Henry Robb

Henry Robb
	Shipbuilding at Henry Robb's Yard, shown on the Leith Mural
Type	Public
Industry	Shipbuilding
Founded	1918
Defunct	1983
Fate	Closed
Headquarters	Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
Key people	Henry Robb

Henry Robb, Limited, known colloquially as Robbs, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based at Leith Docks in Edinburgh. Robbs built small-to-medium sized vessels, particularly tugs and dredgers.

History

The company was founded on 1 April 1918 by Henry Robb, a former yard manager for Ramage & Ferguson shipbuilders, which lay around 1 km to the east.^[1]^[2] Robb was born in Partick, Glasgow in 1874 to Henry Robb (1843-1894), a ships caulker, and his wife Martha Simpson (1840–78). He married Mary Baird Mcintosh Cowan in 1903 and their son, Henry Cowan Robb (1932-2018), became a Director of the firm. Henry Robb died in Edinburgh in 1951.

Robbs grew by buying berths from Hawthorns in 1924, the business of Cran and Somerville in 1926 and the yards of Ramage and Ferguson in 1934.^[2] The site became known as Victoria Shipyard.^[3]

Robbs closed its Arbroath and Clyde operations in the 1920s and focused its activities on Leith.^[1]^[4]

During World War II, Robbs built a large number of warships for the Royal Navy, including preparing the designs and building the prototype of the Basset-class anti-submarine / minesweeping trawler.^[2] Three Bird-class corvettes were built for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Ordered in 1939, two of these ships famously sank the Japanese submarine I-1 in January 1943,^[5] while the third ship helped sink Japanese submarine I-17 seven months later.^[6]

On 26 February 1940 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured the shipyard.^[7] The King visited a second time on 29 July 1943.^[8]

In 1963 Robbs took over the neighbouring long-standing shipbuilding yard of Menzies & Co.^[9]

In 1968 Robbs merged with the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company of Dundee, forming Robb Caledon Shipbuilding,^[10] and in 1969 the new company took over the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company in Fife. In 1977, under the provisions of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977, Robb Caledon was nationalised as part of British Shipbuilders. The Caledon yard in Dundee closed in 1981. Robb's yard in Leith survived two more years, closing in 1983.^[10]

The site of Robb's shipyard is now the Ocean Terminal shopping centre, where the former Royal Yacht Britannia is berthed.^[11] An early 20th-century pitched roof paint shed that once belonged to the yard, built from rivetted iron plates, survives and was a Category B listed building before being relocated.^[12]

The yard features in the video to the song "Letter From America" (1987) by The Proclaimers, whose father worked in the yard. The overall sentiment of the song stresses the loss of Scotland's traditional industries and the mass emigration of Scots to North America due to circumstances such as the Highland Clearances.

Ships built by Robbs

Naval

Flower-class corvettes

Storage Ships

MV Pembroke Coast
MV British Coast
MV Atlantic Coast
MV Ocean Coast

Armed Trawlers

HMS Basset
HMS Mastiff

Hoppers

MV Gallions Reach
Tree-class trawlers
HMS Hazel
HMS Hickory

Castle-class corvettes

Bird-class minesweepers

HMNZS Kiwi
HMNZS Moa
HMNZS Tui
HMS Ringdove
HMS Redstart

Other Minesweepers

HMS Sword Dance
HMS Staffa
HMS Sidmouth
HMS Stornoway

River-class frigates

HMS Derg
HMS Ness
HMS Nith
HMS Strule (ex- HMS Glenarm)
HMS Windrush
HMS Wye
HMS Naver – cancelled and re-ordered as HMS Loch Achanalt.

Loch-class frigates

HMS Loch Achanalt – to Royal Canadian Navy on completion.
HMS Loch Insh – to Royal Malaysian Navy in 1964 as Hang Tuah.
HMS Loch Katrine – to Royal New Zealand Navy in 1949 as Rotoiti.
three further ships of this class – Loch Kishorn, Loch Nell and Loch Odairn – were cancelled.

Bay-class frigates

HMS Cardigan Bay (ex- HMS Loch Laxford)
HMS Carnarvon Bay (ex- HMS Loch Maddy)
HMS Padstow Bay (ex- HMS Loch Coulside)

Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships

RFA Bacchus – naval stores ship
RFA Engadine – aviation training ship
RFA Hebe – naval stores ship

Bustler-class ocean rescue tugs Built during WW2 these huge tugs could manage huge ships over long distances and were used to tow the sections of the Mulberry Harbour during the D-Day Landings^[13]

Other Tugs

MV George Salt
MV Firefly

Ships for Robertson Line

MS Jacinth
MS Spinel

Other Ships

MS Kodara for Robetson Co.
MS Edina for Currie Line
MV Creole
MV The Miller for E Marriage & Son
MV Goldengown
MV Puriri for Anchor Line of NZ
MV Underwood for Union Steam Co of NZ
MV Port Tauranga

