Frank Clarke Strick was born in Swansea in October of 1849 the third child of James Strick a shipbroker and Lloyds agent for the aforementioned port. His father also owned at least two 220 ton Brigantines and successfully employed both on the lucrative South Wales coal trade plying in the main to the West of England. Frank's first employment was in a bank where he learned the principles of business and finance which were to stand him in good stead in later years, his second employer was his own father here he learned the profession of ship broking. With these two strings to his bow he joined the firm of Poingdestre, Mesnier & Co as a junior partner, the Company's two main enterprises were exporting coal and chartering agent. During Frank's time with the Company he gained valuable experience in the coal trade and forged many friendships which were to be of great importance in years to come. Through associated companies Poingdestre and Mesnier also traded in iron ore from North Africa, one of the leading companies in this trade was Mokta of Paris, again this Company and its business was to influence Frank in later years. On the 20th of October 1885 Frank set up his own ship broking and coal exporting company to be known as Frank C Strick & Co Ltd with its offices in the Woolpack Buildings, Gracechurch Street, London. In the main investors in the enterprise were family members also at the same time Poingdestre retired and Mesnier returned to Paris where he too formed his own company calling it Societe Commerciale D'Afretments et de Commission. Frank Strick first became a ship owner in 1887 when he bought the Normand which in fact had been ordered by M. Mesnier, he only ran her for a year before selling her to raise money to buy a larger ship. The larger vessel was to be built for the London and Paris Steamship Co Ltd a joint venture between Frank Strick and Jules Mesnier, the Board of Directors were S. Santerre (Chairman), Frank C. Strick, M.J. Messnier, M.F. Gorches, F. Japp, F. Jonas and finally J. Holmes. The ship, Alphonse Parran was named after the Chairman of the Mokta Company and cost £23, 250 to build, she was engaged on the South Wales to Northern France coal trade and was supplemented by chartered tonnage as and when required. Using connections through Jules Mesnier Frank Stick was able to obtain a contract with the Mokta Company carrying coals to the Mediterranean ports and returning with iron ore from North Africa, for this purpose Frank had to charter ships and it was also about this time that the Company moved its offices to Bishopsgate House in Bishopsgate. Having had previous dealings in Persian bunkering ports Jules Mesnier encouraged Frank Strick to send the Alphonse Parran to the Gulf with a cargo of coal to sound out the possibilities of commencing a regular service. The trip in 1892 proved so successful that Frank Strick decided to have ships built specifically for the Gulf service and along with Jules Mesnier appointed as one of the Directors formed the Anglo-Arabian and Persian Steamship Co Ltd. Franck Strick ordered his first ship Arabistan from the yard of Alexander Stephen & Son of Glasgow and she entered service in 1893, her port of registry was Swansea. Arabistan was the first ship to carry the suffix 'Istan' which in Pharsee means 'Land of' and over the next eleven years she was joined by a further nine ships. The backbone of Strick's operation was to supply top quality bunkering coal to the ports of Bushire and Basrah, these two bunkering ports supplied coal to companies engaged on the India-Gulf run primarily British India Steam Navigation which had commenced their trade in the late 1850's. To encourage trade in both directions Strick encouraged local business men to become shareholders in the new venture and the Company went from strength to strength. In 1896 the Anglo- Algerian Steamship Co (1896) Ltd was formed for trade to and from the Mediterranean with the Alphonse Parran being transferred from the Gulf run to inaugurate the service she was soon joined by Baluchistan which had been completed at the yard of William Gray & Co of West Hartlepool. Frank Strick at about this time conceived the idea of lighters for use at the entrance to the Shatt-el-Arab river in the Persian Gulf, nothing with a draft of over twenty feet could get over the bar. He bought his first lighter Dwina from C.M. Norwards of London in the June of 1895 and she was joined by Esther in 1901.  W.S.P.L. Built: 1894 by Alexander Stephens & Sons, Glasgow. Tonnage: 4, 060g, 2, 612n Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion by Builder. Launched 5th July 1894, Completed August 1894. Yard No. 352. The second ship completed for the Anglo-Arabian & Persian Steamship Company her career was relatively short with Stricks and she was sold out of the fleet in 1898 to British and Colonial Steam Navigation Co Ltd and renamed Beira. She transferred to Bucknall Steamships in 1900 and remained as such until sold to Kishimoto Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha of Japan becoming Shinkai Maru in 1910. She had three further Japanese owners and was eventually scrapped in 1935 her final name being Mihara Maru. As was custom in the early years vessels bound upriver for Basrah called at Bushire to pick up the pilot and also all the labour required to work the cargo, on completion the vessel sailed dropping off both pilot and labourers at Bushire, this arrangement remained common practice until the 1930's. Come the turn of the century Frank Strick had offices in London, Swansea; Cardiff, Newport, Newcastle and Manchester and his Fleet stood at fifteen ships. By 1902 the London & Paris Steamship Co Ltd had launched their third ship 'Paris' also by coincidence the third ship to carry the name, the other two being sold before either had completed a year's service.  