Queen Mary At War | THE GREY GHOST

She was Britain's greatest threat against the Axis forces. RMS Queen Mary was instrumental in winning the Second Great War. The Mary was involved in so much, that she is more than just a veteran, she is practically a war hero.
#worldwar2 #steamship #queenmary #oceanliner
CHAPTERS:
0:00 The liner Queen Mary
7:06 The troopship Queen Mary
12:13 El Alamein
14:57 Life Aboard as a G.I.
25:12 Collision with Curacoa
29:32 The Rogue Wave
32:48 Colonel Warden
39:31 The War Ends
42:52 Legacy of Queen Mary
REFERENCES/SOURCES:
"RMS Queen Mary, Queen of the Queens" by William J. Duncan. Pages 99-140
"The Only Way To Cross" by John Maxtone-Graham. Pages 351-394
"The Stateliest Ship" by The Steamship Historical Society of America. Pages 61-65
"The Gray Ghost: The Queen Mary during WW2" on Sterling rmplc: www.sterling.rmplc.co.uk/hist... War II
Troopships: The Queen Mary:ww2troopships.com/ships/q/quee...
Warfare History Network, The Queen Mary:warfarehistorynetwork.com/201...
The claim that Queen Mary could briefly sprint 38+ knots during times of danger, was also stated in the book “Queen Mary Her Early Years Recalled” by Ron Winters. Some collectors say that abstract logs from the war can list the ship traveling 38 or more knots for a brief period.
CREDIT:
Drone footage in this video is credited to:
Dronesphere: • Queen Mary Ship | Long...
AND
Jose Manuel Garcia: • Queen Mary Drone Flight
AND
Aero Realm: • Drone Visits Queen Mar...
Some War Photographs credit to Queen Mary Ghost Club on Facebook: / 1242345776160863
Photo-altered image of Queen Mary striking HMS Curacoa created by Shilo from ‪@henryhallfan‬
Some on-board footage taken in 2023 was done by my good friend Kris from the ‪@LMGVids‬
KZbin channel My research was aided by my good friend and Queen Mary historian Steve from ‪@theblueriband‬
MUSIC:
"Scott Buckley - Horizons" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. / musicbyscottb
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🏞️ Ambient & Classical... ‪@ScottBuckley‬
"The Travelling Symphony" is under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) / savfkmusic
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🗼 Copyright Free Inspi...
‪@SavfkMusic‬
"Hayden Folker - Lock And Load" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license.creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • ⚔️ War & Military (Fre...
"Alex Productions - Eglair" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. @alexproductionsnocopyright
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🚤 Epic & Cinematic (Fr...
"Keys of Moon - Flowing Energy" is under a Creative Commons (CC-BY 3.0) license ‪@KeysofMoonMusic‬
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/bkc-flowing
'Omega' by Scott Buckley is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0) @ScottBuckley
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 'Omega' by @ScottBuckl...
'Ascension' by @ScottBuckley :
• Scott Buckley - 'Ascen...
"Keys of Moon - The Inspiration" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license.creativecommons.org/licenses/...
@KeysofMoonMusic
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🍂 Trailer & Inspiring ...
"Savfk - Song of the Wanderers" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license.creativecommons.org/licenses/...
/ savfkmusic
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🌱 Instrumental & Epic ...
"Keys Of Moon - North Edge" is under a Creative Commons (CC-BY 3.0) license
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/bkc-north
"Hayden Folker - To See The Past" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. / hayden-folker
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🌼 Free Nostalgic Orche...
"Alex Productions - Elite" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. / alexproductions
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🤯 trailer (Free Music)...
"Scott Buckley - Snowfall" is under a Creative Commons license Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) @ScottBuckley
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 'Snowfall' by Scott Bu...
---------------------------------
I plan to sail to the UK to film historic places for this channel, click the links to learn more!
Video: • Video
GoFundMe: gofund.me/0598f205
TO CONTACT ME: leave a comment. Business inquiries can request my email address.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a University-educated historian, Alex the Historian was a nickname I got while working at Disneyland as a tour guide. After 6 years of using it as a stage name for my channel, it would be detrimental to the channel to suddenly change the name.

[@AlextheHistorian]

CHAPTERS: 0:00 The Liner Queen Mary 7:06 The troopship Queen Mary 12:13 El Alamein 14:57 Life Aboard as a G.I. 25:12 Collision with Curacoa 29:32 The Rogue Wave 32:48 Colonel Warden 39:31 The War Ends 42:52 Legacy of Queen Mary Some of my sources, references, and credits for this video are listed in the description. If you need more sources for specific information, feel free to ask.

[@AlextheHistorian]

They have been set to 'unlisted' so that KZbin no longer promotes them. If you absolutely need to see them again, I can give you a link. But this video provides you with all the same information plus a lot extra.

[@AlextheHistorian]

On September 4th she arrived at the lightship outside of New York late at night. The light ship is considered the end of the transatlantic crossing. But actually going up the Hudson happened in the early morning hours of the 5th.

[@Patrick-wb8pp]

Absolutely amazing video series! I have visited the RMS QM since the early 90's. So happy all this work is taking place. She is beaming with beauty! Is there a way your series can be be shown on PBS?

[@AlextheHistorian]

I dont think my videos could be shown on television due to the difference between KZbin licensing and television licensing.

[@CatLover-23]

Interesting that date was August 30th... Same Day as Today as I watch this....... Wow.!

