HUGE BRITISH LINERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25737, 8 January 1945, Page 4

HUGE BRITISH LINERS

AID TO UNITED NATIONS TRANSPORT OF AMERICANS British ownership of the world’s two largest liners has proved an invaluable asset to the United Nations in the past four years. Very extensive and unexpected (says the Manchester Guardian) have been the wanderings of the two ships. In April, 1940, the Queen Mary was at Capetown; in May, 1942, she was reported at Rio, and from subsequent accounts she would appear also to have been to Sydney, Singapore, Bombay, and Suez.

Incomplete when war began, the Queen Elizabeth suddenly arrived at New York from the Clyde in March, 1940, wearing a conspicuous degaussing girdle. She left again in the following November, only a month after it had been rumoured that she was to be used as a floating home for refugees. She was next reported off Trinidad, and in January, 1941, arrived at Capetown. Like her consort, she had much to do with maintaining the strength of British forces in Egypt. Reports of the Auditor-general on the Cunard-White Star Insurance Fund suggest that from 1941 onward both ships were almost continuously at sea. Together, the troops which they have carried must have reached a total equivalent to several army corps. It has been stated, indeed, that on a single voyage the Queen Mary has transported as many as 16,000 American soldiers.

Arrangements were made for these men to take their sleep in watches, so that 4000 of them were always in bed, and there was not so much crowding as would otherwise have been inevitable.