RFA Sir Bedivere

The Vancouver run was always popular with the LSL crews. I did it myself on the Galahad in '76. Marchwood to Antwerp to pick up more tanks, and then Panama and Vancouver. 30 days out, 10 days in port, 30 days back. On the day we arrived back in Marchwood the Bedivere left on her way out to Vancouver. Every third (?) trip included a run up to Prince Rupert BC with ammunition, bringing "old" ammunition back to UK.
Eventually some bright spark figured out it was quicker and cheaper to run a chartered ship from UK to Montreal, and put the tanks on a train to Alberta from there.

In the sixties we would carry everything from tanks to submarine periscopes from Liverpool and Glasgow to Montreal, thence by rail to points west. All loaded on dunnage platforms laid over general cargo. My faith in the expertise of those dockers was after discharge, not ever a single claim on the china tea sets stowed underneath amongst the generals. Skills now long gone.

Back loading, again last onboard would be ‘precious metals’ for the military.