Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.
The company was formed in 1897 as a merger of the engineering firms of William Armstrong and Joseph Whitworth. The company expanded into the manufacture of cars and trucks in 1902, and created an "aerial department" in 1913, which became the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft subsidiary in 1920.
His company can also be credited with helping to create the Town of Deer Lake in the country of Newfoundland. Between 1922 and 1925, a hydroelectric station was built at Deer Lake by the Newfoundland Products Company and Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company. The canal system used by the hydroelectric station helped to expand the woods operations in the area. Some of the equipment used in the construction of the Panama Canal was shipped to the small Island nation. Electricity from the project was used to power the pulp and paper mill in Corner Brook. Since the 1920s, Deer Lake has grown into a major area for the lumbering industry, as well becoming a service oriented centre.
In 1927, the defence and engineering businesses merged with those of Vickers Limited to create a subsidiary company known as Vickers-Armstrongs. The aircraft and Armstrong Siddeley motors business were bought out by J. D. Siddeley and became a separate entity.
Built a number of steam road rollers in 1920s
Shipbuilding
- 1920 – the deep-water berth at Walker Naval yard was used many times for repairs, refits and modernisation of various vessels in the early 20s. This included various passenger ships notably Mongolia 16385/23 which sailed for P&O between Australia via India. The ship was turbine powered and had a fixed swimming pool, an electric lift and electric heaters in cabins. Mongolia had room for 1593 passengers.
- 1922 – the world’s largest floating dock was built for the Southampton Docks of the Southern Railway Company and five sections came from the Naval Yard. In addition two end sections came from the Low Walker yard. The Naval Yard also produced four heavy lift ships, four general cargo ships, a Channel Ferry, two small Great Lakes traders, three lightships and a survey and buoy tender for the Nigerian Government.
- The main output was tankers with twenty being completed between 1921-28.
- The Naval Yard only received one order for a warship in the 1920s.
- The Low Walker Yard completed a variety of ships including the newsprint carriers Humber Arm 5758/25 and Corner Brook 5759/25. These ships were to be for the newsprint trade between Newfoundland to New York. They were part of a larger project, which lead to the downfall of Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. Ltd itself.
- 1922 – In July the Company had set up a separate subsidiary company called Newfoundland Power & Paper Utilities Corporation Ltd. to finance a scheme to build 400 tons/day newsprint mill in Newfoundland.
- Armstrong, Whitworth & Co invested £5M in a mill which went $1M over budget which the company covered with an overdraft. The mill never produced anywhere near its maximum output and the Mill was sold losing them £2.8M. This in turn limited the cashflow of the Company and the whole group collapsed.
- 1926 – Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd losses amounted to £625, 767 for the first 11 months of 1926.
- 1927 – the company was merged with Vickers of Barrow to become Vickers-Armstrong with Armstrong’s receiving £4.5M for their assets and Vickers £8.5M
See Also
Sources of Information
Traction Engine Album by Malcolm Ranieri. Pub 2005
[1] Wikipedia
British Shipbuilding Yards. 3 vols by Norman L. Middlemiss