Superb, clear video of a QE2 transatlantic, 1969. From Ken Butz on Youtube

[Rob Lightbody]

QE2 cruise from Southampton Ocean Terminal, UK to New York City. All above deck footage and a dramatic pass under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into the upper bay of New York Harbor.
its to quiet to be the maiden voyage - transferred from 16mm film.

[Thomas Hypher]

An amazing video...saw it a few months ago on YouTube - great that the footage has been digitised and made publicly viewable! QE2 in original form is familiar in some places but also very different overall to me at least.

[Peter Mugridge]

It's clearly a summer crossing - and in the opening scenes there is what looks like a mixed liner with a twin yellow funnel ( not the Canberra but with a similar funnel arrangement ) - possibly a Union Castle Line vessel; it's a distinctive funnel arrangement... it may be possible to tie the exact date down if anyone recognises that other ship and can cross-refer the dates both were in Southampton together...?

[June Ingram]

Great video.  The clarity is excellent coming from a 16 mm film.  Also it is great to see QE2's original davit color and color of her superstructure on the boat deck.   

[Trevor Harris]

Amazing video considering that film from that time would usually be in a grainy state. Love her fresh look.

[June Ingram]

Actually, color film from that time in 16 mm and in Super 8 taken with a good camera is amazingly clear.  Plus the use of polarizing lenses accentuated the color and clarity.   

[Thomas Hypher]

It's clearly a summer crossing - and in the opening scenes there is what looks like a mixed liner with a twin yellow funnel ( not the Canberra but with a similar funnel arrangement ) - possibly a Union Castle Line vessel; it's a distinctive funnel arrangement... it may be possible to tie the exact date down if anyone recognises that other ship and can cross-refer the dates both were in Southampton together...?

Very similar weather to me and my parent's first voyage on QE2 in August 2003 - also a Westbound as in this film footage. The North Atlantic was glistening and the weather was also warm - quite a lot like a voyage in the Mediterranean! I would therefore guess July or August 1969 for this voyage.

I don't think the twin yellow funnelled ship was a Union Castle Line ship given their unique livery and the twin yellow funnelled ship looks more like an early generation car ferry (cross channel?) with what appears to be a transom stern with by extension a stern door just out of view of the camera. The twin yellow funnelled ship is still a mystery to me though, maybe someone else here can identify her? I might do some detective work too...out of curiosity and fun!

[Lynda Bradford]

A video that captures a moment in time. 

I particularly like that the passengers' dress style has been captured, including women wearing headscarves. Also the crew wearing the white uniform and sailor hats.  Fantastic to see the images of the original funnel and the flags flying from the mast.  It would be good to identify all the flags. 

[Peter Mugridge]

I don't think the twin yellow funnelled ship was a Union Castle Line ship given their unique livery and the twin yellow funnelled ship looks more like an early generation car ferry (cross channel?) with what appears to be a transom stern with by extension a stern door just out of view of the camera. The twin yellow funnelled ship is still a mystery to me though, maybe someone else here can identify her? I might do some detective work too...out of curiosity and fun!

Well... P&O did run a ferry service from Southampton until the late 1980s and the colours do seem to match P&O's livery but I don't know where their terminal was - if it was immediately adjacent to the original Ocean Terminal then you might well be on the correct trail here...

Unfortunately, of course, if that is a ferry and not a liner in the film then that throws all chance of using it for pinning down the date of the QE2 voyage out of the window since the ferry would be there every day...

[Barumfox]

Fantastic footage which shows just how much open deck space plus the stadium/dustbowl for the many was sacrificed for the Balcony cabins / penthouse for the few.

The Deck 13 cabins forward on QM2 added in 2016 have had a similar effect in reducing open deck space so some things never change in the pursuit of additional revenue!

Gary

[Frank Imgrund]

...It's clearly a summer crossing - and in the opening scenes there is what looks like a mixed liner with a twin yellow funnel ( not the Canberra but with a similar funnel arrangement ) - possibly a Union Castle Line vessel; it's a distinctive funnel arrangement... it may be possible to tie the exact date down if anyone recognises that other ship and can cross-refer the dates both were in Southampton together...?


Hello,
it is not a ferry and also not a "mixed liner" - 

it´s the cableship "CS Mercury"

http://atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/Mercury/index.htm

[Peter Mugridge]

it is not a ferry and also not a "mixed liner" - 

it´s the cableship "CS Mercury"

Brilliant spot - thank you; I had given up trying to identify it.

Next question - how much time did Mercury spend in Southampton?  are we now able to pin down the date of the QE2 sailing in the video...?

[Thomas Hypher]

...It's clearly a summer crossing - and in the opening scenes there is what looks like a mixed liner with a twin yellow funnel ( not the Canberra but with a similar funnel arrangement ) - possibly a Union Castle Line vessel; it's a distinctive funnel arrangement... it may be possible to tie the exact date down if anyone recognises that other ship and can cross-refer the dates both were in Southampton together...?


Hello,
it is not a ferry and also not a "mixed liner" - 

it´s the cableship "CS Mercury"

http://atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/Mercury/index.htm

Welcome aboard Frank Thank you for the identification, we'd been well and truly stumped beforehand!

I see you are very well travelled! Looking forward to hearing more about your voyages, particularly those on the classic ships!