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Shipbreakers CW Dorkin & Co Ltd and JJ King Ltd occupied adjacent businesses on the western Gateshead riverside.
They occupied these sites at virtually the same time and it is often difficult to tell them apart.
JJ King was positioned underneath and on each side of the King Edward VII railway bridge and CW Dorkin occupied land under and on each side of the Redheugh road bridge.
The above map is dated 1948 and is copyright of the Ordnance Survey
The photo showing King's & Dorkin's yards in 1948 is copyright of Britain from Above
Above photo shows former HMS WAVE (L) at King's yard and HMS WELCOME (R) at Dorkin's yard in 1961 In 1935 the British Iron & Steel Co (Salvage) Ltd (BISCO) was formed to organise scrap recovery from wrecks and other vessels for delivery to war industries and the actual metal recovery was subcontracted to regular shipbreakers. This system was continued after WW2 when surplus naval vessels were scrapped. Both King and Dorkin benefited from this arrangement with BISCO.
The Dorkin letterhead shows the emphasis on the Sunderland operation, but mentions the Tyne (on the left) CW Dorkin & Co Ltd was formed by Charles William Dorkin and became a prominent shipbreaker based at Sunderland, but they also had a yard at Gateshead on the Tyne. The company also operated as B Fryer & Co, also a shipbreaker, at the South Docks Sunderland. Perhaps the Fryer name was to differentiate from the Readheugh Bridge operation.
HMS HADLEIGH CASTLE being broken up at CW Dorkin's yard under Redheugh Bridge
HMS LENNOX being broken up at CW Dorkin's yard under Redheugh Bridge. Photo courtesy of Chris Stafford |
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