The Queen Marycommened as royalty, a war hero, and a movie star, the Queen Mary is the most inspiring ocean liner ever built. Forged during the Great Depression, this worldwide icon developed a rich history with her service to high society elites, political figures, celebrities, and Allied troops across the Atlantic from 1936 to 1967.
The Queen Mary, was the fastest, most luxurious (and one of the largest) ship to sail the Atlantic. Though it was still the Depression, there was no lack of excess and opulence at the top, and luxury cruises were the only civilized way to travel between and Old and New Worlds. Yet those days came to a screeching halt with the outbreak of WWII in 1939. The Queen Mary along with sister ship the Queen Elizabeth was called into service, and she answered. She was converted into a transport ship for Allied troops. Six miles of carpet, 220 cases of china, crystal and silver service, tapestries and paintings were removed and stored in warehouses for the duration of the war. She doubled her capacity from 2,410 to 5,500 (and much more continuing on) received a new, stealthy paint job that earned her the nickname “The Grey Ghost.”
The Queen Mary, with a speed of 28 knots, sped toward the Curacoa (an enemy U-boat), which had no chance of avoiding the impending collision. The Curacoa was literally cut in two. Due to the threat of U boat attack, strict orders prevented the Queen Mary from stopping or attempting any sort of rescue mission. The screams of the dying rang across the water as the Ghost continued on her journey. The Curacoa sank in less than six minutes, taking all but 99 of the 338 crew with her. The Queen Mary suffered minor damages compared to the complete devastation of her escort.
Getting to room B-340. once was available to overnight guests, but persistent complaints about paranormal activity such as strange noises, ghostly footsteps, and peculiar plumbing problems (faucets turning off and on by themselves, toilets flushing on their own) forced management to shut it down. Why this particular room is so haunted is a bit of a mystery. One theory revolves around a man named Walter J. Adamson, a third class passenger who was found dead of unknown causes in room B-226 during one of the ship’s early trans-Atlantic crossings. When the ship was remodeled, room B-226 was folded into what we know today as room B-340. One of the stories told was of a war bride traveling from Europe to be reunited with her American soldier husband. She was pregnant and alone at the time, leaving behind everything she knew to start a new life in the United States. Alone and scared, she was afraid to venture out of the room. The journey was long and tiresome. The woman went into labor before the ship reached the shore. Her pregnancy was fraught with complications and without proper medical assistance or a midwife, the woman and her baby died.
A man seen wearing blue overalls sometimes described as having a beard has been seen walking down shaft alley and disappearing at Door 13. On the Ghost and Legends tour they refer to this man as "Half Hatch Harry," but that was not the real name. John Pedder is listed on the sign in the infirmary of crew members that died.