What Happened to RMS Mauretania 2?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ค. 2024
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Cunard's second RMS Mauretania, launched on July 28th, 1938 was almost immediately swept up by World War 2. After a colorful career serving as a troopship, she became one of the most beloved post-war liners in the Cunard fleet at the twilight of the age of ocean liners.
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Sources:
RMS Mauretania by Andrew Britton
Atlantic Liners of the Cunard Line by Neil McCart
Music:
LEMMiNO - Encounters
/ encounters
CC BY-SA 4.0
All other music sourced from Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Chapters:
00:00 RMS Mauretania 2
1:22 Chapter 1: Complementary Not Alternative
4:35 Chapter 2: A Mini Queen Elizabeth
8:26 Chapter 3: The Shadow of War
12:07 Chapter 4: Close Calls and Monster Convoys
16:58 Chapter 5: A Happy Wallflower
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Thank you so much for watching! How do you think the second Mauretania ranks against the other post-war Cunarders?
This was a brilliant video. Thank you.
All ships age at the same rate, that rate being 1 year per year.
Please do The Lancastria! My grandfather died on her.
HMT Lancastria is I think the worst disaster in British Maritime history & find it sad her story isn't better know because of it becoming a wartime secret. Even in Britain it isn't widely known.
Great post as always
😊😊😊
Mauretania II had big shoes to fill from her predecessor, did she fill them? No. Was she a good ship? Yes!
She wasn't trying to fill Mauretania's shoes, she was trying to be a more affordable running mate to a flag ship and she did it well
I would argue that she was better because she was an updated version of the Mauretania with better safety equipment, better technology and perhaps a faster ship in general. But both ships were absolutely incredible.
Of course not ships don’t have feet
I sailed on her many times.Those were the days my friend.We thought that they would never end.lovely ship.
😊😮,?
My grandfather was a radio officer on RMS Mauretania. He also served on the Berengaria, Samaria and Aquitainia. He would have been fascinated to see this video. He had great tales to tell about round-the-world cruises on White Star and Cunard liners - bygones days of gracious travel.
Would like to hear radio tales. Steve KF8OS
How I wish he'd written them down! Damn it. He'd be posthumously famous among all of us ocean liner fanatics in the world. I'm glad you got to enjoy them, and him.
@@jeffcampbell1555 - thank you and yes, so do I, Jeff! He died many years ago and I regret not persuading him to put the tales on paper, as they spoke of a world long gone. A warning to us all: listen to your older relatives' stories and commit them to paper/record them before they are lost.
@SS-zz4pi So was mine, wonder if they knew each other? I was only 2 when my grandfather died but I have pictures. He heard the Titanic's distress call, although way too far away to do anything about it (not sure if that was whilst on Mauretania, or another ship) x
@@jh115 - they may well have known each other, as there weren't that many radio officers around. My grandfather lived to 95 and died in the early 1990s. As @jeffcampbell1555 mentions, I truly wish I 'd recorded his experiences, because the ocean liners our grandfathers served on board are so very different from the vast cruise liners of today. How great that you have pictures! I have one of the crossing the equator ceremony - somewhat raucous!
The late Captain Jones said that Mauretania 2 was his favorite ship and her bell survives to this day. In fact, the Captain bought her bell and kept it in his garden until the day he passed away. Thank you for this thoughtful expose' on this wonderful ship.
he loved his ship and was very proud of what she could and did do. on top of that he had every right to be proud of her. i might be an american born and raised but even i can say that the ship was without a doubt beautiful and stunning from every angle you looked at her from. she server her country and went out with honor and dignity. most of these modern day cruise ships dont look remotely as nice as these older gems.
Amazing to hear how the bell was saved.
Did he ring the bell when he squeezed s ripe,red tomato?
My Great Grandfather was a head chef on this ship on the first few voyages before the war and then again from 1947-52 when he became Head Chef at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool
I really thought something awful was going too happen to this ship. She went out with dignity not tragedy. Can't get any better than that.
