RMS Queen Elizabeth: Soldiers’ Return in 1945

The crowded ship bringing American troops home.

This is the transport ship Queen Elisabeth. The Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary were used as troop transports during World War II. Their high speeds allowed them to escape danger, mainly German submarines, which usually allowed them to travel without a convoy.

Her carrying capacity was over 15,000 soldiers and over 900 crew members. During her wartime service as a troopship, Queen Elizabeth transported over 750,000 soldiers and also sailed some 500,000 miles (800,000 km).

The trip would take 5-7 days on average to go from the US East Coast to the British Isles while carrying troops to Europe. It looks crowded because everyone is on deck as it pulls into port (see top of image).

According to Eisenhower’s memoirs, some troops complained to the press about the slow pace of their return to the United States.

He heard about this and asked a large gathering of troops at an event he was attending whether they wanted to continue filling the ships to normal capacity or be piled onto them to return home as soon as possible. They overwhelmingly applauded the latter option.

How did anyone find their relatives when everyone got off the boat?

In fact, no one came into contact with his family. The family would probably not have been waiting at the dock unless they lived near the port, as train transport was quite expensive.

The troops would get off the ship, go to a Western Union office, send their families a telegram telling them when and how they would get home, and then take the train there.

There were other options, such as long-distance telephones, but a telegram would probably have been the most common. It is also possible that some of the soldiers did not have the money for a telegram, so they simply showed up at their old town.

(Photo credit: New-York Historical Society).