Captain G E Smith (12 June 1969)

[Lynda Bradford]

Captain George E Smith
(12 June 1969)



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Background:

DOB: 6 April 1914 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
Died: 9 July 1984, aged 70
Married with a son and daughter
Education: Winteringham School in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England and later the Grimsby Nautical College.

Navy Career:

1930: aged 16 he joined the New Zealand shipping company as a cadet working on their four training ships, travelling between New Zealand and England: 

17 September 1930: joined the Westmoreland
1931 to 1933: worked on the SS Devon
30 September 1933 joined SS Turakina
March 1934: worked on NZ training ship Northumberland

After passing his second mates ticket, he joined the United Baltic Company working on SS Baltara and SS Balteaco until he gained his Masters ticket

1940: SS Empire Seaman (formerly SS Morea)
18 June 1940: Joined Cunard Line
21 June 1940: 3rd Officer on RMS Franconia (1923)
7 February 1943: First Officer on RMS Ascania - he served on this ship for the next 20 months
December 1944: joined RMS Queen Mary as Senior First Officer
22 August 1945: joined Queen Elizabeth as Senior First Officer and he remained with QE for the next 5 years
November 1950: Senior First Officer on SS Mauretania for one year
1951 and 1952: worked onboard Ascania, Media and Scythia before moving back to QE in July 1952 on the transatlantic run
2 June 1953: joined the Caronia ( the Green Goddess) following his promotion to Chief Officer
June/July 1954 to April 1955: Ascania and then Scythia and then Samaria
April 1955 to end of 1955: RMS Queen Elizabeth 
December 1955 to June 1956: assigned to John Brown's shipyard, Clydebank, to oversee aspects of construction of the new Cunard ship the Carinthia.
27 June 1956: Chief Officer on Carinthia's maiden voyage.  He remained with the ship until the end of 1956.
1957: served as Chief Officer on  RMS Queen Mary, Caronia and Mauretania
Early 1958 he moved to Queen Mary as her Chief Officer and he stayed on her until the end of October 1959
30 October 1959:George E Smith became Captain George E Smith
October 1959: Captain Smith's first Command: Alsatia, one of Cunard's cargo fleet
In the early 1960's he returned to Cunard's passenger fleet as Staff Captain and he was the second last Captain of the RMS Queen Elizabeth, before she was sold.  Richard Smith
October 1962: First command of passenger liner - RMS Mauretania
Early 1963 to December 1963: RMS Queen Elizabeth
January to June 1964: Staff Captain on RMS Caronia for Caribbean Cruise followed by World Cruise
July 1964: Staff Captain on RMS Mauretania
1964/1965: "The Andania was another of Cunard’s cargo fleet and he had a month on her before spells as Captain of the Cunard passenger fleet the Franconia, then her sister ship Saxonia, the Mauretania and the Ivernia. He then returned to Saxonia as her Master for 4 months and then spells on Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth as Staff Captain."
Richard Smith
June 1965: joined RMS Queen Mary as Staff Captain
Late 1965 to March 1966: Captain of Saxonia
January 1967: Staff Captain on RMS Queen Elizabeth Caribbean voyage - taking over command of his first Cunard Queen, when Commodore Marr sustained injuries.

When QE2 was being built Cunard appointed Captain William Warwick and Captain George Smith as the Captain and Staff Captain of QE2, each replacing the other during leave periods.

12 June 1969: First voyage as Captain of QE2

Mid 1970 to October 1971: Captain of RMS Franconia (on the weekly Bermuda run out of New York).  The Franconia was laid up in October 1971.


Retirement date: May 1972

1939 - 1945: WW2 Service: Cunard ships Ascania at the Scicily landings, RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth

Sources:
Richard Smith, Captain Smith's son
see Richard Smith's Blog

Transart Brochure

The QE2 Story topics with information about Captain Smith:
Captain Smith's son, Richard shares the story of Captain Smith's maritime career
Members comments and contributions on the Captains topics


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