[@imsleepingbeauty]

This is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen! I wish everyone would watch it so they could have a better understanding of the Queen Mary and what a beautiful piece of history she is 🩵

[@wawa8408]

Fun fact: for most of her wartime service the only escort assigned to QM was Polish ORP Błyskawica, as it was the only DD that could keep up with her speed. BTW. Błyskawica is still alive and repairs are being made to make her seaworthy again

[@AlextheHistorian]

Oh neat! You taught me something new!

[@KarlaBedminister]

Wow! They should have used the Queen Mary for short distances, then or rescuing persons from natural disasters? 🤔

[@derbuckeyetribe9789]

A very good video and an excellent portrayal of Queen Mary. I had 2 great-uncles that shipped out aboard Queen Mary during the war. One went from NYC to Scotland. The other went from NYC to Australia. One Uncle told me a story about his trip aboard to Australia. He said the Queen was in Rio De Janeiro for fuel and supplies and that during the night the crew got word there might be German surface raiders that knew the Queen Marys location. He told me that Queen Mary backed out from the pier without tugs , no lights, and navigated her way out of the harbor. Once they had cleared the harbor he said the Queen went to flank speed. If I recall right he told me they didn't stop until they got to Cape Town. 40 plus year old memories... I wish I had tape recorded that conversation.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you! And yes, your uncle was right! I came across a similar account in a book I was reading, that indeed Queen Mary slipped away in the night without the aid of tugs and took off toward Cape Town. It's really amazing to hear these old war stories, just the frightening and yet exciting times people lived in.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

Yeah, we didn't know what we had available, did we?. Uncles of mine were Coast Watchers in the Pacific* and other Uncles fought from Northern Greece to Crete. I worked for a company that had a small supplier that was basically one old British ex-Royal Navy officer. And he was interesting to talk to, he LIKED to talk about it and was glad to find I was interested. He was on North Atlantic Convoy duty, and told me some exciting things, one of which was one day there were enemies planes or warships visible from his station for the entire daylight hours, attacking or patrolling and one of the other Officers told the men "That is good luck, we won't be hit now !" . . . lol. Not quite sure of his logic. He saw a freighter carrying weapons simple vanish in a flash of light during one raid by bomber planes, and told me someone swore on the bridge, and the Officer in Command calmly said "Let's not have any obscenity please" and the bits of the vessel were still falling from the sky like rain. I could have EASILY sat down with him and asked him all about his experience, with a tape recorder. * The son of one of them moved to Australia, and had kids, and HIS son earned a Victoria Cross in Afghanistan.

[@riograndedosulball248]

A remarkable achievement, given that Rio's harbour, though possessing a lot of ground for manouver, has a narrow entrance, and a lot of rocks splitting that narrow mouth further still

[@fredklemaster3687]

I also had 4 Uncles fighting in WW2, but only 3 of my Uncles Experienced a trip on both Queens, that 1 Uncle Of mine was stationed in the Alaskan Islands close to Russia Asian Siberia, he never said anything about that Island, I believe it was Kiska Island, he repaired anything The US Needed To Be Repaired, like Fighters Planes, even Bulldozers, now All 4 of my Uncles Don't Have Any More Aches Or Pains Now, God Bless Them All!

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

He lives as long as you honour his memory, in the only "Immortality" worth having. Did he ever teach you any cunning Engineering tricks ?. You could make a point of passing them on to his Kinsmen, in his memory. My uncles taught me Very rude words in Arabic and Greek. How to steal petrol from the vehicles in a parking lot without letting any -officers- owners see you about it. How to cook with petrol as your fuel, safely and without any sign you are doing it, using tin cans for every part of it, so you can simply abandon the process halfway through* without losing anything you need to be concerned about. How to sharpen anything, and why a fighting knife should be razor sharp for the two inches from the tip, and merely everyday working sharp for the rest of its length. How to make a sheath that will hang from a belt, for anything you want to have in a sheath hanging from a belt, out of any bendable material, without anything other than that material and a knife. * Say, if an inconvenient Quarter Master comes looking to see who is using the vital FUEL that cost LIVES and a fortune to get up to the Fighting, merely to warm their rations up . . . or if JUST as soon as you started your brew-up, the order to immediately go wait on some OTHER patch of desert is passed. @@fredklemaster3687

[@PumaPete]

I grew up in San Pedro just north of Long Beach. I’ve only been aboard her one time in 2009 for my wife’s 20th high school reunion. I never knew the extent of her history until this video. Thank you so much for this! It truly gave me an appreciation for the ship that I didn’t have before and brought a tear to my eye at the end. What a piece of history! Thank God she was saved. And God bless the city of Long Beach for standing by her.

[@gordonfrickers5592]

Now I understand why some Americans felt they had to buy the Queen Mary. Thank you for a splendid video about one of the grandest ships in history so understandably your favourite ship and of may other people too. (I don't have a 'favourite' but would enjoy trying to list my top 10!) It's rare for any Allied merchant seamen to have their gallant actions credited so thank you for this too. You have rendered us a great service. Merchant seamen took wartime risks as all in a days work, which we today can barely comprehend. Those men all knew of the fate of the great liner Lusitania and what the U-boats were doing to merchant ships. Imagine for a moment, how would you like to man the engine room sited amidships of a slow merchantman heavily laden and separated from the sea by a mere 1/2 inch of steel while knowing your ship is a sitting duck with an essential cargo? If that's not hard enough for you, imagine carrying a cargo like iron ore. Ships with cargos like that often sank in under 3 minutes; or explosives, or oil fuel. Worse, if sunk your pay was immediately stopped. More than twenty four thousand British merchant seamen plus many allied others lost their lives. The majority have gone to unmarked graves. Thank you for this video that gives us a glimpse into the invaluable service of the Queen Mary and a hint of what it means to sail a merchant ship in wartime. Your splendid video is a memorial and celebration of the Queen Mary and more.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you! This video was definitely a passion project 3 years in the making!

