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British shipping companies (A)

Last modified: 2021-05-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: shipping lines |
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• Asia Minor Steamship Co., Ltd.
• Asiatic Steam Navigation Co.
• Associated British Ports
• Associated Humber Line
• Associated Portland Cement Manufactures Ltd.
• Aster Steam Company
• Athel Line
• Atkinson Bros.
• Atlantic Container Line, Ltd.
• Atlantic Steamship Co. Ltd.
• Atlantic Traders, Ltd.
• Atlantic Transport Co., Ltd.
• Atlas Steam Fishing Co. Ltd.
• Auchen Steam Shipping Co.
• Australind Steam Shipping Co.
• Avenue Shipping

• House flags of British shipping companies
• House flags of shipping companies
• United Kingdom

Asia Minor Steamship Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the Asia Minor Steamship Co., Ltd. (#238, p. 48), a Liverpool-based company, as horizontally divided red-blue with a white star in the center.

https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#13 
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

Asiatic Steam Navigation Co.

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of the Asiatic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, London is a blue, white and blue triband with a five-pointed blue star on the centre stripe. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and wooden toggle is attached.

The Asiatic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd was formed in 1878, with Turner & Co. as managing agents to run steamships in the Bay of Bengal with its vessels primarily carrying cargo and local labour. The company lost many of its routes following the Second World War and Indian independence in 1947. The connection with Turner & Co. was broken in 1960 and P&O acquired a controlling interest in the company in 1961 in order to integrate the fleet more closely with the rest of P&O  group."
Jarig Bakker, 3 August 2004

Associated British Ports

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

Associated British Ports, London - blue, white "ABP".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

Associated Humber Line

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of the Humber Line. A dark blue rectangular flag with a white disc in the centre bearing the letters 'AHL' in red. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 15 August 2004

Humber Line. The correct title was Associated Humber Lines Ltd. being formed in 1935 as a consortium of five rail ferry companies. Their function was originally as managers, not owners but this changed in the late 1950s until 1971 when they ceased their own operations but continued as managers for another decade.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 March 2005

Associated Portland Cement Manufactures Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum. 

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, the house flag of the Associated Portland Cement Manufactures Ltd., London. A yellow rectangular flag, bearing a white disc in the centre with a blue border inscribed 'PORTLAND CEMENT' in blue letters and 'BLUE CIRCLE' in black letters. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It is machine sewn and the design is printed. A rope and toggle is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 4 September 2004

Aster Steam Company

image by Jarig Bakker

Aster Steam Company, Limited, Cardiff - red swallowtail; white 5-pointed star; black "B'.
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies [Wedge 1926]
Jarig Bakker, 20 February 2005

Athel Line

image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 17 October 2003

Houseflag: Navy Blue; ATHEL in blue letters in white diamond.
Jarig Bakker, 17 October 2003

Athel Line was a subsidiary of United Molasses. London UK.
Phil Nelson, 18 October 2003

Atkinson Bros.

image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Atkinson Bros. (#1411, p. 104), a Newcastle-based company, as yellow with a black eagle in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#69 
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Atlantic Container Line, Ltd.

image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 7 November 2010

A dark blue sigla over a wavy stripe on a white background.
Jorge Candeias, 1 May 2004

This is the new house flag of Atlantic Container Line Ltd., London, a consortium formed 1966, with an international membership. The partners are Cunard Line, the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, Holland-Amerika Lijn, Svenska-Amerika Linien, Transatlantic Rederi, and Wallenius Line. Its specialty was roll-on, roll-off.
Jarig Bakker, 1 May 2004

image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 7 November 2010

Description of variant:
It is a white flag containing the company in celestial blue. For further information click www.aclcargo.com.
Source: I spotted this flag on 12 April 2009 on a ship in the docks of Blohm & Voss
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2009

Old flag

image by Jarig Bakker

The firm's monogram alone formed the emblem of the original house flag. With the appearance of the later vessel, such as the "Atlantic Cognac", a new house flag was adopted, bearing simpler initials.
Source: "A Survey of Mercantile Houseflags & Funnels", by J.L. Loughran (1979)
Jarig Bakker, 1 May 2004

• www.btinternet.com/~philipbparker/acl_history.htm

Atlantic Steamship Co. Ltd.

Atlantic Steam Navigation Co. began in the 1930's, but had no ships until 1945/46 when they acquired ex-navy landing craft, and later pioneered purpose built RoRo [roll-on-roll-off] ships. They also traded under the name Transport Ferry Service. The flag was a white burgee, bordered in blue and with a bluebird motif in the centre. In 1974 the company was acquired by Townsend Thoresen and the flag slowly phased out as ship liveries were changed at refit.
Ted Harrison, 11 December 2001

Atlantic Steamship Co. being actually Atlantic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. as pointed out by Ted, also had a commodore's flag which was the normal flag with a miniature placed in the canton i.e. a flag upon a flag. Most sources show the flag without a top and bottom border i.e. just the "bluebird" in the tail. In 1987 having come under P&O the company followed its flag into oblivion becoming P&O European Ferries (Felixstowe) Ltd.
Neale Rosanoski, 9 February 2004

Atlantic Traders, Ltd.

