Shipping Gazette

■ Shake-up in shipbuilding empire

DURING the great reorganisation of the P&O Group in 1971, all the companies owned by them after decades of independence suddenly lost their separate identity and were merged into the new corporate structure.

One of the companies affected was the British India Steam Navigation Co.

Around the time this shake-up was taking place, B-I were taking delivery of eight new cargo liners from shipyards on the Tyne.

Two sets of sister ships and a quartet, these vessels were the new ‘A’, ‘M’ and ‘Z’ classes custom built for regular scheduled services between the Gulf and Australia or Japan.

These state-of-the-art vessels were variously equipped with large easy to load hatches, ship’s side doors, deck cranes, heavy lift derricks, cargo elevators and refrigerated spaces as necessary for their intended trade.

Pictured is the 10,031 Aska which was completed at Swan, Hunter’s Readhead Yard at South Shields in 1970.

Renamed Strathcarrol in 1975, she was sold to become the Halla Pilot two years later and in 1985, after barely 15 years’ service, she was scrapped in South Korea.

By Capt Murray Paterson.