Reginald Hall's command culture aboard Queen Mary

Hall had served as assistant to the Third Sea Lord in the controller's work and brought that administrative experience to shipboard leadership. He made petty officers' authority visible by delegating to them and improving their quarters. He supported laundry facilities and a shipboard bookshop, and he influenced the Royal Navy's first shipboard cinema. When other channels failed to provide hot water quickly enough after stoker shifts, Hall challenged the chiefs to cut the washing delay from an hour to fifteen minutes and promised them a special meal; they achieved twelve minutes within two days. Critics including Beatty regarded this welfare-minded approach as softness, while Jellicoe found Queen Mary disciplined and well turned out. The crew knew its captain cared about them.