W.S.P.L. Built: 1902 by Wood, Skinner & Co Ltd, Newcastle. Tonnage: 1, 229g, 633n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion by N.E.M.E. Co Ltd, Newcastle. Launched 7th April 1902, Completed May 1902. Yard No. 105. Paris was sold to N.V. Maatschappijtot Explotatie Van Het S.S. Willy of Holland and renamed Willy in 1912. Sold to CIA. Atlantica de Navagacoa Ltda of Portugal in 1933 becoming Beiriz and finally sold for breaking in 1936 to Andrade & Co, work commenced at Lisbon. 1903 saw a merger of working practices between Frank C. Strick and the Bucknall Steamship Company (Later Ellerman Bucknall) for a joint service to the Persian Gulf, the service became known initially as the Strick & Ellerman Line. The co-operation between the two companies was to last for a further seventy years until P & O finally wound down the operation with the introduction of its General Cargo Division. 1905 saw the merger of Anglo-Arabian with Anglo-Algerian (1896) Ltd and the forming of another company, La Commerciale Steam Navigation Co Ltd of Paris. In turn the Parisian Company merged with Anglo-Algerian (1896) Ltd in 1913 becoming simply Strick Line Ltd. With the expansion of trade more and more ports were added to Stricks itinerary loading at South Wales, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Antwerp and Marseilles for Port Sudan, Djibouti, Aden, Muscat, Basrah and various other smaller ports in Arabia and the Persian Gulf. At the behest of the British Board of Trade Stricks commenced a twice monthly liner service outward bound and singular service homeward bound in 1909. The ships were fitted with accommodation for up to twenty passengers, music room, lounge and dining saloon served by stewardesses with the tweendecks having accommodation and facilities for pilgrims for the voyage to Jeddah.  BBW Built in 1905 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd., Greenock. Tonnage:4,443grt, 2,849nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion by builder. Launched 28th August 1905, completed September 1905, Yard No 394. Completed for the Anglo-Algerian Steamship Co (1896) and in 1912 was sold to the American Levant Line with Stanley and John Thompson as managers and renamed River Delaware. Sold to Nautilus Steam Shipping Co, in 1915 and renamed Elder Branch, finally sold to Smith & Company for breaking at Port Glasgow for £2,000 and was broken in 1932.  BWW Built: 1907 by D & W Henderson & Co. Ltd., Glasgow. Tonnage: 3,883grt, 1,836nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion by Builder. Launched 15th June 1907, completed July1907. Yard No. 461. Completed for Anglo-Algerian Steamship Co. (1896); transferred to Strick Line Ltd on the 1st January 1913. She was sold to the Admiralty on the 29th of January in the same year and converted for use as a destroyer depot ship and in the October of 1915 was commissioned as HMS Diligence. On the 15th of October 1926 she was sold for scrap to Hughes Bolkow Shipbreaking and arrived at Blyth on the 4th of November for work to commence.  W. Foote Built: 1910 by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Tonnage: 3, 297g, 2, 037n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion by CMEW, West Hartlepool. Launched 26th March 1910, Completed June 1910. Yard No. 777. Completed for the Anglo-Algerian Steamship Co (1896) Ltd she was sold in 1912 to Howard Smith Co Ltd of Melbourne becoming Saros as in the photograph. She transferred to the Australian Steamships Proprietary Ltd in 1914 with Howard Smith acting as managers. She was wrecked off Cape Everard when on passage from Geelong to Sydney on the 25th December 1937. In association with Jules Mesnier Frank Strick formed another new company La Tunisienne Steam navigation Co Ltd in 1909. Again the trade was coal out and iron ore back and the ships were named after places in Africa ending in 'A'. The Mokta Company of Paris was involved in the financing of some of the Fleet hence the funnel carried an 'M' over Stricks red, white and blue.
 M. Lindenborn Built : 1910 by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Tonnage: 3, 722g, 2, 356n Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion by CMEW, West Hartlepool. Launched 10th June 1910, Completed July 1910. Yard No. 776 Third ship built for La Tunisienne Steam Navigation Co she was sold to Dale Steam Ship Company of Glasgow in 1929 becoming Yarrowdale. Sold in 1935 to San Peh Steam Navigation of China, renamed Sung-Shan, sold again in 1938 becoming Amba Alagi for Chinese Italian Navigation Co Ltd of Shanghai. In 1943 she was seized by the Japanese becoming Aoki Maru however her career came to an end when she was bombed and sunk by U.S. Carrier based Aircraft on the 13th of November 1944 off Manila. With increased trade in the Gulf Frank Strick formed a partnership with Lloyd, Scott & Co Ltd becoming Strick, Scott & Co Ltd and boasted offices at Basrah, Mohammerah, Ahwaz and Baghdad. A liason was also formed with R. G. Shaw & Co a firm of merchants who looked after the merchanting and management side of the Strick Scott operation. Outward bound Strick's main cargo was coal supplemented by small amounts of general cargo, homeward bound his ships carried red oxide from the Island of Honmuz, dates from Basrah supplied by the Iraq Produce Co a wholly owned subsidiary of Strick Scott, barley, sheepskins, Gum Arabic, carpets, almonds, mother of pearl shells, oak staves