RMS Majestic

*Bismarck* was handed to the White Star Line, a team of engineers were sent by Harland and Wolff, White Star's shipbuilders, to supervise completion of the vessel and gather experience on her operation. In March 1922, Commodore Bertram Hayes and a number of officers were ordered to Hamburg to take command of the vessel prior to handover. The ship's handover, though not friendly, was not openly acrimonious. When Hayes and his men arrived, they found their quarters incomplete, whereas their German colleagues' cabins were finished perfectly. In the case of Captain Hayes, his temporary quarters were being used to store wash basins.

*Bismarck* was taken on her sea trials by Captain Hans Ruser of the Hamburg America Line on the afternoon of 28 March 1922. The shipbuilders completed the ship in the colors of the Hamburg-America Line and with the name *Bismarck* painted on her bow and stern. As she departed the Hamburg docks the following day she was watched by a large number of locals in silence. Once down the river, she anchored at Cuxhaven for the night and commenced her trials proper the next day. The basic requirement was that the ship develop 66,000 horsepower (49,000 kW) and therefore she was steamed for three hours into the North Sea and back again. Briefly she ran aground after leaving at Pagensand, Schleswig-Holstein, but was refloated on the peak of high tide on 30 March and under way again. After another week of work on the accommodation, *Bismarck* was accepted by the British representatives. In early April a chartered steamer arrived at Hamburg with the bulk of her new British crew, they were conveyed on board on one side of the ship, while her German crew were taken off on the other side. Upon boarding, men started painting out the name "Hamburg, *Bismarck*" and replacing it with "Liverpool, *Majestic*." Also the funnels were re-painted in White Star colours. *Majestic* departed Hamburg on 9 April 1922 and arrived at Southampton the next day (10 April) at 9.00 a.m. As a curiosity, exactly ten years earlier, the RMS *Titanic* left Southampton at the same day, three hours later on her maiden voyage.

## Career history

launched by White Star
*Majestic* was placed on the North Atlantic run from Southampton to New York in tandem with *Olympic* and *Homeric*. She sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton on Wednesday, 11 May 1922 at 11.30 am under the command of Sir Bertram Hayes. She reached New York in 5 days, 14 hours and 45 minutes at an average speed of 22.69 knots (42.02 km/h; 26.11 mph). When she docked in New York, she was so large that 41 feet (12 m) of her stern projected into the Hudson River not flanked by the pier, at the time no pier in New York was long enough to take her. On the eastern leg of her maiden voyage, *Majestic* managed to travel from New York (Ambrose Channel Lightship) to Eddystone Light, a distance of 3,139 nautical miles (5,813 km; 3,612 mi) in 5 days, 9 hours and 42 minutes at an average speed of 24.2 knots (44.8 km/h; 27.8 mph).

On 4 August 1922, *Majestic* arrived at Southampton and her crew were told that the next day they would be departing and anchoring off Cowes where they would be inspected by the British monarchs George V and Queen Mary. Over night the ship was cleaned and the next day, the ship arrived at Cowes at 9.00. Not long after arriving, a "yeoman of Signals" from the Royal Yacht arrived with the Royal Standard. The launch carrying the King and Queen arrived shortly after 11.00 a.m. and the Royal Standard was broken on the main mast as the visitors came aboard. The royal guests were received by Harold A Sanderson – the Chairman of the International Merchant Marine, owners of the White Star Line and *Majestic*'s captain; Bertram Hayes. They were given an inspection of the ship lasting an hour and a half where the major public rooms and the three classes of accommodation were inspected before sitting down to lunch on B-Deck. The visit to a merchant ship by a reigning monarch was considered a great honour at the time. George V had been a naval officer until placed in the direct line of succession by the death of his brother and took an interest in the merchant marine.

The ship served as the flagship of the White Star Line from 1922 until 1934. After her May 1922 maiden voyage *Majestic* became one of the most popular liners afloat and in 1923 she carried more passengers than any other Atlantic liner. In 1924, 1926, 1928 and 1930 she carried more passengers than her sister ships. She earned the affectionate nickname 'Magic Stick'.

Due to a structural defect in her topsides, *Majestic* suffered a 100-foot (30 m) crack in December 1924 and underwent permanent repairs and strengthening along B-deck before returning to service in April 1925. Small cracks were also noted on her sister *Leviathan* around the same time, but only minor repairs were carried out and she developed a similar 100-foot crack five years later.

In 1925, she completed an eastbound crossing at 25 knots, which was the fastest she ever managed, and faster than either of her sisters' best efforts. However, her older sister *Leviathan* often had a slightly higher average speed each year than *Majestic*.

In 1928, *Majestic* was extensively refitted and modernised and enjoyed a boom year for passenger lists, but numbers fell slightly in 1929 and then the Great Depression set in by 1930. During slack periods as Atlantic crossings fell during the Depression, *Majestic* was employed in summer recreational cruises from New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

*Berengaria* and *Majestic* remained jointly owned by Cunard/White Star until 1932, when Cunard terminated the joint ownership agreement.

In 1934 in the North Atlantic an enormous wave smashed over the bridge of *Majestic*, injuring the first officer and White Star's final commodore, Edgar J. Trant, who was hospitalised for a month and never sailed again.

Also in 1934, *Majestic* became the first commercial vessel to use the newly constructed King George V Graving Dock.

Following the merger of the White Star and Cunard Lines in 1934, *Majestic* served the new company until 1936. In 1935, it was announced that her sister *Berengaria* would be retired first after several fires aboard caused by the original wiring and Cunard arguing with the American Board of Trade who stated that the ship was no longer fit for American travellers, but the decision was reversed and *Majestic* was retired instead.

## HMS *Caledonia*

*Majestic* in the King George V Dry Dock having had her funnels and masts shortened as part of her conversion into HMS *Caledonia*

After being laid up at Southampton, she was sold on 15 May 1936 for scrap to Thos W Ward. However, due to a stipulation in her original agreement of being a prize of war handed over to the White Star Line as compensation for lost tonnage, she could not be sold to Thos W. Ward, so an exchange was set up where the shipbreakers were given 24 outmoded destroyers as compensation for the equivalent scrap value of *Majestic*. In July 1936 the ship was converted into a Boys' and Artificers' training ship and renamed HMS *Caledonia*.

The conversion of *Majestic* was undertaken at Southampton and comprised the shortening of her masts and funnels so that she could pass beneath the Forth Bridge, and a reduction in the number of lifeboats.

On 8 April 1937, *Caledonia* departed Southampton for her new base in Rosyth and was commissioned on 23 April 1937, with a capacity of 1,500 trainees. The conversion of the liner meant that 100 Officers, 180 Chief Petty officers and petty officers, 300 ship's company, 1500 Seamen Boys and 500 Artificer Apprentices could be accommodated on board. By the end of 1937 there were 800 Seamen Boys and 230 Apprentices on the ship's books. At the peak of her training career during 1938–1939, her books were full.

After the outbreak of World War II, the trainees were removed to accommodation ashore and the ship's berth was emptied for Naval use. *Caledonia* was temporarily anchored in the Firth of Forth pending a decision as to her disposal.

On 29 September 1939, *Caledonia* caught fire and burnt out, sinking at her moorings. The wreck was sold in March 1940 to Thos W Ward for scrap, but it was not until 17 July 1943 that the remains of *Caledonia* were raised and towed to the scrapyard. The bell was later placed in St Nicholas Church, Dereham.