QE2's Female Crew - work in progress

[Lynda Bradford]

Maureen Ryan Assistant Purser and later Social Hostess

I remember Maureen telling us once that she joined Cunard as a 'Lady Purser', and that their uniforms were war time WRNS uniforms.

Thanks Andy, it is these little snippets of information that builds a picture of what it was like for woman working on QE2 and other ships in early years. 

In the National Museums Liverpool transcript (scroll down) of Frances Milroy's interview, she describes in the early years of her career having to wear a uniform that was like the WRENS with a navy velour hat.  However on the QE2 it was Chanel type suits and she did not have to wear a collar and tie. 

Frances Milroy is also quoted in Jo Stanley's book "From Cabin boy to Captain" 250 years of women at sea" Google extract. After reading the extract I ordered the book, which I am currently enjoying reading.

[Lynda Bradford]

Does anyone remember the names of the nursery nurses (if thats what they were)... I remember only one name Caroline Brooksbank who I kept in touch with for the longest of times ..... does anyone else remember any names....

Thanks John, I have added Caroline Brooksbank to the Nursery list - see above.  I noted she was on the ship 1970's/1980's but perhaps we will get more information later.
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=9783.msg116656#msg116656

I was not sure whether the nursery nurses should be listed under Medical, but then I was advised that they were part of the Hotel staff. 

[Tony]

Concessions:

Photography Department:
Jane Hunter-Cox - first female photographer on QE2 onboard for 1975 Maiden World Cruise
Karen
Christine Snelson - 1977 to mid 1980's onboard for 1978, 1979, 1980 World Cruises
Annie Robinson FM 1984 on the Quintessential World Cruise, video photographers assistant

Jane Hunter-Cox was married to the owner of Ocean Pictures, who held the concession onboard



See also Woman Seafarers topic

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks Tony, I have updated to say she was married to the owner of Ocean Pictures.  Do you know the names of other female photographers on QE2?

[QE2forever]

From the bookshop/library, adding:

Paula Alford
Jayne Downey

and Kerry, whose last name I can't remember.

[Lynda Bradford]

From the bookshop/library, adding:

Paula Alford
Jayne Downey

and Kerry, whose last name I can't remember.

Thanks for these names to add to the Library and Bookshop list

[Andy Holloway]

From the bookshop/library, adding:

Paula Alford
Jayne Downey

and Kerry, whose last name I can't remember.

Paula started life onboard as a Nursery Nurse before 'going down stairs' to the Book Shop.
She was my 'go to' contact in the Nursery to get the tea bag boxes painted black for Committal of Ashes Services. But that's another story.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Other female crew - but no details of where they worked on the ship:

Elaine McKay

I am pretty sure that she was a social hostess (exact title?), and she could be the second lady from the right in this photo from Norway 2000 :


The QE2 escorts by Isabelle Prondzynski, on Flickr

If she is the person I am thinking of, she was a lovely humorous person who arranged excursions with great authority and wit.

[Rod]

Correct Isabelle.

[Lynda Bradford]

I love how this topic is developing with little snippets of information that will build into a resource of information on QE2 female crew. 

Forum member Jane Nilsen a QE2 telephone operator 1980 to 1985, who had sailed with the task force to South Georgia, gave me information on a senior telephone operator, Margaret Cameron Shaw and her deputy, Jean Wilson.  They had worked as children's nanny and stewardess, but when their job description changed they had utilised previous wartime telephone experience to transfer to the telephone exchange. 

Does anyone remember these telephone exchange crew?

Quote from Jane Nilsen:

Margaret was trained as a nanny at the Princess Christian college, which was an establishment at least equally as prestigious as Norlands today, if not more so! She told us that Nannies had a strict hierarchy, dependent on employer's status and that they addressed each other as Nanny + employer's surname. She, having worked for the Duke of Sutherland at one time was Nanny Sutherland and was entitled to sit on one of the more favourably situated benches in Kensington Gardens. Her telephony training took place in one of the Ministries of State and was classified war work in the Civil Service.  Jean, I believe, volunteered for the WRAF and was trained by them. I understand she saw wartime service overseas.

They were extremely well travelled and very interesting women. Their experiences and recollections would have been vast!

Another little snippet of information from Jane in relation to the Falklands crew:

.....in 1982 when the ship was commandeered for the Task Force, non-British nationals were unable to sail and female laundry staff (several from Liverpool) volunteered to return to their former positions onboard. They were collectively referred to as the Steam Queens and I do wonder if any information on their service was collated.

[Rod]

I can picture them in my mind, but that's about it.

[Lynda Bradford]

Willum and Janil have provided more information on the telephone exchange operators. 

Willum found this video clip
https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/item/11158146-queen-elizabeth-2-1982-qe2-world-cruise-telephone-operators

and between Willum and Janil they have identified the  two telephone operators in the video as Kay Parrott and Janet.  Janil thinks Janet married someone from the Galley...maybe bakery or confectionery section, called Steve. Kay became Snr. when first Margaret and then Jean retired.

I have update the list in a previous post for the telephone operators.  Willum has summed up as follows :

"Aha yes Kay Parrott  and yes Janet so the list of telephonists goes  :-  Margaret Shaw, Jean Wilson, Kay Parrot, Jane Nilsen, Christine something,  Janet something and Jane something who married Laurie Jackson from the controls office. Plus the night telephonists one of whom was called Dougie."


Janil remembers the telephone exchange was on 3 deck midship opposite cabin 3125 "There was a pantry right next door to us and slightly forward of our door, was a little crew inside staircase that led up to the Purser's office above."

Does anyone have a deck plan that show cabin 3125 that they can post?

[Andy Holloway]

Willum and Janil have provided more information on the telephone exchange operators. 

Willum found this video clip
https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/item/11158146-queen-elizabeth-2-1982-qe2-world-cruise-telephone-operators

Janil remembers the telephone exchange was on 3 deck midship opposite cabin 3125 "There was a pantry right next door to us and slightly forward of our door, was a little crew inside staircase that led up to the Purser's office above."

Does anyone have a deck plan that show cabin 3125 that they can post?

If I remember rightly, after the retirement of the telephone system onboard,  the Telephone exchange later became the extension and back door to the Computer Systems Officer's workshop.

[Rod]

There was a door from the exchange to the SRE room.

[Andy Holloway]

There was a door from the exchange to the SRE room.

Yes i think that both these compartments, SRE & Telephone Exchange, were transitioned into the Computer Systems Officer's workshop/computer room, possibly in the long 1999 Bremerhaven refit.