for the production of barrels, cotton and finally cotton seed itself. Also with the discovery of oil in the region by the Australian William Knox D'Arcy whose concession was eventually taken over by the Anglo Iranian Oil Company later to become B.P. plenty of cargoes were available with the toing and froing of oil production machinery both new and for overhaul. Because of the strong business ties forged between the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later to become the Anglo- Iranian Co and Frank Stricks the oil company appointed Strick Scott as the managing agents, later Mr. Charles Greenway was appointed to the Board of Strick Scott. Mr. Greenway also became a Director of the Anglo- Algerian Steamship Co and with increased oil commerce in the region Strick Scott finally dispensed with its agents and opened its own offices in Abadan. By the end of 1912 La Tunisienne Steam Navigation Company had four ships in service with a fifth nearing completion for delivery in December from the yard of William Gray. This released ships from the Anglo Algerian Steamship to concentrate solely on the Gulf trade. The Company's name was thought inappropriate at the time for this service and so it merged with La Commerciale Steam Navigation Co Ltd on the 1st of January 1913 becoming Strick Line Ltd, Jules Mesnier was duly elected the Company's first Chairman. With the commencement of the 1st World War the Gulf services were suspended though three ships had made voyages up until July of 1915. At this time Turkey had remained undecided as to which side to align herself with eventually she formed an alliance with Germany, this put Britain's oil supplies at risk and so an army of occupation sailed for Mesopotamia. In an attempt to block the Shatt-el-Arab river and slow the British advance the Germans scuttled the Ekbatana a former Frank Strick ship called Turkistan which had been sold to a German Company in 1910. The irony being that a ship built to provide a service to Basrah was now being used to prevent the service from continuing. Despite the requisitioning of the majority of his Fleet Frank Strick was able to operate a reduced service, the Company suffered heavy losses during the war but managed to acquire eight captured enemy ships from the Governmant eventually buying five of them. In 1919 Frank Strck sold Strick Line to Gray, Daws and Company which in turn was owned by Lord Inchcape Chairman of P & O but he retained control of Frank C. Strick & Co Ltd and all its other subsidiary companies. All the companies in the group commenced their normal services on cessation of hostilities save for the London & Pars Steamship Co Ltd whose three ships were lost during the war. Kara became a total loss after drifting ashore onto Holm Sand having struck a mine in 1916, Muristan was wrecked a mile south of Blyth in the same year, and a year earlier King Albert had struck a submerged object in the Straits of Gibraltar which caused her to founder. The Paris & London never owned another ship but remained active as a holding company for the group. The London, Paris & Marseilles Steamship Co Ltd was formed in 1920 with a working capital of £1, 000, 000 and two years later saw the formation of three new companies to operate the Gulf Fleet. They were the Serbistan, Shahristan and Turkistan Steamship Company's Ltd, each company ran two ships.  BWW Built: 1911 by Irvines Shipbuilding & Drydocks Co. Ltd, West Hartlepool. Tonnage: 4,505grt, 2,864nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion by Richardsons, Westgarth & Co, Ltd., West Hartlepool. Launched 29th May 1911, completed July 1911, Yard No 505. Completed for Anglo-Algerian Steamship Co (1896) Ltd but only a year later was sold to Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt Gesellschaft of Germany and renamed Markomannia. In the August of 1914 she was requisitioned and converted for use as a supply collier and within days was attached to the Cruiser Squadron under the command of Admiral Graf von Spee and joined the cruiser Emden. Captured and sunk off Simaur Island by HMS Yarmouth on the 12th of October 1914.  J.K. Byass Built: 1913 by Bremer Vulkan Schiffbau Und Maschinenfabrik, Vegasack. Yard No 561. Tonnage: 5, 993g, 3, 752n. Engine: Single Screw, triple Expansion by builder. Launched 20th December 1912, Completed February 1913. Completed as Rappenfels for Germany's Hansa Line she was captured in the Indian Ocean by H.M.S. Espiegle and escorted to Colombo.She was placed under the management of Grahams and Co by the Admiralty becoming Diyatalawa until she was transferred to the Shipping Controller (India) in 1920. She was purchased in 1922 by the Shahristan Steamship Company and renamed Nigaristan. Nineteen years later when on passage from Cochin to Liverpool she caught fire and was subsequently abandoned on the 24th of September 1941. In 1923 the former Frank Strick Company, Strick Line Ltd became Strick Line (1923) Ltd and in the May of the same year Gray, Daws and Company offered to sell the Company to P & O Steam Navigation. However it was decided that another subsidiary of P & O Hain Steamship would purchase not only Strick Line (1923) Ltd but also the Sharistan, Serbistan and Turkistan Steamship Companys for an agreed sum of £573, 468. The London office of Frank C. Strick & Co moved to the offices of P & O at 117/121 Leadenhall Street in 1923 and all new ships were registered in the Pool of London. In the same year Strick, Scott & Co Ltd went into liquidation to be replaced by Frank C. Strick and Co (Busra) Ltd. The new Company took over all aspects of Strick and Scott and also operated a fleet of