POST-WAR TRADING

The gaps in the fleet were plugged by ten standard ‘Liberty’ types, and six ‘Empire’ types with some of them having been managed during the war by Harrisons.

The war survivor Strategist of 1937 had her passenger accommodation removed in 1945, and was loading cargo in Millwall Dock on the Thames in October 1948, the other London docks used by Harrisons being the adjacent West India Docks. Strategist was sold to Hansa Line in March 1957 and renamed Schonfels and arrived for breaking up at Hong Kong on 15th May 1963. Harrison berths were later transferred to the Royal Docks in London until the late 1970s.

The preferred type of propulsion in post-war years was diesel engines via four, five or six cylinder single acting Doxford opposed piston diesel engines giving 14 to 17 knots on trials and 12 to 16 knots service speed.

Some 21 examples of motor ships were completed starting with Herdsman in 1947, with guarantee dry docking usually done at Greenwell Dry Docks in Sunderland harbour, but if they were fully booked then Smith’s Dock Co. Ltd. at North Shields did the final spruce up.

Governor (4) in December 1952 dry docked at North Shields before doing her speed trials on the Newbiggin Measured Mile and sailing on her maiden voyage from London to the Continent and South Africa. The 17 motorships built by Doxfords for the company were:-

Name                  Yard      Year

Maiden Voyage

• Herdsman       739      1947  – London and the Continent to South Africa
• Interpreter     747      1948 – Liverpool to Galveston
• Astronomer       785      1951 – Liverpool to the West Indies
• Wayfarer            786      1951 – Liverpool to Jamaica and Mexico
• Wanderer           790      1951 – London and Antwerp to South Africa
• Arbitrator           791      1951 – Liverpool to East Africa
• Governor            793      1952 – London and the Continent to South Africa
• Diplomat            794      1953 – London and the Continent to South Africa
• Journalist          801      1954 – Birkenhead to East Africa
• Barrister            802      1954 – Liverpool to the West Indies
• Defender            809      1955 – Liverpool to East Africa
• Administrator  826      1958 – Liverpool to the West Indies
• Author                 827       1959 – Liverpool to the West Indies
• Plainsman         835       1959 – Liverpool to Jamaica and Mexico
• Adventurer       834       1960 – Liverpool to the West Indies
• Custodian          844       1961 – Birkenhead to East Africa
• Tactician            845        1961 – Liverpool to Jamaica and Mexico