Silver Lines Shipping Company!

[Doc Vernon]

Hi
I have recently come across this Company,and wonder if any here may have served with any of their Ships in the past,i see all of their Ship names begin with Silver (then whatever) eg Silverhow (Tower Bridge)

Would be interesting to know more about the Ships your Experiences on them and what you did aboard! Where did they travel to in say the 1950 and 60's or even earlier!

What kind of Ships were they! Cargo \ Tankers ??

They seemed to have a very large Fleet!

Cheers

[AJ Hawker]

Hi Vernon
Silver Line were mostly i think cargo vessels they had a few coastal tankers, the Tower Bridge was the ex Silverhow, also had ore carriers two of them were Aldersgate and the Bishopsgate i was on the later a good ship if you like Severn Islands. Bishopsgate was later to become the Beechwood (John I Jacobs )
Cheers AJ

[Mike Rotherforth]

Hi Vernon,
I sailed in the Silvercrag in the sixties,running from Middlesborough to Bone in Algeria for iron ore.
All the firemen were Somalis and strict ******s.During the serving of meals a Somali would stand inside the galley to observe the Infidels and to make sure they did not contaminate Their food I E Pork or dripping etc
This was a daily routine throughout the voyage.On arrival in the Uk and walking towards the after end,low and behold three Somali firemen stood behind the winch getting stuck in to bacon sandwiches from the local dock canteen,I nearly got on the phone to allah.
Best regards
Michael

[Albert Bishop]

Hi Vernon, One trip on the Silversand as sec cook, in the late fifties, Tied up beside what looked like a slag heap in Newfoundland for iron ore, Then back across the north Atlantic in winter, not a lot of fun , But a good ship and good a company
Had a minor motorcycle accident (not my fault) and broke my foot while on a couple of days off, or I probably would have stayed longer. Cheers Albi

[Doc Vernon]

Well thus far,this is quite interesting indeed,and hopefully i will get more replies with more info and experiences with this Company!
Would like to thank all who have so far replied!
Bringing back the old memories is what its all about chaps!
Thanks again and keep em coming!
Cheers

[Robert Graham (2)]

Left BP in 1976 and joined Silver Line as a Junior Engineer on the Silveclyde. Did 3 trips on her, then onto the Eden Bridge and finally the Spey Bridge.

[Russ Kennedy]

Hi Vernon,
Found the attached on Silver Line courtesy of Wikipedia. Some of Silver Line ships (if not all, especially in the 50's & 60's) were Built on the Wear by JL Thompson. My father worked on them as a shipyard plumber, I also remember that he took me to the shipyard to see one of them launched, (the Silver Birch rings a bell. but that could be because it's a tree as well....it's my age you knoww!!!!)
Hope you find the attached interesting.
Regards
Russ K

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Russ
Thank you for that attachment,i have saved it to my Docs!
Cheers

[Mike Hall]

hi,
have you forgotten our favourite picture site.
www.photoship.co.uk
there is nearly a whole page of ships begining with silver,all
from different shipping companies.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Mike
No mate havent forgotten about that great site,and i may have put a small paragraph in my post that may sound as if i wanted to know what kind of Ships thet were!
In actual fact i was asking about "what kind of Ships they were in the context of those anyone served on" ie were they Cargo,Tankers etc!
Sorry if i put it wrong!
But thanks anyway Mike,its good to look at that grat site as far as Pics are concerned!
Cheers