From 25–30 July 1943, "Queen Mary" carried 15,740 soldiers and 943 crew (total 16,683), a standing record for the most passengers ever transported on one vessel. During this trip, while from Scotland during a gale, she was suddenly hit broadside by a rogue wave that might have reached a height of . An account of this crossing can be found in Carter's book. As quoted in the book, Carter's father, Dr. Norval Carter, part of the 110th Station Hospital on board at the time, wrote in a letter that at one point "Queen Mary" "damned near capsized... One moment the top deck was at its usual height and then, swoom! Down, over, and forward she would pitch." It was calculated later that the ship rolled 52 degrees, and would have capsized had she rolled another three degrees.