Amen
Just like the Olympic. Except she had a storied, albeit forgotten, career.
I sailed on this ship in late summer of 1964 from New York to Belfast, Ireland. I have some wonderful memories of this grand ship. I do have the Program of Events that my mother kept. Dated 'Sailing Day September 3, 1964', September 5, 1964 and September 7, 1964.' Original souvenirs!
Wow I'd love to see that program and get a real feel of life on board. I'm in Northern Ireland myself, but certainly not around in 64
Woww
Mauretania 2 was a gorgeous ship, inside and out. She was not too big, but not too small, but she looked way bigger than she actually was. I love her interiors and that she looks like a miniature Queen Elizabeth. Good video as always BOB!
why did you say bob?
@@Laws0n149 abbreviation of Big Old Boats
oh
Brad, I appreciate everything that you do to help bring these ships back to life and make their stories known to those of us who still love these old liners. Thank you bud.
I agree!
Friend: “hey man, I just broke my leg and I need a ride to the hospital!”
Me: as soon as I finish this BOB video I’ll be there ASAP.
Looking at her now, I have to say that the Mauretania 2 has got to be a contender for one of my top favourite ship designs. Yes she's absolutely a smaller version of the Queens, but I think her size is comfortable, her proportions are perfect and she's stunning from all angles
I wouldn't say her proportions were perfect by any means: her funnels definitely could've been spaced out a bit more. She looked rather squat, and I'm not really a fan of squat ships. But if that's the thing you're into, well then, more power to you. I respect it.
@@Kaidhicksii I can't say I'm into squat features at all, actually. I've seen the MV Britannic 3, and I don't like those short funnels.
But here on the Mauretania it works. I think it's because her design is, overall, a scaled down version of the Queens. A design that's intended to be far larger. So having two funnels that were proportioned correctly might not have looked as good, but for her size I think it looks pretty good.
Maybe she would've looked better with larger, more spaced out funnels? Who knows
Thank you for this video. I sailed on the Mauretania II in 1951 when I was 3. I don’t have a lot of memories of anything much more than our cabin and some hallways so I was really thrilled to learn about her history. Up to now every search I tried came up with information about her more famous namesake Mauretania I. My family returned from Europe on the Britannic, of which I have more definite memories. But now that I know more about Mauretania I can give her the respect in my memory that she deserves. Thanks again.
I am lucky enough to have served on both Mauritania 2 and Queen Elizabeth.
Mauritania was still in black and white livery.
We cruised both the West Indes and Mauritania and what the first cruise ship to visit Haifa , Israel.
I saw her in Naples on her last voyage a sad sight I now being with P&O .
Being smaller everyone knew each other, a happy ship.
Thanks for the memories.
My Granny`s brother Commodore George Morris I believe may have been the Captain of all 4 Tanias at one time or another.Hard to find information.Actually met the Guy in the middle of the Canadian Prairies.
Wow, I just wrote @SS-zz4pi I wish his grandfather had written his memories down. There's a market for such material on-line, and any photos you've kept, too. You could probably monetize it. Consider it. Such a thing could be a modest source of income for you, and your heirs or a charity when you are gone. I bet there are folks more experienced than me who'd help you get it going, because ocean-liner buffs are a quirky lot with unusual passion for an era that can never be revived.
What a landlocked final port for a commodore! He must have really enjoyed gravity that didn't move about after all those years at sea. @@davidkgreen
@@jeffcampbell1555 He was just visiting my Granny.Found out he was the Captain of the Mary and Elizabeth and actually docked Queen Mary in New York without aid of tugs.He was also the Cunard Captain who raced SS United States.The guy had bags of charisma and a parrot.Dont make them like him or my Granny any more.
Agreed! Ocean Liner World, if I can call it that, was a thing unto itself and nurtured interesting people. Tug-less docking would have required mad skills and balls of steel. If only that parrot could talk. Oh...wait. Please find out if your Commodore Grampa kept a journal.@@davidkgreen
I had no idea she had even existed! Thanks for shining a light on these beautiful forgotten liners!
