Queen's Move
Sir: As an old seaman, may I express appreciation of and agreement with Sir Denis Brogan's remarks concerning the 'Queen Mary' (18 August), a ship which despite all publicity never, war service apart, captured the hearts of seamen as did some of her predecessors.
Naturally, any ship whose construction is inter- rupted is expected to be unlucky, but the 'Queen Mary' had in addition the living down of that awful maiden voyage when, according to one broadcast commentator still with us: 'Captain Britten gave the dramatic order "Half speed ahead—": I have met seamen who have sailed in her, but never one who loved her.
How well Professor Brogan hits off the 'Aqui- tania'; she really was a lady, freely acknowledged as the First Lady of the Atlantic in those wonder- ful nineteen-twenties. But for the seamen the world over there was only one 'greatest' —the 'Old Morry.' No one tried to give the 'Mauretania' any spurious fame, she fought and earned her reputation, and we loved her for it. No wonder men wept when she left Southampton for the breaker's yard. We shall never see her like again.
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