Luxury Brit cruise liner sent to brutal war – with astonishing comparison to Titanic

A fascinating new book revealing what is was like for crew and soldiers on QE2’s epic voyage in 1982 to save lives in the Falklands War has been published on the 43rd anniversary of the South Atlantic conflict

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 offered the ultimate in fine dining cruising, but on this voyage, instead of suckling pig being served on bone china plates, passengers collected “stodge” on trays from the canteen.

Rather than the strains of an orchestra playing in the ballroom, the clump-clump of booted feet echoed around the hardboard-clad passageways that had been laid to protect miles of the ship’s soft deep-pile carpets.

And instead of lights from the chandeliers shining from the hundreds of portholes, all windows had been blacked out.

The trappings of a luxury cruise ship, from her silverware and paintings to the casino tables, had been offloaded to transport 3,000 troops from 5 Infantry Brigade – made up of battalions from the Scots Guards, Welsh Guards and Gurkha Rifles – to launch an assault on Port Stanley in the South Atlantic, some 8,000 miles away.

Among the brave soldiers onboard was 20-year-old Welsh Guardsman Simon Weston, who survived severe burns to his face and hands after his ship RFA Sir Galahad was attacked.

It was QE2’s finest hour – and she was at war.

Now, 60 years after they started building the world’s greatest ever liner, a fascinating new book about the QE2’s crucial role in the Falklands War has been published to coincide with its 43rd anniversary.

Co-authors of The QE2 in the Falklands War: Troopship to the South Atlantic, Commodore Ronald Warwick and Professor David Humphreys, both served on the historic voyage.

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Ronald Warwick, now 85, served as chief officer when he was 42, while David was a senior accounts petty officer, then aged 25. Neither had expected QE2 to be requisitioned when the Thatcher government dispatched a naval task force to set sail within 72 hours of Argentina invading the Falklands Islands on April 2, 1982.

“There were 45 merchant ships requisitioned to assist the Royal Navy, including the P&O liner Canberra,” explains David, 62, of Canterbury, Kent. “Word went round that QE2 was just too big and too famous to go down, so we sailed to Philadelphia.

“We were coming back across the Atlantic when we got within 12 miles of the coast on May 3 and could pick up radio and TV signals, and heard on the Jimmy Young Show that we had been requisitioned.

“Everybody went to find a TV set to watch the BBC 1 O’Clock news. It was standing-room-only when the Secretary of State made the announcement. A cheer went up and Ron and I were among the 660 crew who volunteered for the voyage.”

Captain Hutcheson then made a tannoy announcement informing everyone that QE2 would be withdrawn from commercial service on arrival at Southampton. He told a reporter at the time: “I think the troops will enjoy Cunard luxury.”

The crew who volunteered for QE2’s epic voyage were under no illusion as to the dangers they would face.

“Wills were written and one couple even brought forward their marriage plans,” writes David. “ When we sailed from Southampton, we had no idea where we were going. The Belgrano had just been sunk and war was getting very real.”

Although Captain Hutcheson remained onboard, Captain Peter Jackson, who had served in the Second World War, took over command.

Over the next eight days, the liner was converted into a troopship – the two swimming pools were covered with steel pads strong enough to hold Sea King helicopters.

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QE2 did not have the fuel tank capacity to travel non-stop to the South Atlantic, and modifications had to be made so she could refuel at sea. It was calculated that the fuel bill would cost $1m for a one-way trip.

Urgent structural work was carried out by Vosper Thornycroft shipyard in Southampton, which had modified the Canberra.

“There was talk of redundancies, but when the Falklands War came along, they were spared,” remembers David. “It was a very intense period. The superstructure was cut away at the aft of the ship to build the helicopter deck, and the cruise liner accoutrements were offloaded – including posh food like lobster tails, caviar and foie gras and we took on board carb-heavy food for the troops.”

Lorries removed deckchairs and valuable furniture, which were replaced with stacking chairs, camp beds and trestle tables, along with tons of ammunition and military equipment, including helicopters, drums of fuel and Land Rovers, which were carried on QE2’s open decks.

The structural changes, along with 4,000 passengers and all the extra equipment meant when QE2 sailed from Southampton on May 12, 1982, with thousands of well-wishers lining the quayside, she was below the Plimsoll line.

“Normally there would be 1,000 crew and 2,000 passengers. So there were more souls on board for that voyage than ever sailed in the ship before or since,” adds David.

Extra life jackets were loaded for everyone on board. While, included in the £60,000-worth of medical supplies were sea sickness tablets, which would be needed in the rough seas.

