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Queen Mary Ocean Liner crisis stops work
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Queen Mary Ocean Liner crisis stops work
Tragedy comes to Clydeside. On 10th December 1931, almost exactly a year after signing of the contract for the construction of Hull Number 534, know as Queen Mary Ocean Liner, the board of the Cunard Company wrote to the shareholders notifying them that the directors have reluctantly decided that it is necessary to suspend the construction of the vessel pending some changes in prospects. The Cunard Company tried to secure financial backing from banks and business, with unsuccess. Finally obtaining a loan from the British Government, in 1934, one condition was that Cunard would merge with the White Star Line, Hull Number 552 which became Queen Elizabeth, Cunards chief British rival at the time and also had been forced by the depression to cancel construction on its Oceanic. Date: 1931
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Media ID 14178563
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Backing Build Cancel Clydebank Clydeside Completion Constructing Cunard Depression Docks Dockyard Financial Halted Loan Money Oceanic Poor Shipbuilding Shipyard Steamliner Steamliners Steamship Steamships Stopped Suspended Unemployment Yard Jobless Liner
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EDITORS COMMENTS
Tragedy Strikes Clydeside: The Suspension of Queen Mary Ocean Liner Construction in 1931 This evocative photograph captures the desolate scene of the Clydebank shipyard in Scotland, where the construction of the Queen Mary Ocean Liner came to a halt on 10th December 1931. The Cunard Company, a pioneer in ocean liner transportation, had signed the contract for Hull Number 534, known as Queen Mary, just a year prior. However, the Great Depression had taken a heavy toll on the shipping industry, and the company was unable to secure the necessary financial backing to complete the vessel. The board of directors reluctantly suspended the construction, leaving thousands of workers, many of whom were already struggling to make ends meet, without jobs. The once bustling shipyard was now a symbol of the economic hardship that had gripped the region. The Cunard Company's efforts to secure a loan from banks and businesses were unsuccessful. The British Government eventually intervened, providing a loan in 1934 on the condition that Cunard would merge with its British rival, the White Star Line, and its Hull Number 552, which became the Queen Elizabeth. This photograph serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the economic downturn, with families and communities left to bear the brunt of the unemployment and poverty that followed. The shipbuilding industry, a major source of employment in Clydeside, was particularly hard hit, leaving many men jobless and uncertain about their future. The Queen Mary Ocean Liner, a symbol of hope and progress, was now a reminder of the harsh realities of the 1930s. The image of the deserted shipyard stands as a testament to the resilience of the workers and the determination of the industry to weather the storm and eventually emerge stronger.
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