Information About Specific Crossings
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The records of ships used to carry troops to their theaters of operations were destroyed intentionally in 1951. "According to our [U. S. National Archives] records, in 1951 the Department of the Army destroyed all passenger lists, manifests, logs of vessels, and troop movement files of United States Army Transports for World War II." (Sorry, but there was no word on why the records were destroyed.) Thus there is no longer an official record of who sailed on what ship, though there are still valuable sources that can be found. So this web page is an informal collecting ground for information about troop ship crossings.

If you have information about a crossing, please submit your information.

More Information

Quick Info About This Ship
Ship Type: Passenger Ship
War Service Dates: March 1940 - September 1946
Built: 1930-1936 - John Brown & Co., LTD., Clydebank, Scotland
Troop Capacity: 15,000+ troops
Disposition: Hotel & convention facility in Long Beach, CA

1944

January 3 to January 9

Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
January 22 to January 28
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
January 31 to February 6
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
February 12 to February 18
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gouroack, Scotland
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
February 21 to February 27
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
March 1 to March 7
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 74th General Hospital and other Army personnel (total of 11,950 troops & 1,190 crew)
Convoy Number: None known
Source: W. McPherson (via D. McPherson) and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
March 11 to March 17
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 2,042 passengers & 1,123 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
March 21 to March 27
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 34th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron and others (total of 12,072 troops & 1,099 crew)
Convoy Number: None known
Source: R. Faulkner and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:

From: Richard Faulkner (webmaster@waltermitty.com)
Date Received: 98-10-07 16:35:54 EDT

In doing research for the site I'm working on, history of the 34th Photo Recon Sqdrn, I found your site. It seems the squadron shipped to England aboard Queen Mary. Here's some notes from a memoir by the unit commander.

Under cover of darkness on 21 March 1944 "Shipment 5254-Y" bedecked in full battle dress, detrained once again and marched aboard our "North Atlantic Cruise Ship". And would you believe it! We had drawn the "Pride of the Seas", the Queen Mary. Approximately 350 strong we represented the finishing touch to some 17,000 other warm & crowded bodies already aboard and waiting. We were the last full unit to board. Our enlisted men were immediately escorted directly below to the bowels of the ship, "E Deck"! And as one of the newly appointed "E Deck" commanders I had the honor of joining them.

With "no delay" the "Queen" steamed from her berth out of the narrows of New York harbor during the night hours and was well to sea by the time we saw daylight once again. It was a rough but rapid crossing. With 17,000 plus troops aboard there was little time or room for parading the upper decks. It was a mass of mankind in a relatively confined area. Even the seasick, and there were many, had to elbow their way to the rail--few making it. But I assure you, the "Limey" outfit running this "show" really knew what was going on and what had to be done. It was organized to a "T".

Other than the gales and continuous high seas the only incident occurred on the third night out. Rumor had it that a German "wolfpack" was hard on our tail. At any rate during the night the "Queen" did make a sudden 90 degree turn to the North and drawing full steam must have headed direct for the "Ice Pack" before turning eastward once again. If one dared stick his nose out for a bit of fresh air it was cold, cold, cold. (Incidentally, one of the least publicized but also more reliable post-war secrets attributed that Hitler had posted a $1,000,000 reward for the "U-boat" skipper and crew that nailed the "Queen" on one of her fully-loaded east-bound crossings--Pleasant Dreams.)

No matter how fast or uneventful our crossing was it wasn't fast enough. It was, indeed, a great relief when we heard the rattle of anchor chains running out on the morning of the sixth day in the Firth of Clyde just outside Glasgow, Scotland. The disposition of the 17,000 troops was executed expeditiously. With minimum delay the 34th had said gooby to the "Queen of the Seas" and boarded English Coaches for a final train ride south.

The 34th had sailed from NYC enroute to Chalgrove, England. They were to have sailed as part of a later convoy to the MED. Fortunately they were bumped in schedule, due to accellerated training and the proficiency of the squadron members, and sailed out of NYC. Had they not sailed on QM...they would have died. It seems the squadron that sailed to the MED, in their place, was KIA by a U-Boat attack enroute. All hands on the cargo/troopship perished.

34th Photo Recon Sqdrn Online (34th PRS) http://waltermitty.com/34thprs

March 31 to April 6
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 1,246 passengers & 1,091 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
April 10 to April 16
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 11,979 troops & 1,086 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
May 7 to May 13
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 968 passengers & 935 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
June 7 to June 13
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 7th Armored Division (total of 11,993 troops & 1,112 crew)
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes: Troops boarded the ship on June 6.
June 17 to June 23
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 4,898 passengers & 1,103 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
July 1 to July 7
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 14,533 troops & 1,105 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
July 11 to July 17
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 5,060 passengers & 1,103 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
July 23 to July 28
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 12,009 troops including the 30th Anti-aircraft Artillery (AAA) Group & 1,130 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes: Troops debarked on July 29.

From: Jeffry A. Pogliano (jeffrya@rof.net)
Date Received: 97-02-23 18:54:57 EST

The 30th AAA Group headquarters unit, 11 officers and 54 enlisted men, embarked from New York on 23 July 1944 on "NY 22." I found this code name in re-reading our unit history. I know the vessel was either the Queen Mary or the Queen Elisabeth because there were over 12,000 troops on board, and we made the crossing alone, with no escort.We disembarked at Gaurock, Scotland on 29 July. I was a Captain at the time, serving as Assistant S-2 and Liaison Officer. Our group was responsible for destroying hundreds of V-1 Flying Bombs in actions on the English Channel coast and also in the defense of the port of Antwerp.

August 6 to August 12
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: J. Pogliano and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
August 20 to August 26
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Firth of Clyde, Scotland
Units on Board: Company D, 19th Tank Battalion and others
Convoy Number: None known
Source: Mervin D. Chew and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
September 5 to September 10
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to Halifax, Nova Scotia
Units on Board: 3,594 passengers & 1,107 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
September 10 to September 11
Embarkation/Debarkation: Halifax, Nova Scotia to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
September 20 to September 25
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 9,084 troops & 1,110 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: Diary of D. Hogland's father and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
October 2 to October 8
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 5,047 passengers & 1,086 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
October 12 to October 18
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 11,891 troops including replacements & 1,061 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: J. Delawder in Lucky 7th (1990 - p. 222) and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
October 22 to October 28
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 3,016 passengers & 1,059 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
November 3 to November 9
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 11,968 troops & 1,065 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
November 13 to November 19
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: 2,477 passengers & 1,076 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
December 10 to December 16
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 11,996 troops & 1,084 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
December 21 to December 27
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:

This information, specifications and resulting ship histories are gathered and compiled from from various sources that many times conflict. If you find an error or discrepancy, please email me at troopships@pier90.org or
fill out our online crossing submission form.
If you are interested in the histories of merchant ships that served during WWII (as well as during other wars) in any capacity or that were lost due to wartime activities, please watch for our sister site
"Liners and Merchant Ships At War" that is currently under construction.