Capt . John Treasure Jones Capt . John Treasure Jones became a well - known media figure in the mid - 1960s following his appointment as the last Master of the famous Cunard liner , RMS Queen Mary . He has been described as one of the 20th century ’ s most distinguished mariners , in war and in peacetime . His forebears were men of the sea , who had captained sailing ships , and he elected to follow in their tradition . He was born on 18 August 1905 , on a farm outside Haverfordwest , Pembrokeshire . In 1917 he gained a scholarship to Haverfordwest Grammar School . Early years at sea . In 1921 , not yet 16 , he signed on for a four years apprenticeship with JC Gould Steamship Co Ltd of Cardiff . He first joined the SS " Grelgrant " , a 4 , 785 ton tramp ship , and later transferred to SS " Grelhead " . Having completed his apprenticeship , he attended Nautical School in Cardiff . He then joined Hall Bros of Newcastle in 1926 , serving first on the tramp ship SS " Ambassador " and then on SS " Caduceus " . In August 1929 he joined The White Star Line as a Junior Officer first on SS " Euripides " out to Australia and then on SS " Delphic " . The Great Depression set in and shipping fell on bad days . In November 1930 the Company sent him to do twelve months Reserve training in the Royal Navy , after which he was laid - off . In November 1932 he managed to obtain employment as an Assistant Superintendent Stevedore with Rea ’ s Ltd , working with the Leyland Line ships at the Canada and Huskisson Docks in Liverpool . The Leyland Line was sold to T & J Harrison Ltd and the job petered out . In July 1934 he returned to sea with the Blue Funnel Line , in SS " Machaon " and then SS " Rhexenor " . In 1937 he joined the Cunard White Star Line in the RMS " Lancastria " and by the time the war had started he was Senior Third Officer in the RMS " Britannic " . He had joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a Probationary Midshipman in 1923 . On completion of his apprenticeship in 1925 , at age 20 , he did six months training as a Midshipman in HMS " Hood " , followed by HMS " Velox " and HMS " Ajax " . In August 1929 , at 24 , he was promoted to Lieutenant RNR . From 1930 - 31 he served six months afloat in the Aircraft Carrier " HMS Glorious " and four months in the Destroyer HMS " Viscount " on the Mediterranean Station . In August 1937 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander RNR . War Service . From September 1939 he served as navigator of the Armed Merchant Cruiser AMC " Laurentic " ( formerly " SS Laurentic ( 1927 ) " of the Cunard White Star Line ) . On 4 November 1940 she was torpedoed and sunk , 300 miles west of the Bloody Foreland in Ireland , with the loss of around 50 lives . The following month he was appointed Commander of HMS " Sunflower " , a new Flower Class Corvette , which was employed escorting Atlantic Convoys . On 17 December 1942 , while escorting convoy ON - 153 , " HMS Firedrake ( H79 ) " , of the escort commander , was torpedoed by U - 211 and sunk . HMS " Sunflower " picked up 27 survivors in 60 foot high waves and took over command of the convoy escort , for which the Captain was " Mentioned in Dispatches " . Torpedoing of HMS Firedrake " Around 11pm I sighted a flare or star - shell on the starboard side of the convoy . I immediately tried to report it by Radio Telephone to the Senior Officer in Firedrake , but could raise no reply from him . It dawned on me that he had been torpedoed . As I was next in command of the escort group , I told Alisma , who was next senior to me , that I feared Firedrake had been torpedoed and that I was proceeding out in that direction to investigate . By now it was blowing a gale " ( Ed . other sources have stated that it was , in fact , a force 12 storm ) " and the seas were becoming quite high , making things difficult to detect any object by radar . After searching for a short while I could find no trace of Firedrake . There were now only two escorts with the convoy and two slowly rejoining from astern after picking up survivors . I decided I must return to try and protect the convoy and must leave my group mates from Firedrake to their fate . This was a difficult decision to make , but I really had no option as protection of the convoy was our first duty . I was returning to the convoy when another star - shell was observed astern of me . Again I turned round to investigate in that direction and after searching for a while , picked up a small radar contact . I proceeded at full speed to attack it only to find , as I came closer , that it was not a U - boat on the surface , but the floating after - end of the Firedrake . I closed with it to find that there were about 30 crew on board . It was now blowing