Loved the Mauretania 2... Sad that she was mostly forgotten
Convoy US-10 sounds ultra-awesome. All those legendary ships steaming at 26 knots- maritime bad-assery doesn't get much better.
Birkenhead is such a forgotten gem here in England. Our man served Queen Elizabeth tea at the launch of HMS Ark Royal in 1950 and I was working there myself in the late 1980s when HMS Unseen was being constructed. 🙏#OurHistory
The image of the troopship convoy composed of the great liners of the day blazing along too fast for the U-Boats to catch them is simply amazing.
Very nice! In the video's last chapter, the name of the chapter is "A Happy Wallflower"... that is such a perfect way to describe her! She was as beautifully decorated as the Queens and Caronia, but never seemed to get the notoriety as her larger Cunard companions. It is wonderful that you produced this video about Maury 2. Even in today's circle of ship enthusiasts, she is still often forgotten about. 🙂
Thanks for giving this ship attention, it’s such an unknown ship, but was really beautiful and worthy of remembrance!
That near collision had me on the edge of my seat 👍
A lovely mid-sized ship that was decorated so beautifully inside. It is a bit of a shame that many of these "second-tier" ships were so good, yet so often forgotten.
Very True
You don't really appreciate how huge Normandie was until you see her moored alongside Queen Mary and absolutely dwarfing her.
A stunning ship. A shame the Americans destroyed her.
@@WhatALoadOfToscaoh shut up with that.
@@sc1338 Shut up with what?
@@sc1338It's true her designer is literally on the dock to offer help to the NYFD. And they just ignored him, maybe because he was Russian?
@@WhatALoadOfToscaI'm completely with you with that one!
Never thought I would shed a tear for a cruise ship but man that ending was amazing. What an honorable way to share her story.
Ocean liner* although she served as both toward the end of her service days.
Such a beautiful liner. The fact she was considered better than the Queens by some is amazing
Beautiful? Obsolete right from the beginning. The first beautiful ships England built were QE2 and Canberra.
It's a pity that RMS "MAURETANIA" didn't get a second chance on the ship market in 1965. She would have been a fantastic addition back then as a running mate to Chandris Lines' "AUSTRALIS" on their Round the World Emigrant/Tourist service to and from Australia/New Zealand. With a stronger air conditioning system and a few small modifications, she could very well have taken on this role. In the Chandris colors blue and white she would have looked very smart - a true "BRITANIS".
That's a great idea of a Mauretania/Britanis. This is just a guess on my part, but I'm wondering if Chandris chose the smaller liner that had been the Monterey because the Cunard liner would have proven to eventually be too large of a ship for the immigrant service that would eventually taper off and end and with a future in cruising being unsure at that time. Maybe the Mauretania was just more ship than Chandris wanted to take on; one big (and really not that big) liner being enough for them. I've also wondered about the Dominion Monarch going to Chandris, but again the D.M. might have been a little too large and then there would be the cost and trouble of turning a lot of cargo space into passenger accommodation. It's fun to speculate on what might have been. I like to say that one of my favorite games is Ocean Liner What-If!
I traveled on her when my parents immigrated to the United States in 1954 and again in 1962. Celebrated my 1st and 9th birthday on this ship.
A rather keen follower of great-liner history, I had never even heard of Mauritania 2. Thank you for this revealing post.
I’m only 3/4 of the way through. Great research. She was a lovely little liner. Truly a hybrid of Mary and Elizabeth, she was an Art Deco darling. Sad that her cruising didn’t take off. She was getting out classed by the likes of Bergensfjord, Kungsholm and couldn’t compete on the southern route. 💔. Thank you for this video. Started my Saturday off beautifully.
I sailed New York to Cobh, Ireland on her in 1961 with my parents and nana. I was 10 and enjoyed the crossing and the return on QE. Marvelous memories.
