History
       
RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE                                                                                                                                                                                                           S.S. WARWICKSHIRE 1948

Service Career (1947 - 1972):

In 1945, Bibby Line had restarted their Burma service in association with Henderson's.  Two new passenger ships, the Warwickshire and the Leicestershire, joined the fleet in 1948/9 but with accommodation for only 75 persons. Both ships still bore the unmistakable Bibby image and brought the passenger fleet up to a total of five.

The S.S. Warwickshire was built in 1948 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Govan with a tonnage of 8908grt, a length of 498ft, a beam of 60ft 3in and a service speed of 15.5 knots. However, in January 1948 Burma (renamed Myanmar) attained independence and thereafter both the passenger and cargo trade began to decline.

In 1952 Bibby's 'Burma Boat' partner, P. Henderson & Co., sold out to Elder Dempster so that their combined fleet could serve either Burma or West Africa.

The closure of the Suez Canal in 1956 effectively killed off Bibby's Burma trade as going via the Cape was totally uneconomical. However, a monthly service was maintained until the Suez situation clarified itself six years later. By 1961 only three ships were operating the Burma service, the Herefordshire, and the passenger ships Warwickshire and Leicestershire. The passenger service to Colombo and Rangoon was terminated in 1965 and the two ships, Leicestershire (II) and Warwickshire (II), being unsuitable for charter, were withdrawn and sold to Typaldos Lines of Piraeus for further service.











(c) The AJN Transport Britain Collection 2010                                                                                                                                                                                 A Edward Elliott