[yorky jim]

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.???

[Thamesphil]

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

[Tom S]

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

[Tom S]

The RMS Olympic was one of the great ships broken up by Ward at Inverkeithing try this site http://web.greatships.net:81/olympic.html
There are many more
Tom

[graham]

T W Wards had a yard at briton ferry south wales a lot of ww11 warships were broken up there including subs regards Graham

[Frank P]

Wards had a ship breaking operation in Morecambe (Stone Jetty) in the early 1900's, I have seen several books on the subject in Morecambe Library.
They broke up alot of Royal Navy and Merchant Navy vessels.

Frank

[yorky jim]

tom s ,
i wondered if it was BRITON FERRY south wales.by the back ground.
thanks for the info on T.W WARDS scotland.
it gives me a few more leads.

jim

[Tom S]

Jim
Try thie website
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/sh...crapyards.html
Tom

[yorky jim]

tom s ,i cant say we are sailing,but with that web site ,it marks down most ships cheer,s

jim

[gdynia]

Jim
Do a Google search with T.W.WARD shipbreakers and it brings up several pages of their operations in the UK

[yorky jim]

GDYNIA
did a search on wales ship breakers,
as i know there was lots of hulls laid up during the 40,s and 50s
but having no luck

[Mark Chirnside]

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.

[Hawkeye]

Hi
Maritime books of Liskgard have a series of books called 'To sail no more'. There is currently 7 in total. The first two deal with a lot of T. W. Ward yards and should be of interest to you. You can get copies from this website: http://www.navybooks.com/

[GALTRA]

The late Jack Dakres book, "THE LAST TIDE", A history of the Port of Preston 1809 - 1981, has a chapter on shipbreaking in Preston.-- Messrs. T.W.Ward Ltd; Preston, with a long list of ships broken up by them plus photos of some.

[fordy]

Originally Posted by graham

T W Wards had a yard at briton ferry south wales a lot of ww11 warships were broken up there including subs regards Graham

i remember as a boy looking out for the ships being broken at wards in the river neath. i associated that is why they called it giant's grave i don't know if that is true

Originally Posted by GALTRA

The late Jack Dakres book, "THE LAST TIDE", A history of the Port of Preston 1809 - 1981, has a chapter on shipbreaking in Preston.-- Messrs. T.W.Ward Ltd; Preston, with a long list of ships broken up by them plus photos of some.

by any chance does this book make any reference to Messrs wilkinson of Preston &wigan

thks John , cobh
owners of the "Connemara"

[GALTRA]

Sorry , no mention of Wilkinson, Charley

[viking]

fordy i remember them cutting up ships and a few subs at GIANTS GRAVEYARD just below the bridge

[jim barnes]

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

[jim barnes]

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/arch...hp/t-2521.html try this site it may lead you in the right direction.
Jim

[jim barnes]

try this site too.. http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/m...ibitions/muck/

[Nairda59]

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.

[peter barc]

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...

[Nairda59]

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.

[yorky jim]

after all the very useful ex frigates and subs were broken up ,would it have been the few ex merchant & fishing craft before the firm closed down?