Information About Specific Crossings
| 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 |

The records of ships used to carry troops to their theaters of operations were destroyed intentionally in 1951. "According to our [U. S. National Archives] records, in 1951 the Department of the Army destroyed all passenger lists, manifests, logs of vessels, and troop movement files of United States Army Transports for World War II." (Sorry, but there was no word on why the records were destroyed.) Thus there is no longer an official record of who sailed on what ship, though there are still valuable sources that can be found. So this web page is an informal collecting ground for information about troop ship crossings.

If you have information about a crossing, please submit your information.

More Information

Quick Info About This Ship
Ship Type: Passenger Ship
War Service Dates: March 1940 - September 1946
Built: 1930-1936 - John Brown & Co., LTD., Clydebank, Scotland
Troop Capacity: 15,000+ troops
Disposition: Hotel & convention facility in Long Beach, CA

1942
December 29 (1941) to January 12
Embarkation/Debarkation: Cape Town, South Africa to New York, NY (via Trinidad)
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:

January 26 to January 27

Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Boaston, MA
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
February 18 to March 28
Embarkation/Debarkation: Boston, MA to Sydney, Australia (via Key West, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, and Freemantle)
Units on Board: 40th Coast Artillery Brigade, 94th Coast Artillery Battalion, 101st Coast Artillery Battalion, 104th Coast Artillery Battalion; 5th Station Hospital, 47th Station Hospital; 8th Air Base Group; 11th Materiel Squadron; 43rd Bomb Group, 64th Bomb Sqaudron, 65th Bomb Squadron; 441st Ordnance, 73rd Ordnance; 15th Signal Platoon; 2nd Quartermaster Detachment; Air Corps Replacement Group; others: Australians returning home, ?? (total of 8,398 troops, 905 crew)
Convoy Number: None known
Source: Diary of 1st Lt. Paul W. Daley, in command of "M" Battery, 94th Coast Artillery (via A. D. Slade) and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:

From: A. D. Slade (Dav_Infamy@aol.com)
Date Received: 98-07-26 14:05:12 EDT

The 12th voyage was from 2-16-42 to 3-28-42 and went from Boston via Key West/Rio/Cape Town/Freemantle to Sydney, when the American troops disembarked. The Queen Mary sailed alone, not in convoy.

All I have is a list of the U.S: troops on board: 40th Coast Artillery Brigade, 94th C.A., 101st &104th SEP C.A. Battalions, 5th & 47th Station Hospitals, 8th Air Base Group, 11th Materiel Squadron, 43rd Bomb Group, 64th, 65th Bomb Squadrons, 441st &73rd Ordnance, 15th Signal Platoon, 2nd Quartermaster Detachment, Air Corps Replacement Group.

All American troops were under the command of Brigadier General Robert H. Van Volkenburgh

The source for this information is my father's on-board diary. He was 1st Lieutenant Paul W. Daley, in command of M Battery, 94th C.A.

I have a good deal of information about the voyage -- what the officers did, what they thought, rumors, training, landfalls (Rio & Cape Town, Freemantle), etc., but am interested in what other troops were aboard -- I know there were Aussies returning home -- and any other information on this voyage.

I would be happy to exchange whatever I have. Please feel free to contact me when you can.

April 6 to May 7
Embarkation/Debarkation: Sydney, Australia to New York, NY (via Freemantle, Cape Town, and Rio de Janeiro)
Units on Board: 58 passengers & 832 crew (to Freemantle)
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
May 11 to May 16
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Firth of Clyde, Scotland
Units on Board: 9,880 troops & 875 crew. Including 1st Armored Division (part)
Convoy Number: None known
Source: US Army Forces in Northern Ireland: Chronology and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
May 22 to June 22
Embarkation/Debarkation: Firth of Clyde, Scotland to Suez (via Freetown, Cape Town, and Simonstown)
Units on Board: 9,537 troops (to Suez) & 872 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
June 23 to July 21
Embarkation/Debarkation: Suez to New York, NY (via Simonstown, and Rio de Janeiro)
Units on Board: 2,565 passengers & 871 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
August 2 to August 7
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 15,125 1st Infantry Division troops & 863 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: TSgt. G. W. Eldridge (to son), Weapons Platoon, Company I, 26th Infantry Regiment (1st Infantry Division and S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes: First time in history that an entire US division voyaged in a single ship.
August 11 to August 16
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
September 5 to September 11
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
September 14 to September 19
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
September 27 to October 3
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
October 8 to October 14
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to Boston, MA
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
November 4 to November 5
Embarkation/Debarkation: Boston, MA to New York, NY
Units on Board: Unknown
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
December 8 to December 14
Embarkation/Debarkation: New York, NY to Gourock, Scotland
Units on Board: 10,389 troops & 950 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:
December 23 to January 28 (1943)
Embarkation/Debarkation: Gourock, Scotland to Massawa, Eritrea (via Freetown, Cape Town, Aden, and Suez)
Units on Board: 10,669 troops (to Massawa) & 800 crew
Convoy Number: None known
Source: S. Harding - Gray Ghost: The RMS Queen Mary at War
Notes:

This information, specifications and resulting ship histories are gathered and compiled from from various sources that many times conflict. If you find an error or discrepancy, please email me at troopships@pier90.org or
fill out our online crossing submission form.
If you are interested in the histories of merchant ships that served during WWII (as well as during other wars) in any capacity or that were lost due to wartime activities, please watch for our sister site
"Liners and Merchant Ships At War" that is currently under construction.