Picking up the Pieces

Abstract

Even before the final capitulation of Germany and Japan in 1945 the Managers had turned their thoughts to the post-war future. The decision they took, to restore ‘normal’ pre-war capacity and services as soon as practicable, had no obvious alternative. From it followed the consequences which were to dominate the rebuilding programme in the first decade or so after the war: the purchase of US-built ‘Victory’ and ‘Liberty’ ships as a stop-gap measure to improve capacity; the speedy reconditioning of the existing fleet to meet Blue Funnel standards; and a programme of accelerated building to produce a fleet of some 60 or so well-equipped modern vessels by 1960 which would be able to service traditional Blue Funnel trades at their traditional levels.

The first was the war to end all wars. The second was, as we all know, the war which never stopped.

R. H. Thornton