barges, lighters and tugs on the Shatt-el-Arab. Having reached the age of seventy Frank Strick had no intensions of taking a back seat and continued to expand his business interests. Sadly his friend and partner Jules Mesnier died in Paris and another friend of Frank's took his place as Chairman of Soc. Commerciale D'Affretements et de Commission, he was M. Felix Gorche who had also been a founding Director of the London and Paris Steamship Co Ltd. Two years earlier Frank Strick and Felix Gorche had formed a new company called Strick and Gorchs & Co Ltd each holding 50% equity, this company continued until 1945 when F.C. Strick & Co (South Wales) Ltd took up a controlling interest in the French held shares. The F.C. Strick (South Wales) Co had originally been called the North Devon Steamship Company Ltd which had been formed to operate one vessel for Frank Strick, the Exmoor which he purchased from the U.S. Shipping Board in 1922. It wasn't until 1942 that Devon Steamship became F.C. Strick (South Wales) when it commenced to operate in conjunction with Strick, Gorchs Ltd.  W.S.P.L. Built: 1919 by the South Western S.B. Co. San Pedro, California. Yard No. 2 Tonnage: 5, 689g, 4, 029n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion by Llewellyn Iron Works, Los Angeles. Completed in 1919 as West Caruth for the U.S.A. Shipping Board. Purchased by Frank C. Strick in 1922 and renamed Exmoor, sold just over a year later to D. Tripcovich of Italy and renamed Antonio Tripcovich. She eventually found her way into Japanese ownership in 1938 becoming Seisyo Maru and was sank by the U.S. submarine Sunfish on the 18th of November 1944. The Fleet continued to grow in size but 1927 saw the last ship built for the Company by William Gray of West Hartlepool, she was the Arabistan completed for Strick Line (1923) Ltd, Readheads of South Shields were to become the new shipbuilders for Frank Strick. As he approached his eightieth year he bought his way back into the Gulf trade when he acquired a 49% interest in his old Companies of Strick Line and Shahristan Steamship Co Ltd from Lord Inchcape though he was never to dominate Gulf trade as he once had.  BBW Built: 1920 by William Gray and Co. (1918) Ltd., West Hartlepool. Tonnage: 4,453grt, 2,622nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion by Central Marine E.W., West Hartlepool. Launched 16th July 1920, completed January 1921, Yard No 937. Built as the Saint Rene for the Societe Navale de l’Ouest of France. Purchased by Strick Line Ltd in 1922 and renamed Avristan and the following year transferred over to Strick Line (1923) Ltd retaining her name. Sold to Cie. Navale Commerciale de l’Oceanie of France and renamed Saint Augustin in 1928. Sold to Soc. Des Services Contractuels MM in 1930 becoming Astrolabe. Sold to Cia Genovese di Nav. a Vap. S.A., of Italy in 1935 and renamed Capo Lena. In 1942 the German Navy commandeered her, renamed her Kapolena and was scuttled by them in 1944 at St. Nazaire, it wasn’t until 1951 that the wreck was finally broken for scrap.  BWW Built in 1923 by William Gray and Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool. Tonnage: 4,357grt, 2,592nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion by Central Marine E.W. West Hartlepool. Launched 2nd February 1923, completed April 1923, Yard No 951. Completed for Strick Line (1923) Ltd. Sold in 1928 to Cia. Navale et Commerciale de l’Oceanie of France and renamed Saint Roch, sold two years later to SCMM of France and renamed Recherche. Went to Italy for Cia. Genovese di Nav. A Vap S. A. in 1935 becoming Capo Olmo. In 1940 she was seized by the French authorities and handed over to Britain and was allocated to the Ministry of Shipping later defined as the Ministry of War Transport with Moss Hutchinson Line of Liverpool named as managers. As part of war reparations she was handed back to the French and became Koufra with Worms et Cie as managers. Sold in 1948 to Les Cargos Algeriens S.A. also of France and renamed Madali. Sold to Mazzella et Cia, France in 1951 becoming Leon Mazzella. Sold for the final time to Rami Seferoglu of Turkey and renamed Seferoglu in 1954, scrapped by her owners on the 20th of November 1976 at Izmir.  BWW Built: 1927 by William Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool. Tonnage: 5,236grt, 3,268nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion by Central Marine E.W., West Hartlepool. Launched 3rd March 1927, completed April 1927, Yard No 982. Originally named Arabistan for Strick Line (1923) but the company changed her name at the request of the then Shah of Persia in 1929 when the afore mentioned performed the opening ceremony at the new port of Bandar Shahpour. Sunk by torpedo with the loss of one passenger by U-515 on the 30th of April 1943 between Takoradi and Freetown whist on passage from Abadan to the U.K.  BWW Built: 1928 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd., South Shields. Tonnage: 5,478grt, 3,483nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion by Builder. Launched 19th June 1928, completed August 1928, Yard No 491. Completed for Strick Line (1923) Ltd. This vessel attended the sinking of Cunard’s Lancastria at the evacuation of France in 1940. On the 17th of June when off St Nazaire Roads Lancastria was repeatedly dive bombed by German aircraft, figures of those lost varies as to who tells the tale, 6,000 to 7,000 by servicemen and ships personnel who were there or by the British Governments own purposefully deflated figure of circa 3,000. Amongst those lost were evacuees whose numbers included children, a total of 2,477 were rescued. Floristan was wrecked when six miles north of the Oversay Light , west coast of Islay whilst en route from Manchester to Freetown and Persian Gulf on the 19th of January 1942.