really hard and the seas were ( 60 foot ) high . I told them that I would try and come alongside and get them off . Would they put what fendering they could over the side to help protect my ship as much as possible . This Athey started to do . I asked them if they thought they could keep afloat until daylight . They replied ‘ yes . ’ As there was a big possibility of badly damaging my ship and putting her out of action by trying to go alongside in these seas in the dark , I decided to wait until daylight and would stay in close company with them . Not long afterwards however they reported from the wreck that the forward bulkhead was collapsing and they were taking in water and sinking . In a very short time there was a rumbling and what was left of the Firedrake disappeared beneath the seas . We now did our best to pick up the crew that had been aboard . This was no easy task in these seas . We put scrambling nets over the side for them to climb up . They were mostly on buoyancy nets with their inflated lifejackets keeping them afloat . It was useless to steam head - up - wind to them as I was pitching so much . I did try this to start with , but without success . In fact , I think my bow came down on some of them . What I did do was to go across wind and sea , get to windward of them and let my ship drift down on top of them . This worked , but one second they were down under my bilge - keel , and the next being almost washed aboard over the bulwarks . It was at that moment that my crew would grab them and haul them aboard . Some of my crew went down the nets to help those up the ship ’ s side who were unable to climb up due to exhaustion or injury . By these means we got on board two who were unconscious ; they were lying in the buoyancy nets with their lifebelts on . One proved to be dead but the other we revived . I found out from the survivors that Firedrake had been struck just abaft the bridge in the boiler room and that she had immediately broken in two . The fore part capsized , trapping everyone who was in that part of the ship , which was almost all of the crew . It was only those who lived aft or were on duty there who survived . During all this we had to keep a good look out visually and by radar for a lurking U - boat . I remained there until daylight and searched down - wind for two hours in the hope that I might find some more survivors , even the forepart of the ship floating . But I found nothing and set course to rejoin the convoy as it was essential that I rejoined again before dark . " In 1943 he was promoted Commander RNR and commanded " HMS Wellington " , " HMS Bayntun ( K310 ) " ( one of the first Captain Class Frigates built in Boston , Mass . for the Admiralty ) and then HMS " Dart " , in command of 49th Escort Group in the Mediterranean . In June 1945 he was promoted Acting - Captain RNR as Divisional Sea Transport Officer of the Netherlands East Indies , based in Java , Batavia . He was demobbed in March 1947 but remained in the Naval Reserve . He was promoted to Captain RNR on 31 December 1949 and retired from the service in 1960 . Post - war Service . He re - joined the Cunard Line in March 1947 , serving in RMS " Samaria " , " Scythia " , " Britannic " , " Georgic " and " Queen Elizabeth " . In February 1954 he was appointed Staff Captain RMS " Queen Mary " , until he was given command of RMS " Media " in May 1957 , followed by RMS " Sylvania " , then " Saxonia " , in 1959 . From December 1962 he was Master of " RMS Mauretania ( 1938 ) " , until November 1965 , when he delivered her to Ward ' s shipbreaking yard in Inverkeithing , Fife in Scotland . Final Docking of RMS Mauretania " Before I could enter the channel , it was essential that I pumped out our tanks to get the ship ’ s draft down to a maximum of 26 feet . When the time came to start entering the channel , the Chief Officer and Chief Engineer reported to me that there was a leak somewhere in the ballast pipeline and that they had been unable to pump some of the tanks out . The result being that my draft was still 28½ feet . At this draft it was impossible to enter as we would stick in the channel . This was the highest tide for a month and from now the level of the tides would start falling . I gave instructions to try and get the ballast pipe wrapped and bandaged , and endeavour to get the remaining tanks out by midnight . I would try and enter on the next tide at 1 in the morning . I consulted the ship ’ s broker regarding the terms of the delivery conditions and he informed me that it was my company ’ s obligation , and thus mine , to deliver the ship into berth in order to fulfil the Contract of Sale . In other words , the ship was Cunard ’ s until I put her in the berth and if I stuck in the