MEDITERRANIAN

Ship No 503

She was to be the final ship to be built from the huge order from Ellerman Wilson Line.

The M.V. MEDITERRANIAN was another single screw diesel cargo vessel with a slightly less gross registered tonnage of 1459, with the same overall dimensions of her sister ship ATHENIAN at an L.B.P. of 280 feet, but she was 2 feet broader in the beam with a breadth of 47 feet and a design draught of 26 feet. This was the boom years for the shipyard owners.

She was launched into the waters of the River Forth on 20th of October 1968.

In what was to mark (unknown at the time) the last of the large ship orders for the Leith shipyards of Henry Robb. The famous Ellerman Line was being re-organised. You will be able to read a whole lot more about all the Ellerman Wilson Line ships built in Leith on the new website, online soon.

It was in this year 1968 that the Henry Robb Shipbuilding and Engineering Company took over the Caledon of Dundee shipbuilders to form an enlarged Company to be called Robb Caledon Shipbuilders Ltd. (Was this a wise move? Only time will tell) this was to give the combined company the largest shipbuilding capacity outside of the Clyde based shipyards in Scotland, employing around 3,200 skilled shipbuilders in its hay day.

ARO

Ship No 502

ARO was a Grab Dredger squeezed in between the large order from Ellerman Wilson and the Admiralty.

She was ordered from the Nigerian Ports Authority and she was one of many such vessels built in the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb shipbuilders.

The yard indeed specialized in the Work Horses of the maritime world.

ARO was 339 grt, with a length B.P. of 125 feet and a beam of 28 feet and 6 inches, with a design draught of 11 feet and 6 inches.

She was launched into the waters of the River Forth on 10th of October 1967.

ATHENIAN

ATHENIAN (photo by Les Harris) Ellerman Wilson Line
Ship No 501

The M.V.ATHENIAN was part of the large order from Ellerman Wilson Lines but she differed from the “S” named vessels in the fact that she was slightly heavier than the others at 1587 grt. Although, she had the same scantling dimensions at 280 feet length B.P. with a beam of 45 feet, with a design draught of 26 feet.

She was launched into the waters of the River Forth at Leith on 4th of May 1966.

WILSON LINE: THE HISTORY AND FLEET OF THOS. WILSON, SONS & CO. and ELLERMAN'S WILSON LINE LTD.    For a great read on all the Ellerman Wilson Ships.

RFA ENGADINE

RFA ENGADINE

Ship No 500

The ENGADINE was another first of type ordered by the Admiralty, for a true Helicopter support ship.

She was one of the largest vessels built in the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb shipbuilders.

As the shipyard was so busy at the time some of the building of units was sub-contracted out to the Burntisland Shipyard on the other side of the River Forth.

She was built to Merchant Navy standards as she was to operate as an auxiliary and not as a warship, manned by a crew from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) with a permanent staff of Royal Navy on board as well, she was the only ship in the RFA at the time fitted with stabilisers.

The Royal Navy and Falklands War Soldiers and journalists alike wasted no time in telling the story of the campaign to recapture the Falkland Islands after the Argentinian invasion in April, 1982. Almost without exception, however, they are concerned largely on the role of the Army, for it was the part they played which particularly fired the public imagination, and it may be said that the role of the Royal and Merchant Navies, the abiding images of which are for many the pictures of the exploding frigate Antelope, and the burning Atlantic Conveyor, has hitherto been overshadowed by the yomping of the Marines and the exploits of certain gentleman of the press. Yet none of them would have been there at all had the Royal Navy not provided the necessary transport, not to mention air cover and bombardment support. In the book David Brown, head of what was formally the Naval Historical Branch at the Ministry of Defence, tells in full for the first time the extraordinary story of how the fleet was assembeled; of how merchant-ships from luxury liners such as the Canberra to cargo-carriers of every description were 'Taken Up Form Trade' and, in a staggeringly short time, converted to their new role. He describes the stupendous problems presented by the assembling, and stowing, of the thousands of tons of stores and equipment needed by the Expeditionary Forces and the way in which these problems were dealt with.

The ENGADINE was renowned for her high standard of accommodation.

She was in effect a floating helicopter school with room for up to eight helicopters at a push.

She had a deadweight of about 8,000 tons and at 6384 grt, with a length between perpendiculars of 385 feet and a beam of 58 feet with a design draught of 35 feet and 4 inches.

She was launched from the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb on 16th of September 1966.

She was de-commissioned in 1989 and served as a repair ship for a further seven years.

 

RFA ENGADINE was to provide service with the fleet for 30 years before being scrapped in 1996.

You will soon be able to read much more about her on the new website.

SANGRO

SANGRO renamed City of Ankara (Ellerman Line)
Ship No 499

The motor vessel SANGRO was the Fifth ship in what was to prove to be the largest single order for ships that Henry Robb shipbuilders were ever to secure.

The M.V.SANGRO was a single screw diesel cargo ship of 1559 grt, with a length between perpendiculars of 280 feet and a beam of 45 feet and 6 inches, with a design draught of 26 feet.

Sister ship to SALERNO, SALMO, SORRENTO and SILVIO, she was launched into the waters of the River Forth at Leith on 15th of March 1968.

All named after places in Italy, Sangro being a river in Italy that was the scene of some fierce battles during World War II

She was the final vessel of this type built in the Leith Shipyards at this time, built for the Mediterranean trade routes.

Transferred to Ellerman Lines in 1973 and renamed City of Ankara.

She was finally broken up in 2007 after a working life of almost 40 years, which is a tremendous testament to the shipbuilders of Leith.

SILVIO

MV SILVIO renamed City of Patras (Ellerman Lines)
Ship No 498

The motor vessel SILVIO was the Fourth ship in what was to prove to be the largest single order for ships that Henry Robb shipbuilders were ever to secure.

The M.V.SILVIO was a single screw diesel cargo ship of 1559 grt, with a length between perpendiculars of 280 feet and a beam of 45 feet and 6 inches, with a design draught of 26 feet.

Sister ship to SALERNO, SALMO and SORRENTO she was launched into the waters of the River Forth at Leith on 30th of November 1967.

She was the second ship to bear the name SILVIO, built in the Leith Shipyards for the Ellerman Wilson Line, the first being Ship No 358 from 1947.

Transferred to Ellerman Lines in 1973 and renamed City of Patras.

SORRENTO

M.V.SORRENTO
Ship No 497

The motor vessel SORRENTO was the third ship in what was to prove to be the largest single order for ships that Henry Robb shipbuilders were ever to secure. All for the Ellerman Wilson Line.

The M.V.SORRENTO was a single screw diesel cargo ship of 1559 grt, with a length between perpendiculars of 280 feet and a beam of 45 feet and 6 inches, with a design draught of 26 feet.

Sister ship to SALERNO and SALMO she was launched into the waters of the River Forth at Leith on 25th of May 1967.

Transferred to Ellerman Lines in 1973 and renamed City of Sparta.