Commodore Captain Harry Grattidge was Captain on the Queen Mary
when the United States they broke the record, and on that
particular day the Queen Mary sailed from New York about 4 hours
before the United States. We were steaming along between Long
Island and the Ambrose light ship at about 30 knots or 29 knots or
something like that, and suddenly we saw the light. Well, we looked
astern and we saw the lights of the United States, which sailed
about 3 hours later than we did, coming up behind us. Eventually
she came steaming past and blew a blast on her whistle to which we
replied, then we had a little signal from Commodore Manning which
said, 'sorry to have to pass you like this', to which Harry
Grattidge made what I thought was a marvellous reply. He sent
another signal back, he said, 'it's quite alright. A real lady
never likes to be seen in fast company.'
