RMS Queen Elizabeth – a picture from the past

The stately liner makes its way down the slips to the cheers of thousands of onlookers. At the time, it was the largest liner ever to have been built. It was used in the war as a transport ship, carrying 15,000 troops at a time, before being repainted in Cunard livery in 1946. It sailed regularly to New York until transatlantic cruises became less popular, and was retired in 1968
Illustration: Photograph: Topical Press Agency/Getty Images