Newcastle Shipbuilding Co

Newcastle Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

Newcastle Shipbuilding Co. Ltd was formed on 30th August 1919 by Sir John Crass (a Newcastle shipowner), Harald Merrylee and N. Hunter-Doeg. It came about in order to take advantage of the post W1 boom in shipbuilding. It was officially opened on 23rd December 1920 by Rear Admiral Sir Edward F. Inglefield with a simultaneous launching of a cargo ship.

Shipbuilding

1920 - The first three berths of a planned ten berth yard were completed. In addition a large joiners shop, platers shed, furnace, beam shed with mould loft were also built. The first keel to be laid was of the Spanish tramp Zabalbide on 26th February 1920 which was also the yard's first launch on 23rd December of the same year. On 27th February, the keel of a Norwegian cargo ship, Ravnefjell, was laid and the keel of a sister ship to that, was laid in March.

1921 - The yard failed financially on 9th April due to a collapse of the freight market, and Zabalbide was towed to Hartlepool for completion with the two other vessels laying on the slipway: one being broken up after a further four years.

Sources of Information

British Shipbuilding Yards. 3 vols by Norman L. Middlemiss