Ghosts of the Queen Mary

By Brian Clune and Bob Davis

Learn the stories behind this luxurious—and haunted—ocean liner . . . Includes photos!
 
For thirty-one years, the RMS Queen Mary sailed the North Atlantic. It helped defeat Hitler and was the ship of choice for the world’s rich and famous. Now in retirement in the Port of Long Beach, the “Stateliest Ship Afloat” plays host to tourists, travelers—and more than six hundred spirits that roam her halls and passageways.
 
These choice decks remain the floating home of a few regulars, including the oft-glimpsed White Lady, as well as Little Jackie, John Henry and, of course, Grumpy. Join paranormal investigators Brian Clune and Bob Davis as they take you to the hot spots of activity from port to starboard and relate tales from the dockside about the spirits that haunt the grandest liner ever built.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781625848000

Brian Clune

Hollywood is supposed to be the place where dreams come true, but it's also where nightmares come to life. Spirits haunt the halls of renowned studios, legendary cafés and lavish estates, while rumors of curses lurk in the shadows of the rich and famous. It's said that stars like James Dean, Carrie Fisher and Prince once predicted their own deaths, while slain screenwriter Paul Bern tried in vain to warn Sharon Tate about her own fate. Ghosts reportedly linger in the corners of the El Coyote Café, and the Falcon Lair boasts sightings of Rudolph Valentino long after his death. Join author and paranormal historian Brian Clune for a star-studded tour of the dark side of Hollywood.

Book preview

Chapter 1

THE QUEEN IS CROWNED

RMS Queen Mary. You will be hard-pressed to find someone in this world who has not heard of this magnificent ship. If asked, they will tell you that she was a passenger liner from a long time ago, or that she is a hotel somewhere in California, or that she is that haunted ship they saw on TV. They may tell you that she is like the Titanic or that she is smaller than her older cousin (which she is not), but if you ask them to tell you about the things this ship did or why she is now a tourist attraction, you will most likely get a blank stare. For all her fame and notoriety, people still do not know or understand the Queen Mary’s place in history or why it is so important to keep her story alive for the generations that follow us or for those spirits that remain to this day on board the Stateliest Ship Afloat.

After World War I ended, the North Atlantic passenger trade heated up between the European nations, and Cunard was at the forefront of this new battle. Still sailing its prewar ships but seeing new and faster liners coming from Germany and France, Cunard quickly began designing replacements for its older fleet. It was decided that two large, fast ships would be more economical than the current fleet of smaller vessels, so Cunard sought out perhaps the best shipbuilding company of the day to help design and build its new massive liners, John Brown & Company Shipbuilders.

On December 1, 1930, the first keel plate was laid on job #534, and while not yet known, history itself was being built in the now famous shipyard. Work progressed well on the vessel until the economies of the world began to slow, and when Black Tuesday hit, all work on the ship ceased. Thousands of shipbuilders were laid off, but two of those men working on job #534 were not seen for three years after the work stopped. Over the intervening years, Cunard worked diligently to get its newest vessel built. Its three aging liners were still in relatively good shape, but the cost of maintenance was exorbitant in the Depression years, and passengers were scarce. Cunard begged the British government for an infusion of money to continue its work, but the Crown wanted Cunard to ally itself with its chief rival, White Star Line, in a bid to save both companies. Finally, in desperation, both of the proud shipping giants agreed, and the Cunard White Star Line was formed.

Work recommenced on the massive hull in April 1934, but as the men started back to work, there was a grim discovery in the bottom sections near the double hull. Two of the men who had been working on the ship when the Depression hit were found dead not too far from each other. Their families had assumed that they had committed suicide after learning they were out of a job, but there was no evidence found to support a case for this. To this day, it is still unclear what happened to these men, but because of the proximity of the corpses and the fact that a welding torch was found near one of the men, it is believed that a buildup of fatal gases may have been the cause. The late Peter James has stated that the spirit we know as John Henry is one of these poor men who were found. There is another tale told about a welder who was working between the double hull when he was inadvertently sealed inside and eventually died. It is said that when it was discovered what had happened, the company, with permission from the man’s family, had funeral services right there on the ship and left him in the hull as a way to save money and time. The authors believe this to be urban legend but a haunting tale