channel , I would be responsible . This put me on a bit of a spot . The Pilot assured me that the bottom was soft mud and that I would be able to push the ship through , say , six inches to a foot of it . Then , to make matters worse , the Managing Director of Ward ’ s nearly threw a fit when I said that I proposed to attempt it in the dark . He told me “ This is the biggest ship we have ever tried to get in here and we have never taken one in the dark . " I told him that as the tides were reducing , it was essential I did not miss another or we would be at anchor for a month , and , at any rate , there was always a first time for anything . Furthermore , that the small leading - lights marking the channel were , in fact , a damn sight better to see than the couple of thin white posts they had as day markers . He then stated that he did not think the tugs would help me in the dark , as they were afraid of running aground . I said “ Ask them and if they are willing and I can get my draft down , we are going in , in the dark . ” The tugs said they would come , so I decided to have an hour or two ’ s sleep before the operation ; I instructed my officers to call me at midnight and that I wanted to know the draft at the same time . It appears that Ward ’ s representative and the broker could not believe that I was serious and asked my officers ; they told him that if said I was going , then I would go . Midnight came and I had managed to sleep a little . My Chief Officer told me that they had done all they could and emptied out all the tanks possible , but that our draft was still 26½ feet . This set me a poser . About half way there was a patch of only 26 feet in the channel and , about a ship ’ s length from the berth , there was only 23 feet of water . This meant that I would have to push the ship through 6 inches of mud half way in and 3½ feet just before reaching the berth . I consulted my local Pilot again and he assured me it was soft mud . So , I decided to go , realising at the same time that , if I stuck , I would have to shoulder all the blame . Instead of making any tugs fast , I instructed two to go in ahead of me and two to remain astern of me to follow me in . This way I would have two tugs each end of me if we did stick . I did not want them to make fast , as I knew the ship would steer better without them and that I could control her better with engines and rudder . We lined her up in the channel nicely and then the forward tugs belched forth smoke and , for a while , I lost sight of my leading lights . This really worried me , but we somehow kept to the channel until we sighted them again . Then came the first shallow patch . The ship started to sheer but by quickly steering with helm and engines I was able to correct it . The first obstacle was over . There was dead silence on the bridge except for my orders . I was naturally going in very slowly . Then we came to the final obstacle . As the ship ran into this mud - bank she quickly started to slow up . I ordered ‘ Full Ahead on both engines ’ and she started to gain headway again . The wall at the head of the small dock loomed up close ahead and as the ship cleared the mud bank she quickly started to go ahead . I gave the order ‘ Full Astern ’ on two engines and pulled the ship up with about 200 feet to spare and about 20 feet off the berth . We were there . All I had to do now was have the tugs push her alongside the berth , and make her fast . The Chief Engineer phoned up and said I could not use the engines again as his condensers were full up with mud . This did not worry me one bit as I would not need them again and they certainly would not turn again in the ship . I had completed my part of the contract . I had delivered her into the berth . This was the first ship I took to the scrap yard and I never wanted to take another ship to such a place . " He was briefly the Master of " RMS Queen Elizabeth " and then in command of " RMS Queen Mary " from December 1965 until she was handed over to the City of Long Beach , California on 11 December 1967 after being sold to the City earlier that year . Treasure Jones retired in August 1968 , aged 63 , after a career of 47 years , of which he served almost 43½ continuous years at sea . He died on 12 May 1993 , just three months short of his 88th birthday , at Chandlers Ford , outside Southampton . Recognition . His decorations and medals were : In 1968 the University of Wales conferred on him an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law . In 1978 was granted the Freedom of Haverfordwest , his home town . On the Final Voyage of Queen Mary in 1967 he was awarded : Further reading . " Tramp to Queen " autobiography by Capt . John Treasure Jones , The History Press ( 2008 )