“The Gurkhas suffered very badly and had to be berthed on the lowest Passenger deck which has less motion,” says David.

But spirits on board were high. Soldiers would jog around the boat deck for their daily exercise and the function rooms, which were used for training during the day, were used as bars for troops to relax and buy their daily quota of two cans of beer in the evening. As they drank their way through 6,000 cans of beer and 3,500 cans of soft drinks every night, a large gang of night stewards cleaned their rooms.

David also reveals that, despite the ship’s strict non-fraternisation rule, there were lots of parties.

“There were three groups of senior officers from the QE2, NP1980 and 5 Infantry Brigade, and it was decided they would host receptions for each other. On one occasion, an evening of bagpipes and drums was described by an officer as ‘excellent stuff, but a little hard on the ears in a small room’.”

Troops only had access to one shop onboard which sold chocolate, cigarettes and souvenirs – all at cost price plus a 10% to cover staff wages.

And the ship’s hairdresser turned his salon into a barbers – charging 75p a haircut – saying: ‘I’m more used to blow dry and set, not short back and sides.”

After six days at sea on Tuesday, May 18, QE2 docked at Freetown in Sierra Leone to take on fuel and fresh water, before sailing silently away.

David recalls: “The climate in the port was hot and humid, and some of the troops exercising on the upper decks got sunburnt.

“Until now, QE2 had transmitted messages, but after leaving Freetown complete radio silence was observed.

“It was only when we arrived at Ascension Island on May 20 that we realised we were going to South Georgia and that we would not be permitted to go in close to the Falklands.”

David also reveals that co-author Ron discovered evidence that the Argentinians thought QE2 would sail with a Royal Navy escort direct for the Falklands.

He says: “Instead, we relied on our speed and sailed without a Royal Navy escort direct for South Georgia.”

Along with more troops and supplies, QE2 took onboard copies of the Daily Mirror. David recalls: “The Mirror carried a story that Argentina was going to sink QE2 on Argentina National Day, which is May 25. It never happened, but two British ships were hit – Atlantic Conveyor and HMS Coventry – whose Captain David Hart Dyke is father of the comedian Miranda Hart.”

QE2 set sail from Ascension on May 21 and headed for the abandoned whaling station of Grytviken on South Georgia island, where the Argentine flag had flown a month previously.

“Once we left Ascension, there was this serious mood and we realised that some of them might not be coming back,” saysDavid, who comes from a Southampton seafaring family.

Recalling feeling nervous as the ship travelled through treacherous ice fields, he adds: “The excellent navigators got us through, but it was impossible not to think of the Titanic – both my great uncles fireman William Butt and steward Robert Butt went down with the fated liner in 1912.”

“We arrived at night and awoke the following morning to be greeted by snow-clad mountains of South Georgia, and Canberra also anchored there.”

Having arrived safely, the 5 Infantry Brigade disembarked to the join the Canberra, Norland and other ships.

“It was an incredibly busy time with tugboats going backwards and forwards, filled with troops and cargo. In his book, Simon Weston remembers shop staff throwing cigarettes into his tugboat as the Welsh Guards disembarked.”

QE2 took on board 632 survivors of three sunken warships – Antelope, Coventry and Ardent.

“Every single one of those men had had a ship blown out from under them and lost dear friends, and the mood back was very different,” says David. “Again, there was a non-fraternisation rule, but stewards visited the injured, mended their clothes, talked with them and washed their hair.”

“We sailed quickly from South Georgia because we still faced dangers – from the ice and aerial attack, and the Argentinian submarine Santa Fe, which if it had not been scuttled by HSM Antrim would have been waiting for us.”

This time, QE2 sailed for home at a more sedate pace, arriving into Southampton on June 11, 1982.

“It was a bright sunny day and one I will never forget,” remembers David. “We were greeted with a 21-gun salute from HMS Londonderry, and we lined up on deck as we sailed past the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Queen Mother waved at us.

“Then we then turned to port, and we were greeted by the sight of small craft everywhere, a Harrier aircraft twisted above us in a victory role, fire tugs spurting water into the air, a Marine band playing, school children waving, and families everywhere. My mum was there on the quayside waiting for me.”

QE2 was officially retired in 2008, but her most important service to her country helped shorten the 72-day conflict and saved many lives.

• The QE2 in the Falklands War: Troopship to the South Atlanticby Commodore Ronald Warwick and Professor David Humphreys is published by History Press, price £25.