The 8^th May 2020 marks the 75^th anniversary of VE Day and the end of WW2. Across the country, we honour the heroes of this war. Our ports played a vital role in the war effort as naval bases, departure and arrival points for troops and for ensuring vital supplies reach where they are most needed.

We are proud of the supporting roles our ports and waterways played during the war effort and today we continue our role with our affiliation with the Royal British Legion. Our maritime colleagues across our ports and estuaries will be taking part in the Royal Navy’s ‘Shine A Light’ event to mark the historic events of VE day.

Our friend Sue Yates, from Tilbury on the Thames Trust, has written a piece specifically about the role The Port of Tilbury undertook during WW2 and we share this below:

TILBURY IN WORLD WAR II

By Sue Yates, Chair of Thurrock Historical Society and Director of Tilbury on the Thames Trust

Tilbury Docks built in 1886 were an immediate target for the Luftwaffe in the World War II.  Tilbury played a very important role during the war not only as a dock but for evacuating Thurrock school children as well as its part in building Mulberry Harbours and P.L.U.T.O.

Before the outbreak of war it had been decided that Thurrock would be a danger area because of its docks, oil refineries and large factories.  A plan was therefore formulated to evacuate school children and their teachers from Thurrock.  On 2^nd September 1939 the children were escorted to Tilbury Landing Stage.  An advert to this effect appeared in the Thurrock Gazette of 2nd September 1939 stating the evacuation day for Tilbury children was 2^nd September whilst the rest of the youngsters from the area would go on 3^rd September.  Children including Eileen Webb and her sister Jill assembled in their school playground at 6.00a.m. complete with gas masks, night clothes and a change of clothing.  They were taken by bus to the docks where they boarded the ‘Royal Daffodil’, ‘Crested Eagle’ or ‘Golden Eagle’ which would take them to safety in Suffolk.

On Friday 16^th August 1940 there were two air raids.  The first from 12.30p.m. to 2.30p.m.  and the second from 4.30p.m. to 6.30p.m.  So quickly did these raids begin after the sirens sounded that men working in Tilbury out in the open had no time to escape prior to the bombs falling.  One house was destroyed, 204 Feenan Highway, Tilbury and a number of others were damaged.  This was the first house to be destroyed by enemy bombers in Tilbury.

A de-gaussing monitoring point was set up at Coalhouse Fort operated by WRNS.  It was here that the outgoing vessels had their magnetic reading checked.  If de-gaussing was required the work was done in Tilbury Docks.  Tilbury Docks was also a gathering point for the small ships who were to evacuate British Troops from Dunkirk in 1940.

Tilbury played a very important part in the British war effort.  Its residents were bombed regularly as they lived in close proximity to the docks.  In 1941 The Basin Tavern was hit by a bomb.  On the night of 14^th/15^th March 1941 Tilbury Landing Stage was hit by a bomb and it was not until after the war that it was fully repaired.  In 1943 the eastern block of The Dwellings was demolished because of war damage.  On 4^th February 1944 the iconic local landmark The Tilbury Hotel was hit by enemy incendiaries.  They lodged in the ceiling of the saloon bar.  Frantic efforts were made to control the fire but all to no avail as due to the hotels wooden construction fire spread rapidly.  The hotel was destroyed.

In 1943 plans were being made for a Normandy landing and to help in this the United Kingdom invented the Mulberry Harbour.  These were two temporary portable harbours developed by the United Kingdom during the Second World War to facilitate the rapid offloading of cargo onto beaches especially fuel.  They had extending legs, like North Sea oil rigs, to jack them off the seabed and were connected to the shore by a floating road.  These were made up of 213 units and 22 were made in Thurrock most of these were made in the dry dock at Tilbury.

22^nd September 1944 saw another important contribution of Tilbury because this was the day that P.L.U.T.O. (pipeline under the ocean) was laid.  This was invented to enable the constant supply of fuel to the Normandy beaches.   This was a very long pipeline wound on to reels which were used on specially adapted vessels.  At Tilbury Docks two assembly sheds were built in the north east of the docks and a line of concrete supports, with rollers on, ran diagonally across.  The pipeline was rolled along this track and coiled on drums at the far end.

