Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Queen Mary Queen of the Atlant…

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Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Queen Mary Queen of the Atlantic

AssociatedAssociated with Lord Mountbatten of Burma (Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)

Medallist John Pinches, Medallists

DateMay 2004

Object NameMedal

MediumSterling Silver

ClassificationsMedals

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS072500.89

Keywords

Commemorative

About MeEarly in 1929 the Cunard Steam Ship Company was faced with two problems: the need to regain the 'Blue Riband' of the -Atlantic, and the necessity of replacing some of their older transatlantic liners. An order for a new and very large passenger ship was placed with John Brown & Company Limited, Clydebank, and the keel was laid on 27th December, 1930. The vessel was John Brown's yard number 534 - a number which was to become familiar throughout Britain.

After the expenditure of about £1 ½m on the new ship, Cunard found themselves hard hit by the 'Great Crash' in America and the subsequent world economic depression which had catastrophic effects upon the transatlantic passenger trade. With the government of the day refusing to give financial assistance, despite the severe unemployment on the Clyde and elsewhere, 'No. 534' lay idle on the stocks for over two years. In February 1934, however the government agreed to advance Cunard a sum sufficient to complete the liner, on condition that an amalgamation was instituted between the Cunard Steam Ship Company and the White Star Line. The new company, known now as Cunard White Star saw work resumed at Clydebank in April 1934.

The giant liner was launched 26th September, 1934 by H.M. Queen Mary in the presence of H.M. King George V, and amidst great rejoicing the ship was named Queen Mary - a name kept secret until the moment of the launch.

Queen Mary was completed in March 1936, and measured 975.2 feet in length, 118.6 feet in breadth. She was propelled by 16 steam turbines geared to four shafts, her engines being built by John Brown & Company.

On 27th May, 1936 she sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton, via Cherbourg to New York, making the Cherbourg to New York crossing in four days, 12 hours, 24 minutes, at an average speed of over 29 knots. In August 1938 Queen Mary successfully regained for Britain the Blue Riband by accomplishing two historic voyages, sailing from Southampton to New York at an average speed of 30.99 knots and then returning to Southampton at a speed of 31 .69 knots.

The outbreak of the Second World War found Queen Mary at New York where she lay until March 1940, when she began a remarkable new career as a troopship, having been fitted to be capable of accommodating 15,000 men.

Her distinguished wartime service completed, she resumed commercial sailings on 31st July, 1947, and sailed on her last voyage to New York on 16th September, 1967 - her
One-thousandth Atlantic crossing. Sold to the City of Long Beach, California, she sailed from Britain for the last time by way of the South Atlantic and Cape Horn, arriving at her final resting-place on 9th December, 1967.

The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.