Answer is simple: she was sold for scrap, having ceased making profit. But her career had been brilliant, she didn't disappoint. Proud successor of the famous 'M.' from Newcastle (Wallsend?) By the way - I was born on the 50th anniversary of launching of the FIRST, four stacked 'Mauretania' (ca. 32.000 tons gross) - on Thursday the 20th of Sep. 1956!
I knew very little about M2, but thanks for sharing her story. So sad that almost all of these great ships have passed into history. Thanks again for this fine channel and all your hard work and research. Truly a labor of love!
Thank you for telling the story of the RMS Mauritania II. When I was 12 years old in 1959, my parents took me on a West Indies cruise aboard the RMS Mauritania II. The cruise was during Christmas and it lasted 14 days. I believe that sea going experience was the primary influence for me to join the US Navy just eight years later. I have a fine B&W photograph of my parents and myself that shows a large section of her port side as well seeing both of the prominent smoke stacks. If you would like a copy of it just reply to this comment and I'm certain we can figure out a method for me to send it to you. Thank you.
My great uncle was on that fast convoy that left from Sydney, but he was on the Aquitania. He was killed in the battle of El Alamein in 1942. I think it's so cool that he was on such a famous ship, though I wish he had come home on it as well.
Thanks for another great show ship mate.
A hand salute to you. Keep them coming!
Has there ever been anything as elegant, beautiful, and mighty as these old liners? Some of the steam locomotives evoke the same spirit, but they fall short in size and execution.
The comments on these liner channels are always the best! So much love, extra details, and even sometimes people with memories and experiences on the ships.
Thank you for the extremely informative, enjoyable, and passionate channel!
Great work, thank you for the video.
Another excellent narrative. Thank you.
I am astonished to hear about the "Power Convoy" of those liners. THANKS for posting this video!
Up until now, I had (surprisingly) not heard of this ship. The video was exceptionally well done and narrated. Please continue your great work in the future.
I'm just learning about all of these amazing ships, and I did not know there was a Mauretania II. This video was so interesting, she was a gorgeous ship. Thanks again, I love when you post a new video. ❤
Dude, you've got me hooked. I don't even know where/how it began... but I keep both eyes out for your documentaries! They never disappointment. I learn much! Thank you!
Addicted to this channel. Thoroughly entertaining, informative and well edited & researched. Bravo!
ANOTHER superb video. You really are the cream of the crop of liner channels. Bravo and more please.
Another stellar video. Thank you for what you do.
It’s great that Mauretania 2 is heavier than the original Mauretania from 1906
Got into your shows yesterday, can't stop. Details, voice perfect. You do well, Sandy , Victoria BC
Many thanks for the detailed and informative video. My grandfather worked on RMS Mauritania 2 at Lairds and my father sailed on her as a ships engineer after the war. He loved the ship, but his favourite was always RMS Caronia better known as 'The Green Goddess'.
I really love your videos. Thanks for all of your research and work.
In Bristol at the bottom of Park Street there is a bar/restaurant called the Mauretania, its been there for years and is furnished with fittings from the ship.
Love your channel.
I find your voice quite relaxing. Enjoying your channel.
I suffer from chronic depression. So i save your videos and play them when I hurt. Its a wonderfull subject that gets my mind on other things. Your narration is excellant it calms me.
And cheers me up when i see a new show. Thank you so much young man. Do you accept one time gifts? Im on SS but I can give you something to show my grattitude
Wow - Your documentaries are amazing. I enjoyed this so much and learned a lot! I didn't know anything about this ship before your video. Thank you!
haven’t started this video all the way yet and Mauritania II is one of my favorite cunarders and I’m happy bigoldboats is doing a vid on her
superb presentation - thank you !!
Very good and informative as always. Thank you for all the hard work you put into these. =)
That was so informative. Thank you
Just came across this feature. I was on the "Morrie" as one of ship's printers for six months, late 1964 going into early 1965. Remember well when composing and printing the "Cunard News" with Sir Winston Churchill's death in January 1965.
Although the "Mauretania" was well past her prime she still had 'class'. In March l completed my last round trip from Southampton-New York-Liverpool. Hurricane Edith hit us both trips. We thought our end had come, but the "Morrie" held firm, though arriving in Liverpool two days late.