8^th May 1945 V.E. Day at last.   At 3p.m. on Tuesday 8^th May 1945 Winston Churchill announced in his radio broadcast Victory in Europe and that hostilities would cease at one minute past midnight that night.

The air was filled with the sound of church bells ringing out across the country and not the sound of bombs.  Everywhere, and Tilbury was no exception, people were out in the streets singing and dancing, hanging from lampposts, waving flags.  There were parades and tables appeared in the streets laden with food.  People made bunting and decorations.   Children wore Union Jack hats.  It was mainly the women as they were still awaiting the impending return of their menfolk from war.  Over two million homes had been damaged during the war the lights had been out but now everyone turned them on and went out in the streets to see what it looked like.  In Grays the Police Station now the former Court House was floodlit.  The pubs were permitted to stay open until 11p.m. but began running out of beer long before that.  At 1.30 a..m. the lights were switched off but the crowds chanted for their return so they were turned on again.  People in Tilbury too celebrated wildly in to the night and next day partying in the streets.  No more sleeping in air raid shelters no more blackouts.  “The War in Germany is at an end.  Advance Britannia!  Long live the cause of freedom!  God save the King!”

Since the lockdown in March, ports have not stopped working. All of our ports are open and our quay workers around the UK have been working hard during these challenging times to make sure that food and goods arriving into their ports are getting to where they are most needed.

In March alone, the Group, which operates eight ports across the UK including Tilbury, Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth and Dundee has managed:

• 74,000T of wheat – the equivalent of 148 million loaves of bread for our supermarkets
• 40,000 tonnes of food for supermarket shelves, including over 8,500T of fruit and vegetables and the equivalent of 2.5m packs of pasta, 2m packs of rice, 4.75m tins of food and enough fruit juice to fill 5.6m cartons
• 2700T of medical supplies, 4.8m nappies and 3.8m bottles of soap
• 6,200T of tissue and paper products to make toilet rolls, pharmaceutical packaging and food packaging
• 27,000T of fertiliser into the east coast of Scotland to support the growth of key agricultural products
• 10,000T of fishmeal this year which is crucial to the supply of Scotland’s aquaculture industry
• Over 50,000T of animal feed in stock, supporting Scotland and the South East’s key livestock, pig and poultry producers.
• Providing safe anchorages and berths for 9 cruise vessels in the River Forth and the River Thames
• Handled the plywood used to build the NHS Nightingale Hospitals in London and Birmingham and the NHS Louisa Jordan in Glasgow

Commenting on the infographic, Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports said: “I am extremely proud and grateful to our hard-working teams across our ports. Our own ‘quay’ workers have adapted admirably to the necessary changes and restrictions in order for us ensure we work in a safe and protected environment. All of this enables us to handle the much-needed products for other front-line essential services, people and business across the UK. It is clear to see from this infographic the key role that our ports are playing in these very challenging times to keep the supermarket shelves full and the economy moving.”

22 April 2020                        – ends –

On the 2 April for the 8pm Clap for Carers event, the hard working team from the London Container Terminal at The Port of Tilbury, undertook a container shuffle of 137 containers to create a tribute to the NHS workers and all the other key workers keeping vital services going for us all. The container shuffle was carried out yesterday and completed ahead of the 8pm event.

Commenting on the container shuffle, Paul Dale, Asset & Site Director at the Port of Tilbury said: “We wanted to recognise the important role that the NHS and all the other key workers, including our own port teams here in Tilbury and across the UK, are delivering in these challenging times. The team at the container terminal did a brilliant job shuffling the containers and it is a fitting tribute to everyone working at the frontline.”

Ross McKissock, Asset Manager London Container Terminal said: “The team at the container terminal came up with the idea for a container tribute to thank the NHS and key workers. It took the team most the day to identify and reshuffle the 137 empty boxes to bring the message to life. In total our drivers undertook around 400 moves to create the message which now greets all lorries entering the container terminal. During these tough times, we wanted to create a message of support and hope for us all.”

The arrival of the cargo vessel the Anna G into Scotland’s container terminal in Grangemouth at the weekend launched a new east coast container feeder shipping service with Unifeeder.

This new service is the first direct feeder call from Scotland to London Gateway on the Thames Increasing connectivity options for customers shipping to international markets and providing a new offering for UK domestic cargoes.