[@Alcyone850]

Is it OK to get teary-eyed over a documentary of a ship? Asking for a friend... This was AWESOME ☆☆☆☆☆ 💪🏾🪖🇬🇧🌐🫡

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@dirkdiggler3552]

8

[@CaptRobH]

Dito : “A merchant marine officer” Ships are Female, therefore, they can make you tear up, from sadnes, joy and of proudness. Seeing the captain in tears, when handig over the flag,… …😢

[@atix50]

I'm sobbing! My grandfather joined the British army as a teenager after spending his teens in bomb shelters during the blitz. I can feel the emotion of his stories watching that documentary. He was an Irish lad, immigrants in London. He came home to Dublin shortly after the war ended. Amazing man ❤

[@fannardan87]

I cried little bit alot

[@patrickcotter5629]

Alex you should have the City of Long Beach play this Queen Mary video on a tour route, it's very well produced.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you! It'd be cool if they did, I'd be 100% ok with it.

[@danhellavonstella]

I agree! This was so well done. I love visiting this ship, and each of your videos make me feel like I need to return immediately because there’s always something I have missed. ❤️

[@ellee8459]

Thank you for the feels. Your work is appreciated, thank you for your research & I will not look at the Queen Mary the same 👍👏👏👏

[@SAOS451316]

Another great video about our favorite ship. You were not lying; it does bring a tear to the eye.

[@AlextheHistorian]

I got choked up quite a lot each time I had to watch it during the editing process 😅

[@thomasgieseler9622]

Was she coal fired ?? 8:45 8:46 8:49

[@SAOS451316]

@@thomasgieseler9622 The Queen Mary used bunker oil for fuel. Coal was pretty much phased out of new ocean liners by the time she was built and many older ships were refitted to burn oil since it was easier to run, faster, and cheaper.

[@pamelapope859]

I agree. She's my favorite too, even more than the cruise ships I cruise on

[@henryhallfan]

That was one of the finest videos pertaining to the Queen Mary I have ever seen! Truly astounding, and in my opinion, you should be making commercials for them! Great work!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Lol I thought about making a commercial and then just emailing it to Long Beach lol

[@henryhallfan]

@@AlextheHistorian at this point you should.

[@ManWhoLovesTheMary]

It gets me every time how hospitable and accommodating the Queen Mary was to the Jewish people. I was so happy to see an exhibit dedicated to it aboard the last time I visited. More people need to know about it, I feel, despite current antisemitism hopefully not making her a target. It just makes me appreciate the ship that much more knowing all she did during World War II alone. To come aboard and imagine the wild, cinematic hubbub that must have occurred on all those decks while at war! Good idea putting all videos into one singular documentary. It really does make the impact of it all more...impactful. So many golden nuggets of information that I feel is touchingly palpable to share with friends and family so they can appreciate the ship the way we do.

[@AlextheHistorian]

I agree. The Queen Mary can be used as a vital tool to teach the people of today the damage that anti-semitism brings, and how important it is for tolerance and understanding to prevail.

[@docjc1842]

Alex THIS WAS WONDERFUL!!! I cannot say enough about how I adore your long form content. You are a wonderful documentarian. So few can produce AND narrate the content. ❤❤❤❤

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks so much!

[@paolomargini7904]

I agree

[@JJMHigner]

I just shared your video and promoted it on my page as a must-see!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you so much! I appreciate that a lot!

[@martinross5521]

Thank you for this excellent collection of film and stories about RMS Queen Mary. My stepfather was a young radio operator during her troopship days on the North Atlantic run. It was his favourite vessel of the war and he told me plenty of stories of those times.

[@Air_Devil_Leader_One]

My Dad went to Europe on Her and she was a grand vessel even back then!!

[@bjoeljones]

My da+ also sailed on Queen Mary to the UK in early 1942. My da+ told me a number of stories of what it was like sailing the QM as a troop ship.

[@hueyiroquois3839]

I like these documentary style videos more than the livestreams. I like the livestreams too, but if I had to choose, I'd vote for theses.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Well its not like if I quit doing livestreams that more documentaries can be made. I do the livestreams because it helps fill in the absence of content between posting documentaries because the docs take months to produce.

[@RedDukeYt]

Thank you for bringing more videos of the Queen Mary. I enjoy learning about the ship and hope to go on it one day.

[@AlextheHistorian]

My pleasure! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@frglee]

At 3:14 floating in front of the Queen Mary is a very historic little ship! It's the SS Nomadic, built alongside the Titanic in Belfast in 1911, as a White Star Line tender ship for operation at Cherbourg to take passengers out to the ships that were too big for the harbour. Her first job had been to transport 274 1st and 2nd class passengers out to the RMS Titanic on 10th April 1912 for that ship's ill-fated maiden voyage. Helping evacuate Cherbourg in 1940, she spent WW2 as a Portsmouth, UK based naval vessel, the Nomadic returned to Cherbourg after the war to resume tendering duties, and was still being used in that role until 1968 at Cherbourg, then went to Paris where she was a floating restuarant for many years. Finally, when that business ended it was feared that she would be scrapped, so she was bought by Belfast City Council in 2006 and has now been restored as part of the Titanic Museum in the city.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

Wow. That IS a cool piece of history, thank you for sharing it.

