I was born in Warwick, my fathers family and friends originated from Southampton and soon after leaving hospital I headed south to meet them, one member of the party weighing in at 81,237 tons! My grandfather was leader of the orchestra on the Queen Mary and my Uncle Norman was also a pianist in the same orchestra. Other family members and friends worked on the Cunard White Star Line ships and the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth became a major part of my life when my family frequently visited my fathers home city. Meeting the Cunard Queens, waving them off on their transatlantic voyages, and listening to the unforgettable deep tones of their whistles is in my blood.

It therefore came as a great shock to me when in 1967 my beloved Queen Mary sailed away on her final voyage to Long Beach in California. I can only describe this sad occasion as like losing a very close family member whom I dearly loved. As she gently passed away down Southampton Water, I looked in silent disbelief with my family from the vantage point at Western Shore, Southampton. I can vividly recall my father with a tear in his eye and his voice, overcome with emotion, questioning, How can they let her go? All around, thousands of mournful spectators gathered together reminiscing about memorable bygone days on this national icon as so many of them had worked aboard or had close connections with her.

Now many decades on in the twenty-first century, I try to relate to my own sons, Jonathan, Mark and Matthew, what it was like to experience the worlds favourite liner, to see, hear, smell and touch the RMS Queen Mary . They listen in almost disbelief to favourite family Queen Mary tales of film star passengers, travelling royalty and our wartime leader Winston Churchill. This great liner was totally unique and had her own distinctive character with Art Deco, the warmth of the crew and sheer opulent luxury aboard. Of all the great ocean liners I have seen and been aboard, there has been nothing like her since she entered service in 1936. The Mary is not only a legend in the annals of my family history, she is also regarded as the worlds favourite liner. How I wish she could have stayed at home in retirement at Southampton for future generations to enjoy.

This is the view that awaited passengers on the Cunard RMS Queen Mary , who began all her voyages at the famous Pier 92 at New York Harbour. The letters of the name Queen Mary on the bows were 2ft high and nearly 55ft in length. (Britton Collection)

The Queen Mary is a floating kingdom who, with her Cunard sister, the Queen Elizabeth , could not be sunk by Hitler and undoubtedly shortened the War. This fine vessel is a symbol of the British nation and is the worlds favourite liner.