The service connects Grangemouth with London and offers both deep sea and short sea transit opportunities for customers. The weekly rotation calls at Grangemouth, London Gateway, Dunkerque, Antwerp and Teesport.

Commenting on the new call, Derek Knox, Port Manager said: “It’s great to see this new service from Grangemouth to London Gateway launched by Unifeeder.  This new connection to London increases the shipping options offered to our customers within the UK and beyond from Scotland’s container terminal. The service demonstrates Unifeeder’s confidence and commitment to both the Port and Scottish Market by offering a new alternative to existing supply chain solutions. We look forward to supporting Unifeeder with the service.

The prime location of Grangemouth on the east coast coupled with our experience, expertise and equipment deliver a first-rate service for customers. We continue to invest significantly in Grangemouth with new equipment, an expanded container terminal area and over 400 reefer connections secures us as Scotland’s largest container terminal.”

The Port of Grangemouth operates Scotland’s largest container port and handles in excess of 155,000 containers per annum. More than £6billion worth of goods passes through Grangemouth each year including steel plate, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry. There are regular container services from Grangemouth with frequent daily sailings to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe and Hamburg. Most of the major lines utilise these feeder services to link with mother container vessels plying between the world’s major ports.

10 March 2020                                               -Ends-

Forth Ports’ Senior Harbour Master, Ashley Nicolson scooped the prestigious Women in Industry award for the first time at the CeeD (Centre for Engineering Education and Development) Industry Awards 2020.

Ashley Nicolson is part of the marine team at Forth Ports which manages and operates an area of 280 square miles of navigable waters on the River Forth and the River Tay, including two specialised marine terminals for oil and gas export.

Through her role at Forth Ports and her Vice President role at the UK Harbour Masters Association (UKHMA), Ashley is helping to drive the change required to ensure a more gender diverse workforce within the maritime sector. Ashley and her two colleagues from the marine team have committed to supporting the ‘Maritime and Me’ campaign launched recently by Maritime UK with the aim of encouraging women to join the industry.

This award also recognises Forth Ports’ corporate values which celebrate equal opportunity and achievement in the sector. Forth Ports has committed to the UK Women in Maritime Pledge to create positive change within the organisation and the wider UK maritime sector. The port group is also working towards achieving Women in Maritime UK Chartered Company Status.

Commenting on her award win, Ashley Nicolson said: “I am extremely proud to win this award and I hope it sets a positive example for other women in the maritime industry. I have progressed my career into areas and roles never previously held by women, challenging the standards and leading by example; fully supported by Forth Ports. Along with the current industry campaigns like ‘Maritime and me’, there is now real momentum to deliver change and help inspire other women to excel and influence the development of the industry.”

Celebrating the CeeD award success, Jackie Anderson, Group HR Manager of Forth Ports said: “We are all thrilled for Ashley and we congratulate her on this well-deserved award. At Forth Ports, we are committed to building an employment culture that actively supports and celebrates gender diversity, at all levels, throughout our organisation and throughout our industry.”

Ashley supports the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) Women’s Forum with their pilot mentorship programme, providing mentorship to other women in the industry. She is also UKHMA Vice President and will become president in June 2020 – becoming the first female to hold the role in the association’s history, which has been in existence since 1993 and the largest organisation of Harbour Masters worldwide.  Ashley has also won the Hammerman Award.

04 March 2020                                   -ends-

Forth Ports scooped a trio of awards at the prestigious Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2020 last night (27 February).

The port group won in the High Growth Business of the Year for Capital Cruising and Large Business of the Year. The business also celebrated the individual award win to Harbour Master Ryan Porteous who was named Young Leader of the Year.

High Growth Business of the Year for Capital Cruising – the judges were impressed with the strong growth performance of Capital Cruising which is Forth Port’s cruise business brand. The business has experience strong growth to become the second largest UK cruise operator enjoying a 50% increase in customer base and an impressive 75% increase in cruise calls. The success is based on a strong commercial and brand strategy coupled with a collaborative approach to customer service and passenger experience.

