"Queen Elizabeth" Goes To Sea -- The "Queen Elizabeth" seen from the air as tugs nose her from the Ocean Dock at Southampton today to begin her first peacetime passenger crossing to New York. At precisely two o'clock this afternoon (Wednesday) the 83,000-ton Cunard-White Star liner "Queen Elizabeth" cast off her moorings at Southampton and slid slowly from her berth to being her maiden passenger voyage to New York. A great crowd assemble don the quayside gave the ship a rousing send-off, other vessels in Southampton water sounded their sirens in farewell as she gathered speed. October 16, 1946.