By 1965 the transatlantic liners had been superceded by airline travel. But it was good while it lasted. Sixty years on, but great memories for young lads at that time.
Robert H Fidler, KZN, South Africa.
Excellent and informative video. Impressive.
Thank you for your dedication to bringing history in a living and relatable manner. Your skills are impressive.
Well done and thank you again.
Great video about a great liner, which deserves to be better remembered.
Quite well done, thank you :)
This was wonderful, bar far Aunt Barbara's favourite nav channel.
Thank you!
Brilliant video thank you very much❤👀👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent and very educational. Thank You
I like to think the the OG Mauretania was there in spirt just saying to Mauretania 2 "you're doing good kid im proud of you"
My dad served as a RN anti aircraft gunner in her during ww 2.often sailing unescorted by virtue of her speed.Roly 🇬🇧.
Love the stories especially about the Great Lakes and the iron boat lakers. Ever think about doing one on the SS Atlantic disaster? Don’t think a lot of people know much about the tragic loss & one of the White Star Line’s first disaster way before the Titanic. Makes me believe the White Star line was operating under a curse!!
My grandfather would have loved your channel, he loved big ships.
Stop everything team! Big Old Boats has dropped a video!
I love learning about these ships: very informative
I didn’t even know about the 2nd versions that great ocean liner! Thanks for the great info, sadly it seems we lost most of our great work horses in the mid to late 60’s, thank you!
All those names were so familar in my childhood, including the Ile de France and the Nieuw Amsterdam; always something to marvel at when in Southampton. Because of the pre-war books I grew up with, I always linked the new with the old Mauretania. My regret had always been being too young to see the Aquitania's final days.
My father was on the Mauri in WW2, he was in the RAF and was being sent back to the UK. He embarked at Durban in SA, shortly after it set sail for England the degaussing strip around the ship failed, it was then told to set sail to Port of Spain in Trinidad for repairs. Apparently not a enjoyable trip, once repaired it set sail for Liverpool. I live not far from Soton and I saw the Mauri in port on a few occasions in the early 60’s along with the Lizzie and Mary. Cunard had another Mauritania in the early 2000’s cruising out of Southampton.
Some excellent comments here from fans of liners and some interesting knowledge shared
I really enjoyed your video .
It’s a shame I can’t show it to my next door neighbour who passed away couple of years ago. He was a naval historian.
His house is called Mauritania.
I was awed by her when my family took me on a vacation, traveling from New York to Cobh in 1956.
Oh seeing this was just like waking up next to you. What a great surprise.
oh my goodness! I never thought I would hear Inverkeithing getting a mention on Big Old Boats!! I grew up in the village of North Queensferry which is about 1.5 miles from Inverkeithing.....both are very close to Edinburgh. I remember in the late 80s/early 90s the wrecking yard at Inverkeithing was still in operation (alas no more) and I could walk back from Inverkething to my home past the yard and see whichever ships were there to be broken up....mostly old Royal Navy vessels that had been decommissioned but sometimes a passenger ship....and it was always somewhat poignant to see these magnificent liners resting there amongst rusted metal and now they would soon be reduced to that.
Hey Big Old Boats I don't know if you remember but on the video about the RMS Olympic I commented asking if you could make a video about the Mauretania 2 and how she had been forgotten in the present but this video all I can say is thank you for making great videos like this one and even if my comment did nothing I'd still like to thank you for making great content.
Wonderful video -- as always! I read "Captain of the Queens" by Commodore Sir Harry Grattidge and he wrote about people enjoying and maybe even preferring the smaller, "club-like" atmosphere of the second Mauretania. One of those people was movie actress Lana Turner. It may have been on the Mauretania that women passengers would copy the hairstyles Miss Turner had during the crossing. One time the Commodore asked the actress to change her hair-do for when she went to dinner. Lana Turner arrived for dinner with a new "do" and other women had their hair done as the actress had worn it earlier in the day. The Commodore thought it was a good joke. Some of the lady passengers did not share in his amusement...