Another Company called Cory & Strick (Steamers) Ltd was formed in 1928, Cory's were long established in the coal trade and between 1928 - 31 they had six ships built with names all similar to that of La Tunisienne Steam.  South Tyneside Museum. Built: 1928 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 4, 405g, 2, 738n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion by Builder. Launched 29th September 1928, Completed November 1928. She was sold to United British Steamship Co Ltd in 1943 and when on passage from Oran/ Gibraltar to Ardrossan was bombed by German aircraft on the 21st of November 1943. The crew abandoned ship and she was last seen afloat the following day.  BWW Built: 1929 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd., South Shields. Tonnage: 5,888grt, 3,710nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion and low-pressure turbine by Builder. Launched 19th September 1929, completed November 1929. Yard No 498. Completed for Strick Line (1923) Ltd. She transferred to Shahristan Steamship Co. Ltd in 1945 and was sold to Japanese breakers in 1960. Arrived at Tokyo for work to commence on the 1st of September by Nichimen Jitsugyo Co.  Captain J.H. Metcalfe. Seen here in transit Kiel Canal, summer 1939. Built:1929 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd., South Shields. Tonnage: 5,874 grt., 3,701 nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion with LP Turbine by builder. Launched for Strick Line (1923) Ltd on the 6th June 1929, completed August 1929, Yard No. 496. Arabistan completed trials on the 27th of July. Captured by the German raider Michel when on passage Busreh/Table Bay to Trinidad and New York and sunk in position 11.30 south, 26.00 west. Of those onboard, some sixty-seven, which included ten DEMS gunners only two, survived the Japanese prisoner of war camp, her Chief Engineer and a Cadet Officer.  BWW Built: 1937 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd., South Shields. Tonnage: 6,805grt, 4,194nt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion with low-pressure turbine by Builder. Launched 29th November 1936, completed January 1937, Yard No 507. Completed for Strick Line (1923) Ltd. Torpedoed and sunk on the 3rd of February 1940 by U 25 when en route from Antwerp to Busreh when off the coast of Portugal. All her crew were subsequently rescued.  Captain J.H. Metcalfe Seen at Sharjah 1947 Built:1944 by William Doxford & Sons, Sunderland. Tonnage: 7,368 grt., 5,033 nt. Engine: Single screw, 3 x Cylinder 2.SCSA opposed piston by builder. Launched for Strick Line (1923) Ltd., 24th January 1944, completed May same year, Yard No. 714. In 1946 her owners became the restyled Strick Line Ltd. Sold out of the fleet in 1963 to Cia. Pacifica Financiera SA of Liberia and renamed Panagiotis Lemos. Sold in 1967 to Astromando Cia. Nav SA of Liberia and was renamed Polyxeni. She transferred to the Somali flag in 1968 and on the 30th of September in the same year beached after striking an underwater object the previous day when on passage Sundsvall to Bombay, considered by the underwriters as a total loss. None of the Strick Companies could escape the depression in 1931 and many of their vessels found their way to lay up in various rivers and ports. No new tonnage was built until 1937 and no sooner had Stricks settled down to normal shipping practices than the Second World War started. By 1939 Frank Strick had attained the age of ninety years and semi-retired to his country home at Streatley-on-Thames, this however did not prevent him from travelling up to London every week to meet with his friends and associates. In September of 1939 the three Fleets of Strick comprised 25 vessels of which 12 being Strick Line (1923) Ltd, 1 being Shahristan Steamship, 6 being La Tunisienne Steam Navigation and finally the remaining 6 with Cory & Strick. During the war Strick Line had eight ships built and managed others for the Government, at War's end twenty of the owned or managed vessels had been lost with the loss of 335 lives. Company personnel received 6 O.B.E.'s, 6 M.B.E's, 1 B.E.M. and 14 commendations. Frank Strick died in January of 1943 at the age of ninety four and was known all over the world throughout the shipping fraternity. Also in 1943 Cory Strick had lost three of its six ships, two of the remaining were sold and the last was transferred to La Tunisienne Steam bringing to an end the Cory Strick association. The Strick Line ships served in every theatre of war including the Dunkirk and Crete evacuations, they were also present at various landings and throughout the war carried many a hazardous cargo. The last ship to return to Stricks from war service was the Kohistan which did not return from the Far East until August of 1946. In 1946 Strick Line (1923) Ltd reverted to its pre- 1913 title of Strick Line Ltd, and the following year commenced to rebuild its Fleet ordering and taking delivery of eight ships from Readheads between March of 1947 and October of 1950. La Tunisienne purchased two second hand vessels to supplement its depleted tonnage.  I.L. Built: 1947 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 7, 173g, 4, 346n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion and L.P. Turbine by Builder. Launched 21st November 1946, Completed June 1947. Yard No. 553. Sold out of the Fleet to Asimi Maritime Co Ltd of Greece in 1968, renamed St. Grigorousa. Sold the same year to Southern Shipping Enterprises Co Ltd of Hong Kong and renamed Hai Ning. Sold for scrapping to Chinese shipbreakers and arrived at Canton on the 16th of November 1971.  