At a time when the southern hemisphere is buzzing with the excitement of
having the two great Cunarders of today in their waters, perhaps it is
fitting we should recall the life one of the company's ships that has
passed into history long ago, the RMS AQUITANIA.
Indeed, no better day than today as it was on this day 57 years ago that
the 'Ship Beautiful' as she was affectionately termed, arrived at the
shipbreaking yard at Faslane in Scotland, ending a life that had spanned
two world wars and earned her a place in the affections of many.
She was launched on 21st April 1913 at the yard of John Brown, Clydebank
and was billed as the largest liner in Britain. Any excitement of her
launch would of course have been tempered by the memory of that other
great liner the TITANIC, which had gone to the bottom of the icy Atlantic
only a year earlier. Mindful of this the new Cunard ship was proclaimed to
be one built with safety in mind, but this was not the only consideration.
Germany had been greatly alarming Britain in preceding years by building
up her naval forces. Talk of war was already rumbling and as part of the
deal to get help from the Government with financing the vessel, she was to
be designed with regards to possible use in wartime.
If looming war clouds on horizon, or thoughts of the tragedy of the loss
of TITANIC bothered anyone at her launch, it would prove to be as nothing
when she began her maiden voyage over a year later on 30th May 1914. Not
just that the war clouds were getting much thicker, but a very sobering
event that had happened the day before what should have been a day of
unbridled celebration for the new liner.
Canada's worst maritime disaster had happened just hours before when the
EMPRESS OF IRELAND (another Clydebuilt liner, from Fairfield's at Govan)
had been struck by a freighter after she left Quebec and sank, taking with
her over 1000 souls.
So a pall would be cast over the beginning of her life, and it was
initially a very brief civilian life as war did indeed erupt in Europe
only a few months later. Like so many merchant vessels she was scooped up
to take her role in a world that was suddenly plunged into death and
destruction. At first she was employed by the Admiralty as an Armed
Merchant Cruiser, but she collided with another vessel on only her second
voyage in this role, and it was decided she was just too big for such a
job and for the remainder of the war she performed trooping duties or
served as a hospital ship.
After the war she underwent a refit at the Armstrong Whitworth shipyard in
Newcastle. She was converted to oil burning and had her beautiful
interiors restored. During the Roaring Twenties she was THE ship on the
Atlantic and proved very popular with the great and the good of the day.
She was joined on the Atlantic by the MAURETANIA and the BERENGARIA (the
LUSITANIA had been torpedoed during the war)
Even as newer ships, who really made the AQUITANIA look positively
archaic, came on the scene in the 1930's., she kept up her popularity. In
1936 she was joined by the new Cunard flagship, the mighty QUEEN MARY and
it looked like her days would be numbered, especially when the QUEEN
ELIZABETH was ordered and launched, as surely the old girl would
definitely be on her way out when she, who would come to be the biggest
passenger liner in the world for many decades, came into service.
However, if war had cramped AQUITANIA's style when she young, it was now
to give her a new lease of life and purpose in declining years.
In 1939 once more the war clouds came and rumbled even louder over Europe.
Once more vessels were speedily snapped up by a desperate nation and
pressed into war service. Of course, the Cunarders did not escape, and
AQUITANIA again found herself stripped of her luxuriant fittings and
crossing the oceans with troops. She was to be well travelled too,
carrying troops on the Atlantic and also from Australia, as well as duties
in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. By the time war had ended and the
Admiralty had eventually returned her to Cunard in 1948 she had steamed
half a million miles and carried over 300,000 troops.
The last two years in civilian life were hardly a return to glory however.
She took up the emigrant trade, but her age, and her hard pressed service
during the war was taking its toll. Mechanically she was suffering
greatly, and break downs were not uncommon, whilst structural wear and
tear became apparent. Illustrated perfectly when on one crossing under
charter by the Canadian Government, a piano fell through one of her
floors! Even her trade mark funnels were corroding so badly, it was feared
they too would collapse.
 She
was not to get a certificate beyond 1949, and the 1st of December 1949 saw
her steam into Southampton for the last time at the end of her 443rd
voyage. She was sold to the British Iron & Steel Corporation for scrapping
and later made her final journey, home to the place of her birth, the
Clyde.
And so her absolute final journey came to an end at Faslane today in 1950.
A brave new world was awakening, and it had no thought for ancient four
stack liners. The QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH were wowing the crowds
now, all that was left was to face the scrappers torches. With her steam
whistle blowing in defiance, as smoke billowed from her stacks, she was
gently nudged into place on the cold Scottish loch-side, and her final
chapter began to close...
(Photos show AQUITANIA arriving at Faslane on 21st February, 1950)
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