QE2 in white / grey / pebble grey hull colours 1982-1983

[Rod]

At one time...I seem to remember the funnel being mostly white?

[Bruce Nicholls]

The first time I saw QE2 was in the Channel from a ferry to France during the Grey Period. I was desperately disappointed with the rusty run down looking ship I saw. I don't think I even took a photo, it was that bad!

[Alan Snelson]

Not a colour combination I ever liked though thankfully I was no longer working aboard when she took on the look.

Came across the attached first day cover amongst my collection.

[riskygizmo]

Never liked the look. I've written about it elsewhere on the forum, to my eye the charcoal hull and the white funnel casing was the look She was designed with and suited Her perfectly.

Reading Flagship's post above re Lord Mathews' rationale for the change (paint Her something close to battleship grey after Her war service) did leave me wondering about the fitness of those in charge to be in charge, but, in fairness, grey hulls with black over red funnels was the Cunard look in the immediate post war era for the Old Queens and the Maury as they carried out their "demob duties".



Image from talkmodeltoys.com

[Michael Gallagher]

And of course Mauretania ended her days white with Cunard funnels and Aquitania ended hers in the same Queen Mary livery as seen above.

[Peter Mugridge]

Is it not the case, however, that the Mary and Elizabeth were grey after the war because they had been painted thus during the war for their troopship duties in order to make them less visible through the periscope of a U Boat?  QE2, on the other hand, was repainted for purely image driven reasons.

How long after the war was it before they were repainted with black hulls?

[riskygizmo]

Is it not the case, however, that the Mary and Elizabeth were grey after the war because they had been painted thus during the war for their troopship duties in order to make them less visible through the periscope of a U Boat?  QE2, on the other hand, was repainted for purely image driven reasons.

How long after the war was it before they were repainted with black hulls?

Yes, Peter. The grey scheme had been part of their wartime camouflage. Battleship Grey had been adopted by the Royal Navy in 1903 at the start of the Dreadnought age and the height of the Anglo German naval arms race (Riddle of the Sands and all that). The Imperial German Navy had introduced a "shades of grey" scheme in 1896 and the RN had noticed that it's own ships, with liner like black hulls, white upperworks, buff funnels and lots of shiny brightwork, whilst very smart and good for "showing the flag" might make any fight a bit of a one sided affair.

In the First World War another scheme had been tried. The dazzle ship, with random colours and shapes painted on their sides', designed to confuse the plotting of periscope depth U Boats. The Mauretania had a spell so painted. (Interestingly the NCL seem to be trying to bring something like it back )

As far as a return to Cunard colours at the end of WW2, from what I can ascertain, the funnels were painted fairly soon after hostilities ceased. The hull and superstructure schemes were left until the ships were released from TUFT service and refitted for commercial operation.

The Elizabeth was first, released 6 March 46, refitted and back in service 16 Oct 46

The Mauretania                   "         2 Sept  46                        "                    26 apr 47
   
The Mary                             "        27 Sept 46                        "                     31 Jul 47

The Aquitania                      "         1 Apr 48, chartered to the Canadian Gov till 1 Dec 49 then retired Jan 50.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That means we can narrow down the time frame for Riskygizmo's picture; assuming it's a Southampton image ( and the style of tugs and the tender seem to imply this ) then it's obviously a summer scene - angle of shadows as well as clear skies - and so is probably dated to very shortly before the Mary was repainted back in July 1947???

[Michael Gallagher]

The photo of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth was taken on 29 September 1946. Elizabeth had been demobbed in April 1946 and was getting ready for her October 1946 refit while Mary was demobbed that day and would return to service in July 1947.

[Peter Mugridge]

Great thank you Michael; looks like they had a good late summer in 1946 doesn't it?

[riskygizmo]

Not long after the Mary, Maury and Lizzie resumed their white over black liveries the Caronia entered service in her "cruising green" colours, a look, as far as I can tell, she sported for her whole Cunard career. The Mauretania had a spell in green towards the end of her life, as did the Carmania (and, I think, the Franconia) before being painted all white.

[Rob Lightbody]

Getting there is Half the fun!

Advert attached showing QE2 in Grey

This was in Kiplinger's Personal Finance March 1983
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7QQEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA43&dq=qe2&pg=PA43#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Clydebuilt1971]

Getting there is Half the fun!

Advert attached showing QE2 in Grey

This was in Kiplinger's Personal Finance March 1983
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7QQEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA43&dq=qe2&pg=PA43#v=onepage&q&f=false

I have a couple of these in the house of which one is of QE2 & Concorde - the others are QE & QM - All are framed but I'll try to scan and post (in the appropriate sections)

G

[Adam Hodson]

She looked very different in grey, in a good way I think. Although, nothing beats the traditional, dark blue/black, red and white.

[Adam Hodson]

93-17w by Captain Martini, on Flickr

She certainly looks quite nice in this photo, even with that 'interesting and different' colour scheme - but then again, she always looks nice.