Clydebank's launch of famous liner the QE2 remembered

A headline in the Evening Times described a “tense moment” as the ship seemed to pause briefly before sweeping majestically into the water.

The Cunard liner, previously referred to as Q4, was launched from John Brown’s Clydebank shipyard amidst much pomp and ceremony on September 20, 1967.

The royal party included the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister.

The Queen gets a tour of the yard (Image: Newsquest)

They were greeted with balloons, streamers, flags and bunting, and their journey to the yard was lined with cheering crowds. At the famous Singer’s factory, employees crowded at windows to catch a glimpse – and some even made it onto the roof.

Our sister title reported the story – on the front page, and over four pages inside the newspaper – with great pride.

Our front page 57 years ago today (Image: Newsquest)

“Altogether it was a great day for Clydebank,” said the reporting team.

“Half an hour before the launch one shipyard official was almost beside himself with delight over the way the arrangements had gone.

“’I’ve never known anything in the yard go quite so perfectly before,’ he enthused. ‘Everything has been absolutely spot-on.’”

The 30,000-strong crowd included people who had travelled from America to see the launch, and 200 young people from the Queen’s Scouts, Guides and Boys Brigade, all holders of the Queen’s Badge.

The Queen was wearing “a turquoise coat and matching hat with black shoes and handbag; Prince Philip wore a dark blue pin-striped suit and carried a brown soft hat.”

Princess Margaret, who was wearing a “natural coloured fitted coat with mink collar and a hat which was of brown calf skin, flecked with white, in a cloche style” and “chocolate brown accessories” arrived before the Queen and enjoyed a tour of the yard.

“She halted, however, as though stopped in her tracks, at her first glimpse of the 960ft-long Q4,” said the reporter.

“Gazing in obvious admiration at the giant liner, the Princess discussed it animatedly with John Brown’s chairman, Lord Aberconway, Cunard chairman Sir Basil Smallpiece and Mr John Rannie, the shipyard managing director.

“Princess Margaret said, ‘isn’t she a beautiful ship?’”

There was another thrill for the crowd when 13 Royal Navy Buccaneer aircraft from Lossiemouth came roaring over the yard in formation, said the report.

“The jets lined themselves up perfectly on the 1000ft launching way and streaked straight along it and low over the heads of the Queen and the royal party on the launch platform,” it was reported.

“Spectators in the yard had a perfect view of the royal party as they made a 20-minute-long round tour round the ship.”

During a career spanning almost 40 years, the QE2 completed 1419 voyages, sailed more nautical miles than any other ship, carried almost 2.5 million passengers, crossed the Atlantic 812 times and sailed around the world 25 times.

She became known worldwide as a symbol of the enduring excellence of Scottish engineering.

John Brown Shipyard won the contract in December 1964 and in May 1969 she had her official maiden voyage to New York.

In May 1982 she was requisitioned for the Falklands War as a troop ship and set sail for St Georgia with 3000 troops on board.

In 2007, thousands of people crowded Greenock's Esplanade to see the world's most famous liner, 40 years after it was launched upriver at Clydebank.

Many came because they had worked in the John Brown yard or had watched the launch by the Queen on September 20, 1967.

The crowds were thrilled by a Red Arrows display, and a Greenock Academy stall at the West Kirk sold out of 50p QE2 bookmarks.

Our sister title interviewed Matthew Martin, 88, who as a 15-year-old watched the 1934 launch of the Queen Mary, and who used to work as a sub-contracted painter and decorator in the yards.

We also spoke to Jim Clark, 66, and his neighbour Bob Trail, from Paisley.

"We saw it getting launched and we watched it come out after it was fitted-out," said Jim.

Bob said: "The launch was a fantastic sight, bearing in mind what had been going on with the shipyards - their future was hanging by a thread."

In 2008, the QE2 was berthed in Dubai and converted into a luxury floating hotel.