# Fisher Line Ltd. Felixstowe 1960's



## tom l (Jun 25, 2021)

Does anyone have any information about this company, active in the 1960 at least.


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## loco (Dec 10, 2010)

Don't know if it is the same company, but James Fisher had use of cargo facilities across the river at Harwich Parkeston quay, now Harwich International, until at least after 1980. They used the west End of the quay, formerly used by the Zeeland Steamship Company (SMZ) for the day service to Hook of Holland until circa 1968. This berth has since been redeveloped and is now #4 RoRo berth at Harwich International.

Cargoes imported was, I think, break bulk, and included Jaffa fruit, and frozen chickens, amongst others.

Labour was, I think subcontracted from the British rail docker gangs at the port.

There is a photo of an unnamed ship alongside the Felixstowe Titan crane in 'A Pictorial history of Felixstowe dock' published in 1998.

It says that '.(Titan Crane was used for).....commercial purposes in 1959. One of the first users was.........James Fisher and sons ltd...started a heavy lift service to Rotterdam'. It implies that other lines may also have used the Titan crane. The crane was demolished in 1966.

This berth was redeveloped into part of Landguard container terminal, also known locally at the time as 'New South Quay', and which is now buried under Felixstowe Trinity berths 8+9.



Martyn


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## tom l (Jun 25, 2021)

loco said:


> Don't know if it is the same company, but James Fisher had use of cargo facilities across the river at Harwich Parkeston quay, now Harwich International, until at least after 1980. They used the west End of the quay, formerly used by the Zeeland Steamship Company (SMZ) for the day service to Hook of Holland until circa 1968. This berth has since been redeveloped and is now #4 RoRo berth at Harwich International.
> 
> Cargoes imported was, I think, break bulk, and included Jaffa fruit, and frozen chickens, amongst others.
> 
> ...





loco said:


> Don't know if it is the same company, but James Fisher had use of cargo facilities across the river at Harwich Parkeston quay, now Harwich International, until at least after 1980. They used the west End of the quay, formerly used by the Zeeland Steamship Company (SMZ) for the day service to Hook of Holland until circa 1968. This berth has since been redeveloped and is now #4 RoRo berth at Harwich International.
> 
> Cargoes imported was, I think, break bulk, and included Jaffa fruit, and frozen chickens, amongst others.
> 
> ...


Thank you Martyn, Unfortunately all I have at the moment is that letter head - the only other information that can be gleaned from that is 'Office No 4, The dock, Felixstowe.'


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## loco (Dec 10, 2010)

I think it probably was the same company, the name is too close not to be. It might be worth a letter/email to local newspapers in Felixstowe and Harwich; it may be also possible to get something via the Port of Felixstowe publicity department.

I note you also had an enquiry on another thread which obtained an answer from someone who worked on the Fisher ships; I seem to remember seeing them as a child, but have no definite memory. I'm probably wrong in remembering a ship with accommodation forward with a long maindeck astern for the heavy lift cargo.

I'm not sure of the actual date, but the Parkeston West berth was redeveloped around the early to mid 80s, so I expect their service there finished then. I seem to remember a number of '.....fels' ships using the berth, possibly with fruit. An ex girlfriend of mine in 1980 was a ships' agent at Harwich, and I know from that about the chickens! When I was on CHILTERN PRINCE in 1979, we loaded Jaffa fruit for Belfast, but the ship ahead of us loaded fruit for Parkeston.

The berth was known locally at Parkeston as 'Fishers' at the time, so I suspect they may have been the stevedoring company hiring the facilities at the time. Harwich Transport, a road company I believe now defunct, seem to have done a lot of haulage for them.

A brief Wiki history;

James Fisher & Sons - Wikipedia

The company web page; don't know if you can get information from them;

James Fisher and Sons plc | Home (james-fisher.com)

Martyn


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## tom l (Jun 25, 2021)

loco said:


> I think it probably was the same company, the name is too close not to be. It might be worth a letter/email to local newspapers in Felixstowe and Harwich; it may be also possible to get something via the Port of Felixstowe publicity department.
> 
> I note you also had an enquiry on another thread which obtained an answer from someone who worked on the Fisher ships; I seem to remember seeing them as a child, but have no definite memory. I'm probably wrong in remembering a ship with accommodation forward with a long maindeck astern for the heavy lift cargo.
> 
> ...


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## loco (Dec 10, 2010)

Another thought; Harwich International/Parkeston Quay is owned by Hutchinson's who also own Felixstowe. They may have information on operations on both sides of the river.

Martyn


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## tom l (Jun 25, 2021)

I received a helpful reply to my enquiry from James Fisher and sons.

Another innovation was the introduction of the 'Unit Load' system. This was an early form of containerisation, involving steel platform cargo containers capable of carrying up to 15 tons. The containers were delivered to the harbour side by road vehicle, loaded onto the ship for carriage across the North Sea, collected by road vehicle in Holland and taken to their destination, often as far afield as Austria and Italy. In 1963, to attract further capital for the development of the service, a joint venture was formed with Atlantic Steam Navigation under the name of Fisher Line Ltd. (The Stream Fisher also began operating a container ferry service between Preston and Dublin.)

At Felixstowe, the container ferry service operated by Fisher Lines ended in 1968. It had faced growing competition and rising costs and shareholders heard how 'recently the North Sea had become over-tonnaged

tom


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