[@carltrotter7622]

Amazing video! In the photo of the British Admiralty, the chap at the bottom right at 7:07, Sir James Lithgow, went to my school. He owned the largest shipping empire in the world and was in charge of britains shipbuilding efforts during the war. He was also on QM's sea trials and commented on her vibrationless qualities.

[@tns-rox]

Superb documentary. I visited the Queen Mary recently. I'm so glad it's still here to enjoy. It's an amazingly beautiful ocean liner. Thank you, Alex! 👍

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@StillHouseTrestleRepair]

I believe this is one of the most beautiful videos I’ve seen snout this beautiful ship

[@jamiewhittle1787]

It still is in the mentality of the British people to do things that are right regardless, and that’s what the Queen Mary was about. It was British resilience, British standing up for what was right, and defending people that needed help and making sure wrongs were four against to make sure they became right. I need something to British due today, very dignified very respectfully and very quietly. We don’t shout. We don’t stand for feet whoop clap And shout by the flag cause we don’t have to the British know the history, the culture and how long and history we have stood up against things of wrong even when we have been criticised, mocked, laughed and joked. We always stood up for what was right and nine times out of 10. It always turns out to be the right thing to do when you look back at history for the British Shipdham has always been correct set the Queen Mary is British. Yes she sits in California USA, but she’s British if you cut them in half you will see the Union Jack stars and stripes. She is a British ship. She always will be and she’s gone down in history as a British ship. Even Britain’s today now love her and I’m proud of the history and what she did and how she help shorten the war

[@keithspillman]

My dad was drafted out of high school for WWII. He went to war on the Queen Mary and returned home on the Queen Elizabeth after VE Day. These old veterans....both human and mechanical......were the greatest generation.

[@billjoat]

WOW!! Look at my note above. MAYBE They were on the same boat at the same time. Its possible!!

[@keithspillman]

@@billjoat It is possible!!

[@kennethmckethan4204]

Our dad as well. Went on to the Bulge, Berlin.

[@sturmgesutz]

Superb video of quite simply thee finest Transatlantic Liner ever built, Mary was [ and is ] a masterpiece of Naval Design, Engineering and Workmanship. Immensely strong, incredible power, and utterly reliable whatever the weather could throw at it. The old adage springs to mind, ' they don't build them like they used to ' Mary's sidekick Lizzie was equally as strong and reliable and... even more fuel efficient. but Mary had the edge [ just ] from Lizzie. In fact the trio of Queens built by John Brown at Clydebank were all incredible ships. Thankfully we still have 2 of the trio still with us. Thanks so much for making this quite superb video. Hail Queen Mary.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the presentation!

[@dannydillon997]

Great video Alex.

[@jetsons101]

Alex, you amaze me. You have come such a long way since your early Disneyland videos. I can only imagine the amount of time and HARD work you put into this. Hats off to you for helping to keep the History of the Queen Mary alive........

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks! Yes I was thinking about my early KZbin days just today, actually. And how I started off with nothing but a cheap little microphone, a collection of Disneyland photos and a determination to make content the way I wanted to see it done. And 6 years later, it takes a lot longer for me to produce content, but the end result is really worth it for me.

[@jetsons101]

@@AlextheHistorian What got me watching your channel years back was the fact that your early vid's "Weren't" scripted. Your content today is totally different but still has your personal touch like your early stuff. Time to hit the hay, work tomorrow.........

[@Bulgarian_Coastline]

I really did not expect a video on this. Very nice. You keep improving your gideos. Keep it up!

[@richardfuller2326]

I took a tour of this magnificent ship in the 80`s ,in long beach and I was awestruck by it's size and beauty and watched the video they had on board, but I have never had more appreciation of this ship as I have had watching this video! This video was well done! Thanks for sharing it.

[@AlextheHistorian]

My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!

[@USEditor]

▫️Fantastic! This Queen Mary documentary may likely be one of the best historic posts on KZbin-from start to finish it was riveting. I didn’t watch it-I just listened to its audio. The script writing and editing is amazingly good-literally exceptional. There are no needless information redundancies too common in like educational videos on KZbin-it’s as packed as a Books On Tape recording. Finally, the evenness of the narrator’s voicing, pace and volume is absolutely stellar and impressive. Hats off for the research and confidence that’s dramatically evident. Bravo! You’ve done the great Queen Mary proud.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you so much!

[@ToastGhost]

An absolutely fantastic piece, almost had me in tears at the end with the goodbye from the UK and massive welcome from the US. thank you for pouring so much effort into this.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@zobiefillms4436]

Queen mary is the queen of the seas

[@beedalton9675]

The s.s. United States aka big U still holds the blue ribbon and is faster than the queen Mary.. sad we can't take care of our own ocean liner she.s rusting in Philly

[@wildsmiley]

​@beedalton9675 True, the S.S. United States is the fastest, still the holder of the blue riband, I love that ship and worry often about what fate has in store for her. Despite all that, Queen Mary is still the queen of the seas, without a doubt. She's untouchable in my eyes.

[@stuartlee6622]

Miss Pette Butt I Get it QUEEN OF THE SEAS !!