Built: 1947 by J. Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields. Tonnage: 7,173 g, 4,346 nt, 9,850 dwt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion with low-pressure turbine by Builder. Launched 1st September 1947, completed 3rd December 1947. Yard No. 555. Completed for Strick Line Ltd she was sold in 1964 to Lynnbrook Ltd of Bermuda and renamed Aquatic. Sold four years later to Natal Shipping of Greece becoming Heracles. Beached in the July of 1970 with a fire raging in her holds containing coal, refloated but declared a total insurance loss and broken at Whampoa, work commenced on the 25th of August same year.  I.L. Built: 1948 by Short Bros Ltd, Sunderland. Tonnage: 5, 516g, 3, 262n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion by G. Clark (1938) Ltd. Launched 12th December 1947, Completed June 1948. Yard No 498. Originally ordered by Australasian United Steam Navigation Co Ltd of Melbourne she was taken over by Stricks just before the keel was laid. Her career spanned twenty three years with the Company before she was sold for scrapping and she arrived at the yard of Lee Sing Co, Hong Kong on the 2nd of July 1971.  I.L. Built: 1949 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 8, 409g, 5, 072n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion and L.P. Turbine by Builder. Launched 30th November 1948, Completed April 1949. Yard No. 561. Sold in 1965 to Conway Transport Corporation, Liberia and renamed Conway, in 1967 she became Mitera Maris for Manfiba Shipping Transport Corporation of Liberia and in 1971 another name change to Marbella for Fouad A Khayat. On the 13th of February 1973 she suffered a serious fire which started in the Engine Room, this led to her being sold for scrap to Dada Steel Mills, she left Karachi for Gadani Beach on the 6th January 1974.  Built: 1950 by J. Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields. Tonnage: 8,408 g, 5006 nt, 10,760 dwt. Engine: Single screw, Triple expansion with low-pressure turbine by Builder. Launched 16th May 1950, completed October 1950. Yard No. 566. Completed for Strick Line Ltd she transferred to the Shahristan Steamship Co., Ltd in 1960. Sold to Achille P. Halcoussis of Greece in 1966 and renamed Leonis. Sold to Korea Atlas Line of South Korea in 1968 and renamed Atlas Trader. Sold to the Hualing Shipping Corporation of Liberia in 1970 becoming Yaling. Sold for her breaking voyage to the Chen Tung Shipping Co., Ltd of Liberia and arrived at Kaohsiung for work to commence on the 17th of May 1972.  I.L. Built: 1950 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 7, 383g, 4, 389n. Engine: Single Screw, Triple Expansion and L.P. Turbine by Builder. Launched 30th December 1949, Completed June 1950. Yard No. 567. Served for nearly twenty two years before arriving at Koahsiung on the 13th of March 1972 for breaking by Tung Seng Steel Co. In 1951 Iran nationalised all the oil companies when it cancelled the concessions and this severely affected Strick's operations in the Gulf. Stricks didn't recover until 1953 when an international consortium took over the running of the country's oil industry which it singularly failed to do itself. At the same time Kuwait decided to exploit its oil reserves, with increased trade generated between Kuwait and the United Kingdom the fortunes of both Stricks and Ellermans showed a marked improvement. As more and more companies converted their tonnage to oil burning the requirement for coal bunker stations diminished, so it was decided to sell off the ships of La Tunisienne Steam Navigation and close down the business which had been in operation for over sixty years. In 1953 the Company switched from steam propulsion to diesel and the first ship off the stocks at J. Readheads was the Balistan and from this year on no more steamers were built.  I.L. Built: 1953 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 7, 489g, 4, 388n. Engine: Single Screw, 4 Cylinder 2.S.C.S.A. by N.E.M.E. Co (1938) Ltd of Newcastle. Launched 14th April 1953, Completed July 1953. Yard No. 573. Completed for Strick Line Ltd she transferred to Shahristan Steamship in 1968. On the 1st May 1972 P & O General Cargo Division were appointed as managers and just over seven months later like many other group ships she was sold out of the Fleet in this case to Thenamaris Corporation S.A. of Cyrus becoming Elindia. The following year she transferred to Panamanian registry and renamed Gulf Diamond. She became stranded in the Gulf of Oman when on passage from Karachi to Gulf ports on the 20th of May 1974 and was subsequently sold for breaking arriving at Gadani Beach on the 1st of September 1974 to be broken by Abbas Steel Industries.  I.L. Built: 1955 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 7, 523g, 4, 321n. Engine: Single Screw, 4 Cylinder 2.S.C.S.A. by N.E.M.E. Co (1938) Ltd of Newcastle. Launched 15th September 1954, Completed January 1955. Yard No. 580.  BWW Completed for Strick Line Ltd she transferred to the General Cargo Division on the 1st of May 1972. She was sold nine months later to Nilmora Ltd of Hong Kong and renamed Foochoc flying the Somali flag. After serious engine damage she was towed to Singapore arriving on the 2nd of June 1976 to access the possibility of repairs. It was decided however to scrap her and she left Singapore on the 17th of February 1977 for breaking at Whampoa. In 1956 P & O's old office at Leadenhall Street was demolished and both Strick Line and United Ship Supplies Ltd moved into Ellerman's new office in Camomile Street.  