RMS Queen Mary celebrates 90 years since Clydebank launch

On the afternoon of September 26, 1934, RMS Queen Mary was launched from John Brown’s shipyard in a ceremony attended by the ship’s name-giver Queen Mary and her husband King George V.

Her construction began in 1930 but was short-lived as work came to a halt as the impact of financial difficulties exacerbated by the great depression meant money ran out.(Image: Courtesy of West Dunbartonshire Council Arts & Heritage Service) At this point, the ship was merely known as hull number 534 and local workers were facing hardship as they were laid off and fighting off poverty.

It would be two and a half years before work resumed following a cash boost in the form of a loan from the government.

Engineers at the shipyard (Image: Courtesy of West Dunbartonshire Council Arts & Heritage Service) King George V and Queen Mary at the launch (Image: Courtesy of West Dunbartonshire Council Arts & Heritage Service) This saw construction begin once more in April 1934 months before the Mary was to set sail.

Charlie Grozier whose father Alexander worked as an engineer on the '534', spoke to the Post in 2009.

He was just three years old when the ship launched but his father would share with him the story of what happened.

He said: “When the ship was launched she was pushed down the slipway into the water.

“To stop her going right over to the other side of the river, chains dragged her and pulled her back.

“There were four or five big chains and my father would have been involved with attaching them and making sure they dragged the ship back.

“I was there when she left the Clyde to go on her maiden voyage.

“Everyone on the other side of the river got splashed because she made such a big wave.

“A lot of people say that the Queen Mary is the best Cunarder. Others say it's the Queen Elizabeth but for me, it's the Queen Mary."

In 1936, the liner was passed over to Cunard shipping company where she then sailed on her ‘honeymoon’ voyage from Southampton.

In late 1939, as World War Two began, the Queen Mary, renowned for her stealth and speed and known as the ‘Grey Ghost’, was transformed into a transport vessel for soldiers.

After her voyages, she served as a passenger liner transporting some famous faces from various royalty to Hollywood stars.(Image: Courtesy of West Dunbartonshire Council Arts & Heritage Service)

The Queen Mary sailed until her retirement in 1967 where she now rests in Long Beach, California.

QMI Restore the Queen works to preserve the ship and spoke with the Post ahead of this milestone anniversary.

Mary Rohrer started the foundation with her husband after growing up only a few miles from RMS Queen Mary in her resting place.

She began visiting in 1971 when she became enthralled with the historic ship and today is still working on the restoration of the vessel.

She said: “She said: “I grew up a few miles from the Queen Mary and began visiting in 1971 when my dad took me to the opening day of the Jaque Couteau [French naval officer] exhibition.

"My view of the world as I knew it at age five, was forever changed by the Queen Mary.

"The ship served as my playground over the years and from my visits, I developed a true appreciation and passion for history. That appreciation included a desire to give back and offer support to the ship.

"Offers to donate or volunteer were met with, ‘Thank you, but we don’t have a program for that’.

"It was later that year that the QMI was formed.”

Mary and Mike Rohrer from QMI Restore the Queen (Image: Courtesy of West Dunbartonshire Council Arts & Heritage Service) In Clydebank, Provost for West Dunbartonshire, Karen Murray Conaghan, has made a declaration to commemorate the 90th anniversary.

She said: "The launch of the RMS Queen Mary in September 1934 from the John Brown shipyard in Clydebank, marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey which has earned her a place of distinction within maritime history, not only as a luxury liner but also for the remarkable contribution she made to the war effort during World War II.

"Renowned for her stealth and speed, she was known as the ‘Grey Ghost’, safely transporting record-breaking numbers of armed forces personnel across the Atlantic.

"From her first journey from Clydebank, until her final crossing in 1967, having carried over 2 million passengers over 3.5 million miles, she sailed to the port of Long Beach, California, where she permanently docked as a historical landmark."