On 2 October 1942, "Queen Mary" accidentally sank one of her escort ships, slicing through the light cruiser off the Irish coast with a loss of 239 lives. "Queen Mary" was carrying thousands of Americans of the 29th Infantry Division to join the Allied forces in Europe. Due to the risk of U-boat attacks, "Queen Mary" was under orders not to stop under any circumstances and steamed onward with a fractured stem. Some sources claim that hours later, the convoy's lead escort returned to rescue 99 survivors of "Curacoa" crew of 338, including her captain John W. Boutwood. This claim is contradicted by the liner's then Staff Captain (and later Cunard Commodore) Harry Grattidge, who records that "Queen Mary" Captain, Gordon Illingsworth, immediately ordered the accompanying destroyers to look for survivors within moments of "Curacoa" sinking.