[@mattmatt6572]

My grandfather went to and from the war on the queen. Many of these facts I'd never heard but I do remember him saying the food was good

[@scratchthecatqwerty9420]

Watched all. That is a very well made documentary! Great job, Alex!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks so much!

[@kennethmckethan4204]

Wow! Our US soldier dad crossed to Scotland on the QM in the summer of 1944. We had no idea of the context. Thank you!

[@dr-mn7ld]

This brought tears to my eyes. This amazing documentary deserves ten times the number of views.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@AARON-K4RNA]

I am glad you put it in one video. Nice job.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@brober]

Brilliant video ! Really your best, Bravo Alex.👏

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks!

[@ellah3500]

WOW, Alex! I don't know what to say. Your documentary was so captivating - thank you, I love it.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks!

[@jasonnguyen600]

bro puts so much effort into these vids. bravo!

[@AlextheHistorian]

I definitely do. I was awake until 2am last night because I was uploading the video to KZbin when I realized there was a minor mistake with one of the video clips. I canceled the upload, fixed the mistake, then I exported the video again and reuploaded it to KZbin. That's dedication! hahaha

[@jasonnguyen600]

@@AlextheHistorian now thats what u call dedication. keep up the great content!

[@janetryan9779]

What a wonderful, interesting, and informative documentary! My dad- an American GI in WWII- rode the Queen Mary to Great Britain in 1942, and he spoke of it so often, expressing great fondness and admiration for this magnificent ship. Many of the facts you expressed I recall him relating to me in his many stories. I only lament that he is not here now to watch this documentary (he passed away in 2015), as he would have absolutely loved it! It is my dream to someday travel to Long Beach, CA to make my own personal pilgrimage and walk the decks where my dad walked so many decades ago. Thanks for the hard work you put into creating this!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing the story about your father!

[@chrispierce9637]

Hi Alex, this has to be the very best documentary on the Queen Mary i have ever watched i always watch your videos and enjoy them but this is 100% your finest. Thank you for your hard work.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Chris! I appreciate the kind words!

[@kevinh2955]

My mom and her parents took the last peacetime sailing of the QM in Aug '39 - the same voyage noted in the video. They were leaving Denmark for the US. My grandparents were from Denmark but had lived in California since 1918. They had returned to DK as the depression was difficult for them in the US (near San Francisco). They saw the storm clouds forming for what would later become WWII and (being US citizens) returned to the US. They had to travel through Germany to catch the ship. My mom was 6 years old at the time. She remembered to her last day the black uniforms with red armbands when they crossed from Denmark to Germany... The whole trip was very vivid in her memory... Years later, she and my dad stayed on the ship in Long Beach (in the 1990's I think). Even after all those years, there were numerous features she remembered from back when she sailed on her. Door knobs, the style of the windows and doors, the stairways, passageways... All sorts of things. She had a very memorable time then. Thanks for the video.....

[@ShamuAquatics]

My great grandmother was one of those war brides who traveled to the United States from England on the Queen Mary after marrying an American soldier. They traveled across the US and settled in Long Beach, California and it’s such a weird coincidence that the Queen Mary showed up in Long Beach and permanently docked there 20-ish years later.

[@sidz0001]

Great documentary of the legendary Queen Mary, Alex. I respect your efforts required to recall her history. Ocean Liners like the Queen Mary prove how hugely impactful and loved they were, something which the air travel would never be able to make.

[@valueangles]

I sailed on the Queen Mary - Southhampton to NY Sept. 1961, w/an all female Filipino group of 51, 43 of them College students in their late teens from a Manila girls' school, w/ the rest of the party including our nun College Dean, some faculty, and a female doctor. We traveled First Class. A co-passenger was old movie actor Clifton Webb who asked us if we were a group of orphans traveling for free. We just all laughed and told him our parents had all paid for our round-the-world educational tour!! The few other First Class passengers gawked when we all came to dinner Captain's night in formal long gowns patterned after our native Spanish-inspired long gowns, sequins, embroidery, lace, and all. Now i realize from this documentary why a few of us often felt seasick = the Queen Mary had a role in it = HER "ROLL"! BUT all in all, an unforgettable first shipride! Feel so lucky -

[@NorseNerdleMeister]

This is a masterpiece Alex!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Ken!

[@peteacher52]

Extremely well presented and highly nostalgic. My late father, living in NZ, travelled on troopship Aquitania, but told many of these Mary stories during my formative childhood. In my child's mind, the Mary would never die but remain the tower of strength she was and in a different way now, still is.

[@NorseNerdleMeister]

It’s Friday and Alex released a new vid! Life is good!

[@MrGoldenV]

Had a wee tear in my eye at the end of that

[@jerrywatt6813]

I've stayed on her several times top deck state rooms if you listen in the dead of night she talks to you of all her adventures a truly magnificent queen she is !!

[@wildsmiley]

I can't help but grin with delight when I picture all those U-Boat captains cursing in German as the Queen Mary slipped out of their grasp once more. 🫡 She's just the greatest, isn't she?

[@SPGreg]

Excellent!, very well done Alex!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@scaleyardmarine]

Fascinating facts I never knew thanks

[@geodot595]

5+ stars alex. i think leviathan in ww1 also carried 10,000 + troops. your work is necessary and amazing.

[@lbeyyt6581]

Just subbed and have been watching your series on the abandoned / lost places on the queen mary. Cant wait to go back when shes fully open to try and find ways into some of the “out of bounds” areas

[@AlextheHistorian]

I can't stop you from going where you aren't supposed to go, but know that I discourage that. That being said, all I ask is that if you do end up going somewhere unsupervised...be one of the people that is there to learn and to protect this great ship. Don't be one of the people that vandalize or steal things when security isn't looking. She's very important to people around the world.