Off-topic, but I like pens as well as liners. At 9:40 during the segment about Lord Haha we see a young woman writing with what appears to be a fancy fountain pen. I'd like to have a good look at that pen and I wonder if it still exists somewhere. Too, if my memory is right, Lord Haha was later hanged for treason. Maybe someone else can add a comments.
P.S. --- I enjoyed seeing a clip at 15:10 from "The Last Voyage".
MY BELOVED MAURETANIA II GETTING THE APPRAISE SHE DESERVES!!!
Excellent 👍
Heck yeah new video.
Many thanks for another great video, I have a little ships wheel badge from her, I thought Sir Arthur Rostron captained the original Mauritania at the end of her career.
The more important point wouldn't be how she ranked next to other Cunarders of the post-war, but her place among other liners of the time like the America, Manhattan and Washington to name a few pre-war liners, and the Andrea Doria, Cristoforo Columbo, Independence and Constitution among post-war liners. Even then, I'd say that each definitely had their own personality.
Mauretania (II) was a beauty, no doubt about it.
Mauretania 2 beauty? Rather ugly, I would say.
This ship had beautiful interiors in the Cunard line tradition, in what's been termed "late deco"(1940's) style- very similar to the Queen Elizabeth. In fact she was often referred to as the "little sister" to the Elizabeth.
I have here a copy of the Meccano Magazine for June 1939 which carried an article on the new Mauretania. Some of the statistics are mind boggling, such as the fact that each of her propellors weighed 24 tons, but they were so finely balanced that they could be turned with the pressure of one finger! The rudder alone weighed 90 tons, and was transported overland from Darlington, which must have caused a few headaches!
The Mauritania II was a gorgeous ship. She would often be substituted in for one the Queen’s when they were removed for maintenance.
Awesome.
Just started watching. I have a soft spot for Mauretania 2. She's like a baby Queen Elizabeth.♥️🚢
My grand-dad served on the first Mauritania during World War 1 an worked aboard her after the war.
I like Cunards newer ships, even if they are just repainted cruise ships (except QM2 which is a true ocean liner.) Though I do wish Cunard would come out with a modern Mauretania and Aquitania. We have the four queens now but we need two more true modern liners that could honor the pre Queen Mary era liners that are so iconic. Ocean liners arent as profitable but Cunards legacy wasnt built with cruise ships. Cunard passengers know what theyre getting into and theyre the only cruise line that can pull off having true ocean liners in their fleet.
I didnt even know about her. How intriguing she definitely had big shoes to fill buy condidering the war and rise of air power she did her job well and seems beloved by most
Sydney played a major role in docking and converting and harbouring the Mary and Elizabeth too.
The ocean-going liners belong to an age that is to some degree epitomised by the novel Around The World In Eighty Days, which in fact presents a conundrum in the eyes of a modern traveller: enjoying the travel, while keeping it as short as you can.
Phileas Fogg's aim was to get to his destination as fast as possible, and, since that was where he started from, the quickest solution would have been to stay put. His challenge in the novel is the "getting there", but taking under 80 days to do it. "Getting there" is now rarely regarded as part of "travelling." People focus more on "being there," not "getting there." When you booked a ticket on a liner, I guess the voyage was the trip, and not an inconvenience, and what you did after docking was - perhaps - less exciting.
I didn't even know that there was a RMS MAURITANIA 2,what a pity they didn't launch a RMS OLYMPIC 2,as well it was nice to see the original MAURITANIA in the pictures and a glimpse of RMS OLYMPIC sister to the late RMS TITANIC & RMS BRITTANIC
The numbers of troops packed onto these transports is mindboggling. Her near miss must have been terrifying to endure.
I remember Mauretania at the dock in New York with the QE and QM and Isle de France. Those were the glory days of the Trans Atlantic liners, right after the war.
I didn’t realize they made another Maureitania and wow she was a looker.