Category Archives: World War II service

Blue Riband liners, Company histories, Four funnel liners, French liners, Great War service, Lost by fire, Three funnel liners, World War II service

FRENCH LINE/CGT:
the company and the ships

Compagnie Générale Transatlantique – also known as Transat, French Line or CGT – served many routes around the world, not just across the Atlantic. Although best known for its beautiful passenger liners on the North Atlantic, it also operated a large fleet of ferries, freighters, refrigerated fruit carriers and other vessels.

Founded in 1855, the company gained a worldwide reputation for its luxuriously-appointed liners and the cuisine aboard. Major events and personnel are covered in the introductory section, followed by a comprehensive, illustrated fleet list covering every vessel over the years, plus chartered and managed ships. As well as basic technical data, each ship’s career is detailed, including major events, rebuilds, collisions and sinkings, with photographs of almost every vessel. Important ships in the growth and development of CGT are given greater coverage. Tugs and tenders are covered as well as many charters.

The Great War, post-war and World War 2

During the Great War the company lost 29 ships, but with government help it rebuilt, reaching the peak with Normandie in 1935. CGT lost 48 out of its fleet during World War 2.

Peacetime

Although post-war passenger traffic initially grew rapidly, the advent of commercial air travel was to alter everything. Passenger demand decreased, despite the launch of the new France, as no ship could match the convenience of flights that transported passengers at much lower fares in just hours over a distance that by ship would take several days. The company became increasingly dependent on government subsidies, until these were eventually removed. In the 1960s and early 1970s CGT focussed more on freight, and eventually dropped the passenger services, until in 1975 the French government merged CGT and Messageries Maritimes, to form Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM). 

Compagnie Générale Transatlantique was no more.

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274 pages including 8 in full colour.
£38.99 plus shipping




 

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British liners, Cunard Line, Great War service, World War II service

AQUITANIA: Limited stock
Paperback version

aqui-1-cover002Clearing out the warehouse to make room for new stock, we found two boxes of mint copies of this book from 1997! Rarely available even from second-hand bookshops, this is a chance for you to acquire your own copy at less than the original cover price.

This is a paperback book covering the design, construction and service of Cunard’s four-funnelled express liner Aquitania. Published in 1997, this is smaller than our newer offering but still very detailed book about this beautiful liner. In 72 packed pages, every facet of the liner’s construction and service are covered.

Her first three commercial North Atlantic crossings in 1914 were a triumph. Then Aquitania proudly gave four years of service to her country, as an armed merchant cruiser, then a troopship and a hospital ship.

Aquitania’s peacetime service

Aquitania resumed her peacetime service and quickly became popular. Although she never fought for the Blue Riband, she was still one of the fastest liners on the route. Increasing US immigration restrictions, Prohibition, the Great D

World War II

With the advent of yet another war, she was soon requisitioned as a troopship, giving six years of hard work around the world.

Her last few years were spent  repatriating American and Canadian troops, German prisoners of war and war brides, before taking emigrants to their new lives in a new world. She was finally scrapped in 1950.

72 pages. £10.00 plus shipping



 

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American liners, Blue Riband liners, British liners, Great War service, White Star Line, World War II service

WHITE STAR LINE:
The Company & The Ships

Cover for White Star Line bookThe origins of White Star Line can be traced back to 1846. T.H. Ismay bought the company in 1868, registering it as Oceanic Steam Navigation, trading as White Star. He forged agreements with Harland & Wolff in Belfast to build his ships, which quickly gained a reputation for speed, comfort and reliability. The company grew and prospered, building ever bigger and better ships.

After T.H. Ismay died, his son, J. Bruce Ismay, took over. In 1902 the American financier J. Pierpont Morgan bought the company as part of the IMM combine, and Ismay became President and Chairman.

American owners, economic pressures

World economics turned against the company, with slumps, depressions, the loss of Titanic, the Great War and reduced US immigration quotas. By the late 1920s White Star was on the point of collapse, and in 1934, under pressure from the UK government, it was forced to merge with Cunard, also in financial difficulties.

Development, growth and decline

This book looks at the development, growth and decline of one of the most famous shipping lines in history. It looks at the highlights, successes, mishaps and tragedies.

