Fairfield: A Shipyard Success Story 1834-2024
256 pages
RAdm R G Melly
Ian Johnston has had a lifetime interest in ships and in shipbuilding. With published titles both in his own name and in collaboration with other writers, he has gained a reputation as a respected authority on Clydeside shipbuilding. In this book, he tells the story of one of the great British shipyards, charting its rise and fall over the decades, culminating in its 21st century renewal under the ownership of BAE Systems.
The author breaks down the almost 190 years of this yard’s existence into four distinctive eras. In Era One (1830-1834), the founding of the yard is described, with the roles played by the key individuals outlined. Perhaps foremost amongst them is the visionary and talented John Elder, who tragically died, aged 45, at the peak of his prowess. The disruptive interventions by the River Authority, which raised a series of ultimately unfounded objections to the yard’s proposed layout, are also set out.
Era Two (1885-1965) saw the works grow into probably the largest such yard in the world, with, towards the end of the 20th century, a steady increase in Admiralty work. The first order for a battleship was won in 1902, but at the same time the Board withdrew from tendering for Cunard’s large liners, ceding the mantle of the “leading Clyde yard” to John Brown & Co. A near disastrous venture with Coventry Ordnance Works, enabling the manufacture of gun mountings and aimed at making the yard’s offers more attractive to the Admiralty, proved to be a serious drain on Fairfield’s resources. Nevertheless, in WW1, the yard was well-placed to concentrate on the construction of warships, including submarines, profitably building 45 vessels whilst confronting difficult relations with the workforce. Following the war, despite expectations to the contrary, the shipbuilding industry went into a deep, decade-long recession (no ships were launched from Fairfield in 1923), and it was not until 1935 that the yard’s prospects improved with the start of rearmament and a commensurate increase in warship orders.
WW2 saw the yard again at capacity, with 48 vessels constructed, including one battleship, two carriers and three cruisers. The industrial unrest experienced in WW1 was not repeated, and at the end of the war there was initially a healthy order book of commercial shipping. However, faced with the need to modernise, the rapid growth of competition from the Far East and an increase in air travel, a major contraction of the shipbuilding industry in the UK was in train in the early 1960s. In 1965, following significant losses on some contracts, and despite efforts to relieve the financial pressure, the company went into receivership.
Era Three (1966-1999) began with Fairfield being acquired by a partnership, which included the Government, private investors and the trade unions. Two years later, following the recommendations of the Geddes Report, the Fairfield site merged with four other yards to be renamed Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd, in what swiftly proved to be another failed venture. The next step, in July 1972, was the establishment of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd, wholly owned by the British government, with the Fairfield name consigned to history. In 1977, the Labour government nationalised the shipbuilding industry – and British Shipbuilders was formed. However, whilst productivity improvements were made and overall capacity reduced, in 1984, the Conservative government decided to privatise the industry, starting with the warship yards.
In June 1988, the yard was acquired by Kvaerner Industrier AS and was named Kvaerner Govan Ltd. There followed 13 years of improvements in productivity, new investment and a reduction in management layers, all against a constant struggle to obtain new orders. The end of this era came in 1999, when Kvaerner decided to divest itself of its shipbuilding interests.
With the future looking bleak, the newly formed BAE Systems stepped in, in December 1999, and formed a Marine group comprising the yards at Govan, Scotstoun and Barrow. This was the start of the fourth era, and, whilst closure of the yard remained a strong possibility, ultimately it was decided to build warship hulls in Govan, undertake the fitting out in Scotstoun and concentrate on submarines in Barrow. This historic yard has recently seen further investment and, at least for the time being, the future looks secure – and even profitable.
Against the background of war, political involvement and, latterly, competition from abroad, this book charts, in impressive detail, the rise and fall of the UK’s shipbuilding industry. Trade union intransigence, constant changes of ownership and mismanagement by the leadership all added to the difficulties, but ultimately the Fairfield yard, established in 1834 by its visionary founders, has emerged as a lean and productive shipbuilder, albeit no longer delivering merchant ships.
This is by no means the first book which has set out to describe shipbuilding on the Clyde. However, with the underlying depth of its research, its clear narrative and its wide-ranging scope, it will undoubtedly be a key reference book for those wishing to learn more about this key industry. The book is handsomely illustrated throughout with evocative B&W photos and is complemented by comprehensive Appendices. Whilst perhaps not an easy read, it is thoroughly recommended.