[@lbeyyt6581]

@@AlextheHistorian Oh no of course not. It’s just fun to explore and try and see some of those places closed off for years. Fun fact, my grandfather immigrated here second class on the queen mary when he was a kid!

[@jayvee9629]

On a couple of different occasions during the 2000s, I ended up in a few of the "forgotten" areas in the Queen Mary due to lax security. One of the areas housed Halloween props that was used during the annual Shipwreck maze tours.

[@jenniferlevine5406]

A great documentary and a tale well told! I enjoyed it very much. Thank you.

[@sedekiman824]

A wonderful and fascinating video. I remember as a youngster seeing the Queen Mary steaming out of Southampton in the 50's . As a family we had taken a boat tour of Southampton water. Wonderful memory.

[@mike.4277]

Wonderful video, great job!!!! 😎👍

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks!

[@wildcolonialman]

Excellent. 1978 Wellington, NZ. Speaking with WW2 Veterans, and one of 3 Brothers, who all survived the War, and this brother was on a Mary voyage, Britain to US, with wounded and furloughed US Troops, with Australian and New Zealanders also on board for medical attention. This man spoke of a Storm, rising seas, and the Mary going right through a Wave higher than the Liner, stripping boats and railings, bucket loads of fittings. Off New Foundland.....

[@ronaldmiller2740]

THANK YOU ALEX FOR THIS GREAT LONG VIDEO THAT TELLS THE TRUTH OF THAT LONG LIVED AWFUL WAR THAT HAPPENED IN WWII ,, THOSE GREAT BRAVE MEN AND WOMAN WHO GAVE THERE LIVES TO DEFEND THE USA .. THE GREAT QUEEN MARY WHO GAVE IT ALL SHE HAD TO FIGHT AND TO BRING SAFTEY FOR OUR TROOPS ABOARD IN THE HARD SEAS AND THOSE TIMES OF WAR.. WHAT GREAT TEAM WORK HUMANS AND A GREAT SHIP WE TRUSTED EACH OTHER TOGETHER WE COULD WIN WITH PRIDE.. TEARS I SEE SOME MOMENTS SO HARD,, ON THESE MEN AND TO SEE THE CPT. CRYING WITH THE FLAG ,, BUT I WIPE MY EYES AND SAY THE QUEEN MARY IS NOT SCRAPED SHES HERE IN LONG BEACH CA. AND I CAN VISIT HER ANY TIME AND SAY GREAT JOB OLD GIRL I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND SO GLAD I CAN BE A PASSANGER ON HER AND ENJOY THE OLD AND NEW HISTORY TOGETHER WITH YOU,,.. GREAT THANKS, TO BOB HOPE .. AGAIN ALEX,, PUTTING THIS VIDEO TOGETHER TOOK HARD WORK AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEACHINGS AND GREAT TALENT!!!!! RON,, VETERAN .. ALSO THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THE JEWISH HISTORY ON THE QUEEN MARY...

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Ronald, glad you enjoyed it!

[@pedenharley6266]

Alex, this is a wonderful tribute to Queen Mary and the service she gave during the war. Thank you and Bravo!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you Peden!

[@waltcraig8098]

Yes, I could not help but shed a tear for this beautiful ship. I am fortunate to have both sailed on her and visited and stayed on her at LongBeach. Her story continues, I hope she will be there to enjoy and learn about for many many more years.

[@fionawimber1028]

Wow! This is absolutely incredible

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks!

[@bjoeljones]

Brill video on such a Grand Dame. Whilst watching this video, I felt my father+ offering some of his own commentary to what was mentioned regarding the Queen Mary being a troop ship during WWII as my father+ was one of those troops to go to the UK in early 1942. I still remember him telling me of the conditions on board. I am quite pleased to see Queen Mary look so much better after the restoration project.

[@patrickcotter5629]

Nicely done Alex. Always wondered why the Queen Mary had 3 funnels and the Queen Elizabeth 2 funnels.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Queen Mary had more boilers and boiler rooms, while Queen Elizabeth had fewer of both and only needed 2 funnels for ventilating it.

[@randomcommenter8137]

@@AlextheHistorianSo Basically same reasons for the Olympic class, her 3rd funnel was for looks? And also if Queen Mary and Queen Lizzy could talk I would imagine they would have sibling arguments with Queen Mary using her 3rd funnel as an excuse for all of them lol

[@AlextheHistorian]

Wait, no I never said it was for looks. You misread my comment. I said Queen Mary had more boilers and more boiler rooms than Queen Elizabeth which is why she needed 3 funnels. Queen Elizabeth had fewer boilers and boiler rooms and only needed 2 funnels

[@randomcommenter8137]

@@AlextheHistorian Don’t worry I read it correctly, I just thought they also put it there for looks too to make it look bigger

[@AlextheHistorian]

Oh. It was there because they just needed to vent all those extra boilers. It wasn't like the Olympic class.

[@WithTwoFlakes]

Thanks for this, it brought back memories of my Dad. When my Dad joined the Merchant Navy in 1956, the Queen Mary was his very first ship. He was a lowly engine room dogsbody. he only had a couple of months on board but had fond memories of trans-Atlantic runs on her. A year or two before he passed away, I did some online research on all the ships he crewed. After the QM, he was on ships doing runs to South America, South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, etc. I'd no idea so many of them had history in WW2 like the QM. Probably the most famous was the Port Chalmers which was one of the few survivors of the Pedestal convoy to Malta. Dad was surprised too, he'd never known their history either...