It covers the careers of all the ships, owned and chartered, with photographs of most, along with illustrations of advertisements, menus and other ephemera. It is a complete company history.

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250 pages with hundreds of photographs. £48.00 plus shipping




 

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Blue Riband liners, British liners, Great War service, World War II service

SHIPS OF THE BRITISH MERCHANT NAVY: 1932

Cover for Ships of the British Merchant NavyIn the years between the two world wars, vessels flying the Red Duster were pre-eminent around the world, with thousands of seamen, hundreds of ships and dozens of companies carrying passengers and cargo. This was the heyday of the British Merchant Navy.

In 1932, noted maritime author E.C. Talbot-Booth attempted to record the principal ships and companies in his now-famous book, Ships of the British Merchant Navy. This work examines his original selection and traces each vessel’s subsequent career, as far as has been possible.

Research and Results

After years of painstaking research and hours spent pouring through libraries and on the Internet, all but a handful of ships mentioned in the original work were tracked down. Some were scrapped or lost before World War II. Others were lost during the war. More survived, along with their crews. All but a few are detailed in this volume.

Copiously illustrated with photographs of many of the ships plus items of contemporary ephemera, this book is a compendium of information for the maritime historian.

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188 pages with 800 photographs. £38.00 plus shipping




 

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Blue Riband liners, British liners, Cunard Line, World War II service

QUEEN MARY:
1936 to 1947

Cover for Queen Mary 1936 to 1947 bookHaving gained the Blue Riband in  August 1936, covered in the previous volume, further refinements were made to Queen Mary during the winter of 1936/1937. These helped her to keep the Blue Riband against several tries by Normandie.

For the next three years she enjoyed considerable commercial success, with consistently high passenger numbers. This fully justified the faith of Cunard, the UK government and the people of the UK in the decision to revive her after the debâcle of the Great Depression.

World War II: requisition as a troopship

After the dark days of September 1939, debates raged about her future use, or even if she should be scrapped and her steel used for the war effort. Instead, she was converted into a troopship, and gave five years of sterling service. Following the peace she was used to repatriate US troops, and later Canadian war brides, until she was released from war service in 1946.

Queen Mary’s post-war refit

After a total refit and update for post-war expectations, Queen Mary returned to commercial service in 1947.

Complemented by hundreds of rare photographs and pieces of memorabilia, this book is a must for any fan of the most famous 3-stacker in history.

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146 pages with 350 photographs. £38.00




 

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Blue Riband liners, British liners, Cunard Line, World War II service

QUEEN MARY:
Blueprint to Blue Riband

Cover for Queen Mary Blueprint to Blue Riband bookCunard has long been synonymous with the best in trans-Atlantic travel. Many of the company’s liners have won the Blue Riband. A proud boast is that the company has the best safety record of the lines and liners that have crossed the Atlantic.

Cunard have owned and operated many famous liners over the years – Campania, Lucania, Lusitania, Mauretania, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, or more recently the new generation of Queens.

But of all of these liners, in over 175 years of Cunard history, there is one name above all others that is connected with Cunard – Queen Mary.

Queen Mary‘s design and construction

This volume covers the early years of Queen Mary. From when she was first planned to when she wrestled the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing from her French rival Normandie. There are stunning photographs, many previously unpublished. The reader is taken step-by-step through the design, construction and fitting out of the liner.

Maiden voyage and Blue Riband

Her entry into service and the maiden voyage is thoroughly covered. The highlight of the season was gaining the Blue Riband in August 1936, after new propellers were fitted. 

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192 pages with 500 photographs. £38.00 plus shipping




 

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American liners, Blue Riband liners, British liners, Canadian Pacific Line, Cunard Line, French liners, German liners, Great War service, White Star Line, World War II service

LEGENDARY LINERS:
1881–1969

Cover for Legendary Liners bookThis book represents an eclectic choice – the author’s personal favourite historic, legendary liners. The hardest part was in deciding which liners to leave out!

There have been so many famous  liners since the late Victorian era. The development of reliable, economical engines and the inclusion of a second propeller meant that liners no longer needed to be equipped with sails and associated rigging.

Interiors became ever more luxurious, menus were more inventive, safety increasingly important. Hulls became ever larger, decks more numerous. More dining rooms were added, plus cafés, gymnasiums, winter gardens, swimming pools, libraries and many other facilities designed to help passengers make the best use of their time aboard.

