Associated Humber Lines
The ownership of the respective vessels did not transfer to A.H.L and similarly the ports concerned, Hull, Goole and Grimsby, also remained under the control of the railway companies and their successors.
[1] In May 1935 the organisation was formed to takeover the management of the ships and ports and in June the control committee commenced to function and the process of rationalisation began.
: "Aire", "Alt", "Besline", "Besway", "Blyth", "Dearne", "Don", "Douglas", "Hebble", "Hodder", "Irwell", "Mersey", "Ouse", "Rother", "Rye", "Transport" and "West Riding".
[4][5] Seized in Hamburg in August 1914 and used by Germany as an accommodation ship for pilotage services on the River Jade.
[6] The first vessel in a series of five sister ships which were all built by Earle's Shipbuilding at Hull Acquired by LNER in 1923.
Passed to British Railways in 1948 she was finally withdrawn from service in January 1959 and was scrapped in May of that year.
[11] Following fall of Netherlands she operated in coastal convoys until conversion to a convoy rescue ship in 1941, but a grounding whilst on delivery voyage, including being struck by a mine whilst stranded, caused severe damage which, but for war scenario, would have been terminal.
[18] After D-Day in 1944 acted as an army meat supply ship between London and Rouen and Ostend, and transferred to similar work to and from the Mediterranean in 1946.
[19] During World War II escaped serious consequences when on passage from Leith to Iceland she was bombed and the device failed to explode, and was removed safely in Reykjavík.
A special cable was laid to a floating buoy for the Home Fleet flagship which could be slipped when the vessel went to sea.
The vessel's work was considered very important and didn't generally receive the deserved credit.
[16] Spent much of World War II in Icelandic waters acting as a naval supply ship.
[21] Seconded to Great Western Railway in 1915 for Weymouth-Channel Islands service but switched to cable laying activity in 1917 following the loss of the Post Office's vessel Monarch.
Both she and Hodder were released back to their owners in 1920 and she was transferred to L&NWR, LMS and the AHL in 1922,1923 and 1935 respectively.
Ownership changed again in 1948 to British Transport Commission and finally scrapped in 1956 at Dunstan-on-Tyne by Clayton & Davie.
Whilst taking evasive action during an attack she hit and sank the owners' Ouse.
In 1957 ownership was transferred to AHL Ltd. On closure of Hull-Antwerp service in February 1968 the vessel was laid up and then sold to a company in the Philippines and renamed West Lyte.
The vessel was towed into IJmuiden by Bureau Wijsmuller's tugs Titan, Simson and Stentor but was declared a constructive total loss.
Vessel laid up at Hull following closure of the Hull-Rotterdam service in November 1971 and was sold with her sister to Chion Shipping Company in Greece in 1972, and renamed Ionia Express.
[28] Was similarly lengthened and modified at Smiths Dock Company in North Shields in November 1967.
Made final AHL sailing on the Hull-Rotterdam service on 29 November 1971 and was laid up on 1 December.
Sold with sister to Chion Shipping Company and renamed Aegeon Express in 1972 serving until July 1978 when she was again laid up and was towed to Piraeus in August 1980 for breaking up.
Sold on to Taj Shipping also of Famagusta in 1974 and whilst en-route Ipswich-Tema in 1976 grounded, caught fire and suffered an explosion becoming a constructive total loss.
[29] In September 1965 she operated from Folkestone to Boulogne in British Railways livery and in 1968 acted as a relief ship on the London Midland Region's Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire and Heysham-Belfast routes.
In March 1980 whilst on passage from Rouen to Lattakia her cargo shifted and she took shelter in Brest where she was abandoned.
On passage from Rochester, Kent to Beirut in 1977 she was abandoned on fire in the English Channel and was towed gutted into Cherbourg.
Moved to Southampton in January 1971 to replace Winchester on the Southampton-Jersey service and in same month grounded and was blown ashore in a gale at London Bay, Jersey.
Within a year she had changed her name again to Jean R and was towed into Cherbourg whilst on passage from Huelva to Rotterdam with her engine room flooded.
[30] On 1 January 1959 management of this River Humber ferry service was transferred to AHL from the British Transport Commission – Eastern Region.
Performed her final sailing in March 1974 and sold in 1977 and renamed Brighton Belle[32] Transferred to Southern Region of British Transport Commission in 1948.
