John Treasure Jones was the last captain of the Cunard liner Queen Mary, sailing her to her final destination as a hotel in California in 1968. In a career that began at the age of sixteen, he worked his way up the ranks, survivng the torpedo attack on the Laurentic in WW2, and going on to Captain the Saxonia, Mauretania and Queen Elizabeth prior to the Queen Mary. John Treasure Jones He was born in Haverfordwest, Wales, one of eight children of a hay merchant. He first went to sea at sixteen, in a tramp steamer, he worked his way up the ranks anb became a ships officer and worked with the White Star line, which merged with Cunard. He served on a succession of Cunard vessels and was on board the Laurentic, which had been taken over by the British Navy in World War II, survivng the torpedo attack on the Laurentic in WW2, and went on to Captain the Saxonia, Mauretania and Queen Elizabeth prior to the Queen Mary. When the Queen Mary arrived at its home port of Southampton in September 1967 at the end of its thousandth and final trans-Atlantic voyage, after 33 years on the seas, Captain Jones addressed his crew and his fellow officers after a party, saying, My heart is rather full. That celebration we have had was full of joy, not sadness. John Treasure Jones was the last captain of the Cunard liner Queen Mary, sailing her to her final destination as a hotel in California in 1968. John Treasure Jones retired in 1968 and be was the auther of the book Tramp to QueenJohn Treasure Jones died in May 1993 at the age of 87 at Chandlers Ford in Hampshire, England. He was 87 and had retired to Hampshire in 1968.
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