I.L. Built: 1956 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 8, 370g, 4, 827n. Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by Wallsend Slipway Co Ltd, Wallsend. Launched 15th December 1955, Completed May 1956. Yard No. 585. Completed for Strick Line Ltd she transferred to the General Cargo Division on the 1st May 1972. She transferred to P & O S.N. Cargo Division on the 19th of April 1973 and was renamed Strathairlie on the 18th of April 1975. She arrived at Koahsiung on the 26th of August 1977 for breaking by the Tien Cheng Steel Co work commenced the following day. In October of 1956 the Egyptians nationalised the Suez Canal and effectively closed the waterway by sinking a number of ships. The French and British Governments response was to land troops and take the canal by force but with comdemnation from the USA whose ships didn't use the canal (unlike the Panama) both countries pulled back from the brink of war. The consequence of the closure meant that freight rates rose as all ships travelling to Australasia, the Far East, East Africa, India and the Gulf States had to make the long haul round the Cape of Good Hope. Disaster struck the Company in February of 1958 when Seistan on her second voyage exploded in Bahrein Harbour.  South Tyneside Museum. Built: 1957 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 7, 440g, 4, 334n. Engine: Single Screw, 4 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by Hawthorn Leslie Ltd, Newcastle. Launched 15th May 1957, Completed July 1957. Yard No. 592. When on passage from London to Khorramshahr a fire broke out in number five hold on the 17th of February 1958. Seistan was carrying a general cargo but above the fire was an explosive magazine which contained seismic explosives, fuses and detonators totalling 170 tons. On the 18th she anchored about 2 miles east of the South Sitra Beacon off Bahrein and attempted to discharge the explosives into a barge whilst fighting the fire at the same time. Fate was to deal a cruel blow the following day when having discharged 75 tons the fire spread to the magazine and exploded. The aft part of the vessel and much of the superstructure were destroyed killing 53 members of the crew including the Captain and four men who were aboard a tug laying alongside. The fore part of the ship sank but was later raised and towed by the tug Rode Zee to Catania for breaking By 1959 Strick Line and Shahristan owned a total of twenty five ships but with increased competition and some outdated vessels the Companies decided to sell for further use or to breakers eleven of its Fleet. It also embarked on a new build program of on average one ship a year so that by 1963 they possessed seventeen relatively modern ships.  I.L. Built: 1959 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 9, 633g, 5, 271n. Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by Hawthorn Leslie Ltd, Newcastle. Launched 8th January 1959, Completed May 1959. Yard No. 599. Completed for Strick Line Ltd she was taken over by P & o Cargo Division on the 1st of May 1972. She transferred to P & O S.N. Co on the 19th of April 1973 and was renamed Strathaddie on the 27th of January 1975. A year later she was sold out of the Fleet to Cori Shipping Corp. of Liberia and renamed Sophocles. In 1981 she was sold to Maldives Shipping Ltd, Maldive Islands becoming MaldivePride and on the 9th of October 1983 she arrived at Visakhapatnam for breaking.  I.L. Built: 1959 by Caledon S.B. & E Co Ltd, Dundee. Tonnage: 8, 517g, 4, 750n. Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by Hawthorn Leslie Ltd, Newcastle. Launched 24th February 1959, Completed July 1959. Yard No 516. Completed for Strick Line Ltd she passed to the P & O Cargo Division on the 1st of May 1972. She transferred to P & O S.N. Co on the 19th of April 1973. She was sold to Chi Kong Nabv. Inc. on the 29th of December 1977 and renamed Chi Kong. She arrived at Kaohsiung on the 30th of July 1079 for breaking by the Taiwan Ship Scrap Co Ltd, work commenced on the 25th of August in the same year. BWW  I.L. Built: 1961 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 9, 449g, 5, 297n Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched 1st May 1961, Completed November 1961. Yard No. 608. Completed for Strick Line she was taken over by the P & O Cargo Division on the 1st of May 1972 and transferred to P & O S.N. Co on the 25th of February 1975 becoming Strathatlow. Sold to Egyptian International Shipping Corp of Egypt on the 22nd of November 1978 becoming Nile U, renamed Nile in 1982. Sold to Haryana Steel Company of India and arrived in Bombay for breaking on the 23rd of June 1983. Early in 1961 rationalisation arrived and negotiations took place for Strick Line Ltd to acquire all the shares in Frank C. Strick & Co Ltd and from October the latter became a wholly owned subsidiary of the former, for the first time P & O had a controlling interest in all the Company's operations.  I.L. Built: 1963 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 9, 270g, 5, 188n Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched 1st September 1962, Completed January 1963. Yard No. 611. Completed for Strick Line Ltd she moved to P & O Cargo Division management on the 1st May 1972. Transferred to P & O S. N. Co on the 19th of April 1973 and renamed Strathassynt on the 21st of February 1975. Sold out of P & O's Fleet on the 16th of February 1978 to Amber Star Maritme S.A. of Panama and renamed Amber Star. Sold to Vietnam Ocean Shipping Co, Vietnam in 1980 and renamed Luc Ngan. She was finally sold for breaking and arrived at Aioi on the 24th of June 1985. Due to law changes with regards foreign companies working in Iraq and decreasing trade in the region the offices of Frank C. Strick & Co in Baghdad and Basrah were closed. The Busreh Slipway Co a subsidiary of Gray MacKenzie took over the agency business whilst Gray MacKenzie were appointed Strick agents throughout all Iran.  