Final selection of Legendary Liners

Ships have been chosen from many of the companies operating around the world. The result is this fascinating page-by-page account of the most famous liners from nearly 100 years of maritime history.

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162 pages. £38.00 plus shipping




 

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Blue Riband liners, German liners, Great War service, World War II service

GERMAN GREYHOUNDS:
Four-Funnelled Legends

Cover for German Greyhounds bookA hardback book covering the design, construction and service of the five German four-funnelled liners. These were known as the German Greyhounds: Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Deutschland, Kronprinz Wilhelm, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Kroprinzessin Cecilie.

The shipping line which held the Blue Riband speed record for the North Atlantic carried the most passengers – and made the most money. European aristocracy and the American élite wanted to be seen on the best, while emigrants wanted to travel on the largest and the safest.

Germany’s Blue Riband pinnacle

By the late 1880s the two main German companies, Hamburg-America and Norddeutscher Lloyd, had begun looking for ways to make a serious challenge on the lucrative North Atlantic trade. The rivalry between the two companies encouraged both to build ever larger and faster express liners.

German Greyhounds

The competition culminated in the five greyhounds – four-funnelled express liners that were to tear across the Atlantic in a blaze of smoke, steam and glory. This book covers these five famous liners as together they brought German shipping to the forefront of maritime technology and shipping history.

The book then follows each liner through the events of the Great War, service as troopships, reparations and their eventual demise.

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174 pages. £38.00 plus shipping




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Canadian Pacific Line, World War II service

THE CANADIAN EMPRESSES: 1939–1971

Cover for Canadian Pacific Empresses Volume 2A group of prominent wealthy Canadian businessmen met in 1880. They realised that for Canada to not only survive but expand, a railway system had to be devised and developed to cover the country, from coast to coast.

They then decided to take this a stage further, planning a world-wide transport system. This would help encourage emigrants to Canada. People could travel on CPR liners from Europe and then across the country on CPR trains. Over the following century these ideas were developed and extended, incorporating trains, passenger ships, cargo ships, hotels and, eventually, aircraft.

Development of the Canadian Empresses

Pre-eminent in this history were the Atlantic and Pacific Empresses. These were ships with the highest levels of reliability and comfort, offering the safest standards of travel. They laid the foundations for the profitability of the company.

Growth and decline

This  second volume covers the war service and losses and the rebuilding after 1945. It follows the efforts of Canadian Pacific to survive in the fifties and sixties and the closing down of the Empresses. Finally there is a brief look at the final years of the last ships. Hundreds of photos illustrate the detailed text. Dozens of brochures and items of ephemera are reproduced, bringing the liners to life.

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184 pages. £38.00 plus shipping




 

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British liners, Cunard Line, Great War service, World War II service

AQUITANIA:
Cunard’s Greatest Dream

aqui-coverA hardback book covering the design, construction and service of Cunard’s four-funnelled express liner Aquitania.

There were only ever fourteen four-funnel express liners in mari­time history. Some of these were short-lived, some went in a blaze of publicity, others worked long and hard for their owners. One of the most enduring and endearing of these was Aquitania. Her first three commercial North Atlantic crossings in 1914 were a triumph. Then the dark clouds of war descended and life changed.

The Great War

Aquitania proudly gave four years of service to her country, first as an armed merchant cruiser, then as a troopship and finally as a hospital ship.

Aquitania’s peacetime service

Once the hostilities were over, Aquitania resumed her peacetime service and quickly became popular with all classes of travellers. Although she never fought for the Blue Riband, she was still one of the fastest liners on the route. Increasing US immigration restrictions, Prohibition, the Great Depression: all flowed over her as she plowed a steady, profitable furrow across the Atlantic. Short and long cruises were incorporated into her schedules without pausing.

World War II

With the advent of yet another war, she was soon requisitioned as a troopship, giving six years of hard work around the world.

Peacetime again

Her last few years after World War Two were  repatriating American and Canadian troops, German prisoners of war and war brides, before carrying emigrants to their new lives in a new world. She was finally scrapped in 1950, the last of her type, a true historic liner.

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162 pages plus three A3 throw-out deck plans.
£38.00 plus shipping




 

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