Large Business of the Year – Forth Ports – the judges were impressed with the strong managerial and financial performance of Forth Ports. Forth Ports is one of the UK’s largest port groups with over 1,100 employees, handling over 41million tonnes of cargo at their ports and contributing £950million of economic value to the UK. The company has an ambitious investment strategy across it ports with the development of a new multimillion pound port in Tilbury on the Thames to increase the import and export capacity; a renewables and decommissioning hub and new £10million heavy-lift quayside in Dundee; and in Grangemouth a £15million investment in infrastructure, crane capability and a Skills & Business Centre. The business also invests in its people to create a strong service delivery and ensure a skilled workforce for the future.

Young Leader of the Year Award to Ryan Porteous – Ryan has impressed with his level of vision and leadership deploying his skills to positively impact both the teams he works with and the wider business. His role as Harbour Master for Dundee and Leith is to assume overall responsibility for the safe and efficient running of all marine aspects of the Port. Ryan provides leaderships to a marine team and is key in liaising with the customer, managing commercial pressure whilst maintaining the safety of navigation. In addition to the Port based part of his role, Ryan has been proactively involved in engaging local organisation with the safe usage of the River.  Inspiring a joint safety campaign with the local leisure fraternities such as fishing, sailing and water sport clubs along with the Police to promote safe and responsible river use.

Celebrating the awards success, Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer, Forth Ports said: “We are thrilled to win these two awards for the business and we are extremely proud of Ryan’s win as Young Leader of the Year. Ryan is an impressive individual and this award is testament to his professional achievements and personal drive. All three awards are a result of the hard work of many people across the business and my thanks and congratulations go to the teams who have contributed to this success.

This is an exciting year ahead for Forth Ports are we open a new port in Spring in Tilbury; host a prestigious global Cruise conference in Edinburgh in March and continue our multimillion-pound investment programme across our Scottish operations.”

28 February 2019                              -ends-

Scotland’s largest agricultural products hub (“agri-hub”) is now fully operational at the Port of Rosyth with the arrival of the Baltic Mantis bulk cargo ship and her load of over 30,000 tonnes of animal feed from Argentina.

As part of a long-term partnership with Forth Ports and Cefetra Ltd, the Fife port has now become the main Scotland’s principal agri-hub, handling an extensive range of agricultural products for the Scottish animal feed, food and drink and farming industries.

To create the unrivalled agri-hub, the Port of Rosyth has been deepened to provide a true deep-water port capable of taking vessels carrying up to 50,000 tonnes of cargo. Its existing storage facilities have been significantly extended with the addition of a new, 200,000sq.ft. purpose built agricultural products terminal, increasing the port’s storage capacity to around 100,000 tonnes. The terminal was built by Luddon Construction and the port manages all the operations in the store.

The port has invested in a new Liebherr mobile harbour crane for bulk handling capability at the agri-hub. This new crane is a state-of-the-art mobile harbour crane with powerful transmission and advanced electronics for bulk handing.

To further enhance the port’s bulk handling process, and to manage dust emissions, a new SAMSON ecological hopper is also now in place at the port. The eco hopper is the first of its kind in the UK and forms a key component of the new agri-bulk hub facility.

Derek Knox, Senior Port Manager, The Port of Rosyth said: “This is an exciting time for the Port of Rosyth as we see another significant investment programme for our customer, Cefetra, reflecting our strategy of working in partnership to deliver supply chain solutions reach fruition. This new agri-hub and our new Liebherr mobile harbour crane bring together the port’s unrivalled logistics links as well as its excellent marine capability. It’s also great to see the new SAMSON eco hopper in use. This is a key part of our dust control at the port. My thanks also to the Luddon Construction team who delivered the new terminal warehouse ahead of schedule.”

Andrew Mackay, Managing Director at Cefetra Ltd, said: “We are very pleased with the new Rosyth agri-hub development. We would like to thank Forth Ports and their contractors Luddon, Liebherr and Samson for delivering these excellent purpose-built facilities. The agri-hub will increase the efficiency of our supply chains, allowing us to take advantage of scale and location, bringing additional benefits to our customers and to Scottish agriculture for the long term.”

Rosyth’s location and logistical links to the motorway network, make it ideally suited to supply all areas of Scotland and Northern England. In addition, Rosyth, being near to continental Europe, has advantages in short sea freight.

26 February 2020                           – ENDS –