I.L. Built: 1965 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 9, 280g, 5, 212n Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched 8th September 196, Completed January 1965. Yard No. 614  BWW Completed for the Sahristan Steamhip Co Ltd she passed to P & O Cargo Division management on the 1st of May 1972. transferred to P & O S.N. Co Ltd on the 19th of April 1973 and renamed Strathappin on the 31st of January 1975. On the 18th of January 1979 she was sold to Rina Shipping Co Ltd of Greece and becoming Ideal for Square Shipping Inc of Malta. Arriving at Bhati Beach on the 2nd of October for breaking by the Burhani Metal Works Ltd of Chittagong. For the second time since the war the Suez Canal closed in June of 1967 due to the Arab-Israeli Six Day War, the Canal was to remain closed for considerably longer. The Iraqi Government nationalised its shipping industry in 1969 and the Strick Line Agency was taken over by the Iraqi Maritime Transport Co with offices at Basrah and Baghdad.  With thanks to 'Dodie' for sending us this photo. It was taken 1968 on a voyage between Bahrain - Beira. (Complete route London - Cape Town - Durban - Bahrain - Kuwait - Bushire - Koramshar - Bahrain - Beria - London.) Captain Philsack was skipper. Built in 1965 by J. Readhead & Sons Ltd., Sunderland. Tonnage: 9,296 g, 5,118 n, 12,616 dwt. Engine: Single screw, six cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. by Wm Doxford & Sons, South Shields. Launched 19th January 1965 completed June same year, Yard No 615.  With thanks for another photograph from James 'dodie' Dodworth During the P & 0 reorganisation programme she came under the General Cargo Divisions management on the 1st of May 1972 and in April the following year transferred to the P & O.S.N. Company. Renamed Strathalvie on the 25th of February 1975 and continued as such until sold out of the fleet to Vanguard Bay Shipping Co., Ltd becoming Alexandra on the 30th of November 1978. A fire on the 4th of November 1982 virtually destroyed her engine room and much else when at Luanda following a voyage from Havana and she was declared a total constructive loss. Sold the following year to Tien Cheng Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd of Taiwan and arrived at Kaohsiung for work to commence on the 20th of September 1983.  I.L. Built: 1969 by Swan Hunter S.B. Ltd, South Shields. Tonnage: 9, 627g, 5, 475n. Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Doxford 2S.C.S.A. by Doxford & Sunderland S.B. & E Co Ltd, Sunderland. Launched 17th January 1069, Completed May 1969. Yard No. 9. Penultimate ship built for Strick Line Ltd the last being Nigaristan she came under P & O management on the 1st May 1972. She transferred to P & O management on the 1st of May 1972. She transferred to P & O S.N. Co in 1974 and was renamed Stratharlick on the 22nd of April 1975. She was sold on the 30th of November 1978 to Corthian Shipping Corp, Greece becoming Aeolian Star. Sold to Asterix Maritime Co SA, Greece in 1981 renamed Andromeda. Moved finally to Leyte Shipping Co Ltd in Malta for her final voyage arriving at Alang on the 6th of October 1986 for breaking.  Built: 1970 by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd., South Shields. Tonnage: 9,778 g, 5,526 nt, 13,416 dwt. Engine: Single screw, 6 x cylinder 2S.C.S.A. Doxford by Sunderland Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd of Sunderland. Launched on the 4th of June 1970 and completed in the November. Yard No. 32. Completed only eighteen months before P&O General Cargo Division was formed she transferred to their management on the 1st of May 1972. Transferred to Peninsular & Oriental Stem Navigation Company in February of 1974 and renamed Strathaird on the 25th of January 1975. On the 16th of July 1979 she was sold out of the fleet to the Amaril Shipping Corporation of Greece and renamed Garifalia C. Sold to Seric Bay Shipping Co., Ltd of Greece becoming simply Garifalia, dropping the C in 1983. Renamed Arctus the following year. Sold for the final time to Chinese ship breakers and sailed from Gabes in Tunisia bound for Zhanjiang on the 21st of January 1986. In 1971 P & O formed its General Cargo Division and began transferring ships from its various Company's shedding unwanted tonnage as it went. In March of 1972 it completed its negotiations to acquire the outstanding 49% in Strick Line Ltd, Frank C. Strick & Co Ltd and Shahristan Steamship Co Ltd. On completion of the transaction the Fleet comprised seventeen vessels though the oldest, Tangistan was on her way to the breakers at the time. Three more ships were sold immediately and in the first months of 1975 the remaining thirteen all became 'Straths' in the General Cargo Division. By 1979 the Nigaristan (Strathaird) was the sole survivor of the once proud Fleet of Frank C. Strick. During my time in British India Steam Navigation Company the Strick Fleet used to criss cross with us in the Indian Ocean, we on our way to India, Ceylon and East Africa them travelling up and down the Persian Gulf from and to the UK. It was impossible not to be impressed by the Strick ships, always immaculate in appearance and it was a sad day when the name finally disappeared from the British Registry. |