Coningsby S.S. Co., Ltd.
Franco-Ottoman Shipping Co., Ltd.
(Roth Bros. (London) Ltd.)

image by Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Atlantic Traders, Ltd., Coningsby S.S. Co., Ltd., Franco-Ottoman Shipping Co., Ltd. (Roth Bros. (London) Ltd.) (#745, p. 72), a London-based company, as red with a white disc inscribing a blue "R".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/37/
Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Atlas Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Atlas Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#1082, p. 88), a Grimsby-based company, as diagonally divided blue-yellow from upper hoist to lower left, charged in the center with a red "A".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#53
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Auchen Steam Shipping Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 14 March 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Auchen Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. (Purdie, Glen & Co.)" (#7, p. 37), a company based in Glasgow (Scotland), as white with a blue border, a blue saltire and, in the middle, the name of the company, "AUCHEN", in blue.
   The "Mariners" website lists SS "Auchencrag", owned by "Purdie, Glen & Co." as captured and sunk by a submarine U.84 on 12 January 1917 20 miles west from Ushant (France), when sailing from La Plata (Argentina) to Cherbourg (France).
Ivan Sache, 14 March 2008 

Australind Steam Shipping Co.

(Trinder, Anderson & Co. and Bethell, Gwyn & Co.)

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Australind Steam Shipping Co. Ltd (Trinder Anderson & Co.), London, has on a blue background a yellow cross. In the centre on a yellow disc, a black swan is shown. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and a toggle is attached.

The company managed services and cargo between the UK and Western Australia taking over from the ship broking firm of Oliver and Wilson. They also started a service between Freemantle and Singapore. Trinder, Anderson & Co. with Bethell, Gwynn & Co. were involved in the transport of emigrants. They set up a steamer service called the West Australian Steam Navigation Co., London in 1886; a company that later became the Australind Steam Shipping Co. In 1904 the two firms amalgamated. 
Jarig Bakker, 3 August 2004

Concerning the Austalind Steam Shipping Co, The comments taken from the National Maritime Museum regarding the companies established is a bit misleading. There were two companies both being formed by the same other two companies and both used the black swan on yellow circle.

image by Neale Rosanoski, 28 November 2010

Firstly in 1886 The West [also given as "Western" by some sources] Australian Steam Navigation Co. was formed by Trinder, Anderson & Co. and Charles Bethell & Co. [and other Australian shipping agents] for the Fremantle to Singapore trade and continued to trade to the East until around 1936. The flag from Loughran (1979) was blue with a yellow circle on which a black swan swam to fly on a sea representation. Lloyds 1904, 1912, Reed 1912 and Brown 1926 to 1934 show similar with a bit smaller circle.
Neale Rosanoski, 28 November 2010

image by Neale Rosanoski, 28 November 2010

The Log of 5/1988 shows a different version with the swan facing the hoist and no lines of sea but I have doubts on this one based on the Western Australia emblem of its operating period [see below].

Subsequently in 1892 Charles Bethell was joined by Walter J. Gywn to form Bethell, Gwyn & Co.
Neale Rosanoski, 28 November 2010

image by Neale Rosanoski, 28 November 2010

In 1904 Trinder, Anderson & Co. and Bethel, Gwyn & Co. formed the Australind Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. for the UK/Australia emigrant trade. This company subsequently became part of the P&O group and went out of ship-owning around 1980. Its flag was in line with that shown by Jarig Bakker except the swan faced the fly which is shown by all sources from Lloyds 1904 up until the LJC livery sheet on 1966 when the hoist facing version was shown. The change would seem to result from the charge being based on the badge of Western Australia where the black swan on a yellow circle faced the fly or sinister until 1953 (Flags of the World 1978 P209). With the change happening sometime between these dates this fits in with the NMM dating.

All of these companies were UK based. Trinder Anderson were ships agents to at least 1980 and Bethell, Gwyn & Co. Ltd. seem to be still around though what as I do not know.
Neale Rosanoski, 28 November 2010

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same flag (#1482, p. 107), but with the swan swimming to the fly.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#72
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Avenue Shipping

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, the house flag of the Avenue Shipping Co. Ltd, London shows "on a rectangular white field, there is a blue cross with a blue bordered white diamond in the centre, bearing the blue letter 'A'. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and two Inglefield clips is attached.
Jarig Bakker, 3 August 2004

British Shipping lines: continued

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