Hecla-class survey vessel

HMS Herald

Wild Duck-class RMAS cable-laying and salvage ships

Merchant

Yard No	Name	Type	Launch	Owner/Notes
216	Argos	cargo	1935	Cia. Argentina de Lanchas, Buenos Aires
267	South Steyne	Manly ferry	1 April 1938	Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company
355	SS Tinto	cargo	1947	Ellerman's Wilson Line
356	SS Truro	cargo	1947	Ellerman's Wilson Line
357	SS Bravo	cargo	1947	Ellerman's Wilson Line
358	SS Silvio	cargo	1947	Ellerman's Wilson Line
361	MV Kaitangata	cargo	1948	Union Steamship Company
362	MV Konui	cargo	1949	Union Steamship Company
375	MV Kaitawa	collier	1949	Union Steamship Company
376	MV Kaiapoi	cargo	1949	Union Steamship Company
377	MV Kamona	cargo	1949	Union Steamship Company
379	MV Mombasa	passenger/cargo	1950	British India Steam Navigation Company
399	MV Kawatiri	cargo	1950	Union Steamship Company
393	MV Mtwara	passenger/cargo	1951	British India Steam Navigation Company
398	MV Waimate	cargo	1951	Union Steamship Company
400	MV Kokiri	cargo	1951	Union Steamship Company
406	MV Cavallo	cargo	1951	Ellerman's Wilson Line
407	MV Trentino	cargo	1952	Ellerman's Wilson Line
418	MV Wareatea	refrigerated cargo	1952	William Holyman and Sons Pty., Melbourne
427	MV Marwick Head	cargo	1952	A.F. Henry & MacGregor, Leith
426	MV Karamu	refrigerated cargo	1953	Union Steamship Company
428	MV Longfellow	cargo	1953	Rodney Steamship Company
430	MV Golden Bay	bulk carrier	1954	Tarakohe Shipping Co, Wellington
434	MV Auby	passenger/cargo	1954	Sarawak Steam Ship Company, Singapore
437	SS Cicero	refrigerated cargo	1954	Ellerman's Wilson Line
438	SS Rollo	refrigerated cargo	1954	Ellerman's Wilson Line
443	MV Kaitoa	cargo	1956	Union Steamship Company
448	MV Kaimai	cargo	1956	Union Steamship Company
456	MV Kumalla	cargo	1956	Union Steamship Company
457	MV Konini	cargo	1957	Union Steamship Company
508	RRS Bransfield	ice-strengthened research vessel	4 September 1970	British Antarctic Survey
515	MV Pioneer	ferry	4 January 1974	Caledonian MacBrayne
516	S.A. Wolraad Woltemade	salvage tug	15 May 1975	South African Marine Corporation
521	MV Borthwick^[14]	LPG Tanker	1977	Geo. Gibson & Co.
522	Claymore	ferry	31 August 1978	Caledonian MacBrayne
530^[15]	THV Patricia	lighthouse tender	1982^[16]	Trinity House
534	MV St Catherine	ferry	1983	Sealink/Wightlink
535	MV St Helen	ferry	1983	Sealink/Wightlink

References

1 2 Henry Robb: Shipbuilding at the Port of Leith Ships Monthly July 2025 pages 52-55
1 2 3 "Henry Robb". Grace's Guide: The Best of British Engineering 1750–1960s. 10 April 2014.^{[self-published source?]}
↑ "Hawthorn Shipbuilders". Edin Photo.
↑ Todd, Daniel (1985). The World Shipbuilding Industry. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 117. ISBN 0312892519.
↑ Waters, Sydney David (1956) The Royal New Zealand Navy, Page 307-309, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington.
↑ Waters, Sydney David (1956) The Royal New Zealand Navy, Page 327-328, Official History, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington.
↑ "Features – Notable Dates in History". Timeline of Scottish History. Scots Independent. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014.
↑ Edinburgh Evening News 30 July 1943
↑ The Life and Times of Leith by James Scott Marshall ISBN 0 85976 128 2
1 2 "Masts from the past". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 1 September 2007.
↑ "Steering its own course". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 12 June 2007.
↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Leith Docks, Paint Shed at Shipbuilding Yard (LB27071)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
↑ Leith Built Ships on War Service ECL ref.YHE 56567
↑ "Geo. Gibson & Co". British Coastal Shipping Companies. Retrieved 3 July 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
↑ "Ship No 36 to Ship No 40". Leith Built Ships. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
↑ "Patricia". ShipPhotos.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.

External links

[ShipsMonthly-1] 1 2 Henry Robb: Shipbuilding at the Port of Leith Ships Monthly July 2025 pages 52-55

[grace-2] 1 2 3 "Henry Robb". Grace's Guide: The Best of British Engineering 1750–1960s. 10 April 2014.^{[self-published source?]}

[3] "Hawthorn Shipbuilders". Edin Photo.

[4] Todd, Daniel (1985). The World Shipbuilding Industry. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 117. ISBN 0312892519.

[5] Waters, Sydney David (1956) The Royal New Zealand Navy, Page 307-309, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington.

[6] Waters, Sydney David (1956) The Royal New Zealand Navy, Page 327-328, Official History, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington.

[7] "Features – Notable Dates in History". Timeline of Scottish History. Scots Independent. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014.

[8] Edinburgh Evening News 30 July 1943

[9] The Life and Times of Leith by James Scott Marshall ISBN 0 85976 128 2

[news-10] 1 2 "Masts from the past". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 1 September 2007.

[11] "Steering its own course". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 12 June 2007.

[12] Historic Environment Scotland. "Leith Docks, Paint Shed at Shipbuilding Yard (LB27071)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.

[13] Leith Built Ships on War Service ECL ref.YHE 56567

[14] "Geo. Gibson & Co". British Coastal Shipping Companies. Retrieved 3 July 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[15] "Ship No 36 to Ship No 40". Leith Built Ships. Retrieved 2 July 2010.

[16] "Patricia". ShipPhotos.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.

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