[@conrad4667]

Alex, With each refinement, your videos retain the title of Best and Most Complete War History and Beyond of RMS Queen Mary. I agree with others that this should be accessible on Queen Mary tours themselves. How best can we see Winston Churchill’s favorite suite? I hope you are rewarded for all your work represented here.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you Conrad! If you visit the Queen Mary and speak to a tour guide, you can ask politely if you can glimpse Winston Churchill's suite, and sometimes, if there are no guests currently staying in the suite, they may take you there to see it. But otherwise, it is open for booking and you can stay in the same room the old chap used to!

[@osaprakoso]

I felt moved by your video about this ship, it was wept moment and i believe that this ship is on safe hands now and forever to show the world how great it is

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you so much! My goal has been to attract more attention to the Queen Mary by making people fall in love with her the way I did.

[@Khaled46]

I really like your vedios documentares can you make more vedios about ocean liness other than the cunard queens

[@AlextheHistorian]

Yes I plan to, but it takes a lot more time. I know about the Cunard Queens, but I don't know as much about other liners

[@lindasolis7117]

Fabulous job, Alex! I think I've seen some of this before? But there is new stuff here that I've never seen before. Excellent video! I agree with everyone here who says Queen Mary should use your videos, and pay you to do commercials for them with your great narration voice! 😍

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Linda! Yes this is a combination of my "Queen Mary At War" 3-part series. The problem with the series is that newcomers to the channel would drop in to see Part 2, but then never watch Part 1 or Part 3 and not get the full scope of Queen Mary's importance. I not only combined the three videos but I re-narrated it with corrections, and I added almost 15 minutes of content that wasn't in the original videos. I also upgraded 95% of the photos and footage to High Definition so it would look sharper and cleaner when I rendered my video in 4k HD. Lots of work went into this Documentary, and I'm so glad to see you enjoyed it!

[@lindasolis7117]

@@AlextheHistorian It looks fabulous! So professional!

[@HistoricTravels]

Very good video!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks!

[@musicman1693]

This is an extraordinary documentary. This is history that needs to be shown in schools across the nation.

[@michaelojstersek6819]

Queen Mary we salutes your war time effords as a mighty and prestigious Ocean Liner. May you have many happy years to display your beauty to all visitors alike of an timeless era when shipbuilding was in its peak to outrun the enemies.

[@zazoreal5536]

People say the Titanic is a legendary ship...yes, yes she is. But the Queen stands a whole crown above her and you can still see her to this day.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Here here!

[@dondwane2270]

WELL IN MY OPINION OF THE TWO SHIPS BECAUSE OF THE QUEEN MERRY, MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES WHERE SAVED AND WORLD WAR 2 WAS SHORTED , AND IS STILL AFLOAT TODAY EVEN THOUGH NOT SAILING THE SEAS ,BUT THE TITANIC WHICH BY ALL MEANS WAS A GREAT AND BEAUTIFUL SHIP BACK IN THE DAY BUT BECAUSE OF THE UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT OF THE TITANIC OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE DIED AND THAT SHIP WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL IN HER DAY SITS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN FLOOR , SO I WILL HAVE TO SAY THE QUEEN MERRY SHOULD TAKE TOP HONORS 🏅🎖️🏆🙏.

[@gregt8638]

Fascinating! Thank you for posting this video!

[@williamanderson3612]

Thank you Alex. This is absolutely the best documentary I've seen dedicated to her wartime service. I've been a fan of Queen Mary for years and you gave many facts, dates, and statistics I'd not previously heard. Great work.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@dominicmoloney2621]

Thank you for putting this together. I thoroughly enjoyed watching.

[@Frances386]

Fascinating documentary. An uncle in the Canadian Army found himself tasked with escorting young Canadians to Britain, though not on the Queen Mary. Uncle, so I understand, made quite a few crossings as he was older and did a good job looking after the young soldiers. Another uncle on spouse's side also made a fair few trips across the Atlantic, but his service was in the engine room of merchant ships. We were fortunate to get them both back safe and sound.

[@petercastles5978]

The Queen Mary took many an Australian to war. My father , 2/15th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, left Sydney for the Middle East late December 1940, on the Queen Mary. He was part of the 20th Brigade, 7th Division, at that stage, later on in the Middle East his brigade joined the 9th Div. The Dad reckoned the troops wrecked the QM, doing a lot of damage. What an amazing old girl. The troops were loaded in quick time through a big hole in the side.

[@petergates5170]

Wonderfull Documentary preserving the memory of such an Iconic vessel ...Very well done and worthwhile...

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@SSanscraintenotaboat]

Great video. I was fortunate to visit the ship in February and what a beauty she is. Thank you to all the people who have preserved the ship throughout the years.

[@kk7bdj931]

Absolutely fantastic video! Very well done. This is exactly what I was looking for, as far as information and history of The Queen Mary! We visited and stayed on this ship this past weekend, and it was amazing! Highly recommend it!

[@carolinehutton9919]

Absolutely fascinating!! Another great and insightful presentation. Well done, Alex!!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@Travelin2Wit]

What a beautiful video, I was born in 1958, I ve watched many World War II videos and few bring tears to my eyes, as did this one. Thank you

[@AlextheHistorian]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@leoshiphistory]

This is quite a late comment, I watched this the hour it came out actually but I must say I have watched this 14 times already it is just that good. you have a talent and I love your passion for this ship outstanding work thank you for creating content.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you so much!

