The QE2 in the Falklands War: Troopship to the South Atlantic

Revealing the pivotal role played by the QE2 in the Falklands conflict, by two of the volunteers who crewed the liner. When the QE2 entered service in 1969 she was the last great transatlantic liner from a vanishing era. In 1982 she was requisitioned to carry over 3,000 troops to the South Atlantic to free the Falkland Islands from Argentinian occupation. This is the first account of the significant role played by the Cunard flagship *Queen Elizabeth 2* (QE2) *to the outcome of the 1982 Falklands conflict, as told by two of the volunteers who crewed the liner to the South Atlantic, one of them a former *QE2 *captain. This detailed account includes interviews and extracts from diaries kept during the voyage by the authors and other crew members, complimented by previously unpublished images and documents. The voyage included refuelling at sea under hazardous weather conditions and navigating by night through a treacherous South Atlantic icefield. Illustrated with numerous photographs showing the conversion to a troop ship, on-board training exercises and helicopter manoeuvres, this important book is the first to reveal the enormous contribution of the ship to the British war effort, delivering the largest number of troops to the war zone. AUTHORS: Ronald W. Warwick OBE is a past Master of QE2, having followed in the footsteps of his father, Commodore William E. Warwick, first Master of the ship. He joined the Cunard Line in 1970 and himself became Commodore of the line when he was appointed command of the Queen Mary 2 in 2003. David Humphreys served as a senior petty officer on QE2 during the voyage to the South Atlantic. He later served as a supply officer with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. After obtaining a PhD in international relations from City University, London, he spent 28 years at the Open University retiring as Professor of Environmental Policy. 32 colour, 160 b/w illustrations

Table of Contents:
Cover Title Copyright Contents Foreword by Admiral The Rt Hon. the Lord West of Spithead Introduction 1 The Falkland Islands and South Georgia 2 The Argentinian Invasion 3 Cunard Ships at War 4 QE2 is Requisitioned 5 Conversion to a Troopship 6 The Volunteers 7 5 Infantry Brigade 8 The Voyage South to Freetown 9 Freetown to South Georgia 10 Grytviken, South Georgia Island 11 The Survivors and Their Ships 12 Homeward Bound to Southampton 13 QE2 Arrives Home 14 Military Units Embarked on QE2 15 QE2 Logbook Extract 16 The Cost of the Requisition 17 The Volunteer Crew of QE2 18 Afterword Notes Bibliography and Sources Acknowledgements The Authors Picture Sections

About the Author :
Ronald W. Warwick OBE is a past Master of QE2, having followed in the footsteps of his father, Commodore William E. Warwick, the first Master. He joined the Cunard Line in 1970 and himself became Commodore of the line when he was appointed to command Queen Mary 2 in 2003. David Humphreys served as a senior petty officer on *QE2 *during the voyage to the South Atlantic. He later served as a supply officer with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. After obtaining a PhD in international relations from City University, London, he spent 28 years at the Open University retiring as Professor of Environmental Policy.