Southampton 1946.

 Aquitania and Queen Mary in Ocean Dock in their wartime livery. Taken in 1946 when both liners had finished their war service and were returned to Cunard.

Aquitania was the only major liner to serve in both World Wars and during World War II she sailed more than 500,000 miles, and carried nearly 400,000 soldiers, to and from places as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, the South Pacific, Greece and the Indian Ocean. After being handed back to Cunard, she was used to transport war brides and their children to Canada under charter from the Canadian government.

In December 1949, Aquitania was taken out of service when the ship's Board of Trade certificate was not renewed due to the condition of the ship reaching a point of dilapidation and becoming too elderly and too expensive to be brought into line with new fire safety standards of the day. In addition, her decks leaked in bad weather, her bulkheads and funnels were very badly corroded, and on one occasion, a piano fell through the roof of one of the dining rooms from the deck above during a corporate luncheon held on the ship. 

Aquitania was retired and scrapped in 1950 at Faslane, Scotland, thus ending an illustrious career which included steaming 3 million miles in 450 voyages. Aquitania carried 1.2 million passengers over a career that spanned nearly 36 years, making her the longest-serving Express Liner of the 20th century.

Enhanced photograph in my personal collection. Source of original iamge not determined. No copyright restrictions evident but acknowledgement extended to whomever if overlooked.