[@leoshiphistory]

@@AlextheHistorian no, thank you!

[@chrisbridge4231]

My wife and I had the honour of staying in the Churchill Suite on the Queen Mary as she was berthed in Long Beach. It was an unbelievable experience.

[@charlesosbun9381]

You should have stayed in Osbun Suite, LOL!

[@jeffingram9916]

My dad was drafted in the US Army in the summer of 1944 and travelled to Scotland in the fall of 1944 when the Queen Mary was serving as a troop ship. He mentioned how rampant seasickness was with soldiers vomiting in the hallways. He stayed out of the lower decks as much as possible due to the smell. My dad was fortunate not to suffer from seasickness so his trip was fairly pleasant.

[@billsmith5109]

My family member mentioned similar. Talked of sleeping half sitting up, leaned against any available wall. An enlisted man in 3rd Army HQ. With 500,000 transported to Europe on her, many had same experience. Edit: I think she was so fast trip between the States and Britain was only about a week.

[@virginiarundle4005]

Wonderful to see the iconic photography of the Queen Mary, showing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Queen Mary conveyed nurses and Red Cross Voluntary Aides to the Middle East, a vital part of winning the war was the nursing. My aunt travelled aboard the Queen Mary from Sydney on 2 November 1941 and helped nurse the Aust. 9th Division (AKA Desert Rats) at El Alamein.

[@matthewthetransportguy3515]

YES Thank you so much for bringing this back! I noticed this was missing! 🛳🛳🛳

[@AlextheHistorian]

Yep, completely revamped it, around 10-15 minutes of extra information sprinkled in, stuff that wasn't there before!

[@handyman6858]

I was born and raised in Newport beach, Ca. As a kid I had the pleasure of going to Long Beach ,Ca and walking on her decks. when I went down below I was very amazed. At eight years old I knew at that time she was very special. The Year was 1970 my mother took my whole cub scout troop to see the grand liner. At that age I knew it was a special ship. I got to see the bunks where the troops went to sleep and the mess hall where they ate, I felt very proud of them. Today I still feel that way. This video brought back a lot of memories. Thank you for your service Queen Mary your a grand ship!!

[@Markybug-Keira-Cody]

Great video. Ps. I really hope they get rid of that submarine beside her !

[@AlextheHistorian]

They will. The City of Long Beach is working on it.

[@allanmoore4353]

23:48 very nice, despite the fact Queen Mary alone among the "Great Lines" still exists and even is available to see, many people don't realize the important job the Queen Mary and her sister played in WWII. Thank you.

[@stevezodiac491]

My father was sent from Liverpool ( i think ) to Alexandria to fight Rommel in the second world war on the Queen Mary. He was in the REME as a desert rat, in what he said they called the advanced workshops. He retrieved shot up equipment, from the front line, repaired it and returned it back to service. He also had a hand in building Montgomery's caravans, one of which i am told is in the Imperial War Museum in London but i have never seen it. Whilst in the desert for about 4 years, including the battle of El Alemein, which was the largest tank battle in history, at that time, all he had to eat was corned beef and biscuits full of weavels as did all the lower ranks, while the officers dined on much better food. My father was a sergeant carpenter and was asked to do some work in the officer's mess. Whilst there he saw what the officers were getting to eat, compared to him and his men. He then complained, it did no good and he was later punished and made a private for something innocuous, later ? Although he was only a smallish man, he left the desert before carrying on to Italy, weighing only 6 stones odd. The route he took on the Queen Mary, was from Liverpool North towards Greenland, West to Canada, then the full eastern side of North and South America, across to the African Cape and up the Indian Ocean to Alexandria. The reason for such a long, indirect journey was to avoid the mid Atlantic U- boats. The Queen Mary was the fastest ship afloat at the time and when at it's full speed of 30 knots, couldn't be caught by any other ship. If he were still alive now he would be 104, he died at 90 and was attended by the Royal British Legion honour guard at his funeral.

[@bobmetcalfe9640]

My father was on a destroyer in the Battle of the Atlantic. He said they were once at full speed chasing after something, and the Queen Mary went past them as if they were standing still. A very fast ship he said, which was one of the reasons why it was never torpedoed.

[@jonclassical2024]

GREAT vlog Alex....well done .... enjoyed this a lot.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you so much! One nitpick though, this is a documentary, vlogs are video logs, like a diary, that people film when they travel.

[@jeffreyhinton8634]

I stayed on the Queen Mary in 1980 for a couple weeks. I loved walking the decks. This documentary was very good. I enjoyed it very much.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Jeffrey!

[@altoncrane9714]

Truly a wonderful experience, fascinating and deeply moving. Thank you.

[@lukegreen5341]

10:45 Great Scotland Yard. It's Winston Churchill. Thanks A Lot Alex the Historian Mate. X

[@johnl5316]

My family took the Queen Mary on May 5, 1958 from NYC to France, where we boarded a train powered by a steam locomotive for Paris. Some German cities were still in rubble

[@sharbymj]

I wish I had listened more closely to my dad. He went over on the Queen Mary to fight in WWII. Sometimes I look at old pictures of her decks loaded with troops and want so badly to see my dad.

[@kingspagge]

Great video man, thanks for putting this together.