“This well-known firm of engineers and shipbuilders was founded in 1897 by Mr. W.S. Bailey, who began business as a consulting engineer and importer of steam pumps and engineers’ requisites. In 1900 Mr. Bailey was joined in partnership by Mr. E. O. Murphy, and the present works [1905] at Kowloon Bay were established…”(1) Chinese Navy Gunboat Kien Yu Forced […]
» Read more
Ben Line Agencies (previously Ben Line Steamers) is a Singapore-based shipping agency, operating across Asia. As of 2013, the company had over 110 offices and 2000 employees. Ben Line Agencies operates four specific areas: Port Agency, Liner Agency, Offshore Support and Project Logistics services. The company in its previous form was founded in Scotland in 1825 under the name of Ben Line. […]
» Read more
HF: IDJ has recently sent the following newspaper article. This includes a rather poor image of Mr Leung Kai aka Ah Kai, and I would be grateful to be sent a better photo of the gentleman, further information about him and/or the company he worked for. I have added a couple of photographs. Thanks to SCT for proofreading my retyping […]
» Read more
IDJ has sent a series of articles about managers at Taikoo Dockyard: The first manager Philip Forster Nicholson, 1907-1910, “was succeeded by James Reid, who was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire,[Scotland], and passed his early life at Troon, serving his apprenticeship with the Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. He remained with this company to rise to Chief Ship Draughtsman and Assistant Yard Manager […]
» Read more
“In the course of a recent research through some old records, the name of another of Hongkong’s pioneer firms was noticed, that of Gibb, Livingston and Company, who came here in the first year of the Colony’s foundation. The firm can indeed claim to be one of the oldest in this part of the world, at they commenced business in […]
» Read more
Macao Dragon Company Limited (Chinese: 巨龍船務有限公司; Portuguese: Dragão Gigante Transportes Marítimos, S.A.) was a start-up ferry company that offered services between the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal, in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, and the Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal in Taipa, Macau. It operated four 65m and 63m highspeed catamarans vessels powered by MTU Friedrichshafen engines using waterjet propulsion, which could accommodate up to 1,200 passengers. Operations of the company began on July 10, 2010. As of September 2010, […]
» Read more
HF: IDJ, long-time contributor to this website, has contributed the following article about the Seawise University ship, originally the Queen Elizabeth liner. As you will read IDJ witnessed at first-hand the demise of the ship. He also took the photographs of the ship. I am very grateful for his contribution in both areas. Thanks to SCT for proofreading the retyped […]
» Read more
IDJ has sent extracts from an in-house Taikoo Dockyard book of the 1950s which cover a wide range of company facilities including a brief description of each and illustrative photographs. The Dock was at the height of its importance during this period, employed around 4,500 people, and offered a range of services which extended considerably beyond shipbuilding and ship maintenance. […]
» Read more
Elizabeth Ride has sent the Naval section of a British Army Aid Group (BAAG) Waichow Intelligence Summary (WIS No.6) dated 14th September 1942. This covers shipping movements in and out of Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation in World War Two during late August and September 1942 and scheduled sailing dates for October 1942. These reports also describes time spent by […]
» Read more
HF: Tymon Mellor’s article, Sha Lo Wan Mine, includes, “A local company, The Bank Line (China) Ltd was interested in production of the ore for shipment to Japan, through Andrew Weir & Co, a local “reputable firm” as advised by the superintendent of Mines in a memo dated 7th January, 1953.” Here is an introduction to this British shipping company […]
» Read more