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T.W.WARD shipbreakers

42K views 65 replies 36 participants last post by  Charles Mattress 
#1 ·
What history is known of the above firm?i understand that they had the job of cutting down most of the ww11 warships after the war ,then as well took on the task of removing old merchant navy ships.
i find there is no web site for the above firm,
but is there a list of ships that went through there hands.???
 
#2 ·
AFAIK, T.W. Ward ceased operations years ago. They used to have a scrap yard at Grays, Essex and during the 1980s they were still breaking up the odd trawler etc. They also used the berth as a scrap export facility and there were often coasters loading there. However, the land was sold some time ago and I believe it is now all redeveloped with houses and flats.

Phil
 
#47 ·
Thomas.w.warda

S
I HAVE A BOOK CALLED THEIR LAST RESTING PLACE I LIVED IN GRAYS ABOUT A MILE FROM WARDS .THE SUBMAIRE TRUCKULENT WAS CUT UP AT WARDS SHE ARRIVED ABOUT 1400 HRS AND AS KIDS WE WERE ON HER AT ABOUT1800 HRS.JUST AFTER THE WAR 4 GERMAN CORVET TYPE BOATS CAME ALONG SIDE THE OLD CHALK AND WHITING JETTY AND WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIVES PLAYING ON THEM.I NOW LIVE IN N.Z BUT I WAS IN THE U.K. TWO YEARS AGO AND YES ALL THE AREA AROUND THE OLD WHARF(AS WE CALLED IT) IS HOUSING.KEN WILLIAMS SEAMEW
 
#3 · (Edited)
T.W,Ward

T.W.Ward also had a yard at Inverkeithing in Fife many large vessels were broken up there, The Company was taken over by Forth Ports in 1986. They still ownd the land and the berth but the facility is on long term lease to R.M. Supplies a well known local scrap company. There were many large RN and Merchant vessels broken up there. The only list I know of is when you go into the main office the Hallway is all done up in the mahogany panelling you used to see on old Liners and engraved on the panels are the names of the ships that were broken up there and also there is a number of artifacts fom some of the vessels. The only way I know you may be able to get the information is to contact RM Supplies. Also Ottakers have a book printed locally about Inverkiething and it has pictures of some of the vessels. The company name in Inverkeithing was James A Whyte
Tom
 
#65 ·
T.W,Ward

T.W.Ward also had a yard at Inverkeithing in Fife many large vessels were broken up there, The Company was taken over by Forth Ports in 1986. They still ownd the land and the berth but the facility is on long term lease to R.M. Supplies a well known local scrap company. There were many large RN and Merchant vessels broken up there. The only list I know of is when you go into the main office the Hallway is all done up in the mahogany panelling you used to see on old Liners and engraved on the panels are the names of the ships that were broken up there and also there is a number of artifacts fom some of the vessels. The only way I know you may be able to get the information is to contact RM Supplies. Also Ottakers have a book printed locally about Inverkiething and it has pictures of some of the vessels. The company name in Inverkeithing was James A Whyte
Tom
Wards were never ever taken over by Forth Ports.

T.W.Ward had a yard at Inverkeithing in Fife many large vessels were broken up there.

In a 1965 ad, they said they had dismantled over 2,000 ships in 67 years of shipbreaking.

By 1969, the Ward group was believed to be primarily in metal supply, particularly from ship breaking, but also producing cement, supplying roadstone, constructing rail sidings, and building new industrial works and equipping them with the necessary plant and machinery.

In October 1981, Thos. W. Ward's was split into three:
Thos. W. Ward (Raw Materials) the former iron and steel division active in processing and merchanting carbon scrap, special steel scrap, non-ferrous scrap metals and steel stockholding.
Thos. W. Ward (Industrial Supplies)
Thos. W. Ward (Industrial Dismantling

Rio Tinto-Zinc is poised to take majority control of Thos. W. Ward, the
Sheffield cement maker for which it has been battling since November.

Within a short time, Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) began to buy a substantial shareholding and the takeover was completed in early 1982. RTZ amalgamated the Ward cement operation with that of Tunnel Holdings, and named the combination RTZ Cement, which then had about one quarter of the UK cement market


Ceased trading in the 1980’s at which point then Director was called John Ogg.

The Thos W. Ward group was eventually swallowed by Rio Tinto-Zinc in 1982 after a £125m takeover battle.

Inverkeithing Yard leased to J & A White
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the Olympic link, Tom. I enjoyed reading it.

The greatships website features much of Jeff Newman's wonderful collection of cards; and of course Brian Hawley wrote the potted history for Olympic on that website.

There was some interesting information from Ward's in the late 1930s that they found Olympic's hull 'surprisingly sound,' a testament to the general quality of workmanship.

Best wishes,

Mark.
 
#19 ·
Hello ship mates T.W. Ward is a Sheffield, South Yorkshire company and has been here for a hundred years or so i think, famous for its elephant? sure it is still going? will try to find out, they used to do all types of scrap and demolition work all over the UK.
Jim
 
#22 ·
Thomas Wards had a huge scrapyard in Sheffield not far from where Meadowhall Shopping centre is now, in the late 50's
It had a frame overhead runway with a massive travelling crane on it.
They also had another scrapyard in Barnsley South Yorks or West Riding as it should be !!.
Massive outfit had dozens of 8 wheel wagons for scrap carrying and had some of the first tipping artics in the UK.
To my knowledge they had contracts with all of Sheffields steel producers for scrap feed.
Sheffield City Library Archives department will be able to help out I would have thought.
 
#23 ·
I remember TW wards shipbreakers as we used to load in the early 70s railway lines on a regular basis from TW Wards at Briton ferry and inverkeithing and sometimes glasson dock (outside bearth) and take them to bonniers on the seine halfway between rouen and paris, on one occasion we had the night in inverkeithing and we laid ahead of the British Sportsman that was being cut up and we managed to salvage about 500l lts of BP green paint off her, after one week our ship changed colour from german grey to BP Green and she remained green until her end (MV Heye-P).
Peter...
 
#24 ·
Great story Peter, similar to a time we were carrying petrol, all properly sealed and customs approved during rationing.
Funny how we managed to get over 100gallons ashore from the cylinders of two steam ram pumps. Where theres an AB theres a way.
 
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