Women in Shipbuilding Gallery 7: The Ships

Which ships did women help build?

The shipyards built and repaired warships and merchant vessels. There was a desperate need for shipping to counter the U-boat war. Merchant ships were being targeted by U-boats including on the essential east coast coal trade to which mines and staithes in the region were contributing so much. Warships on escort and patrol duties against U-boats were also being sunk in large numbers. Seafarers from the north east in the Mercantile Marine and the Royal Navy were on the front line as soon as they left harbour. Women working in shipyards had a vital role in defeating the U-boat blockade by replacing losses and expanding the fleet of warships and merchant vessels. Many of these vessels had long and successful careers before being broken up and recycled. Although they left no physical trace, Lloyds Register Foundation has a rich historical record of these vessels in drawings and documents that can be explored in its online collection of Ship Plans and Survey Reports. Very few ships from this period were preserved. Most of the ships that survive are, paradoxically, those that were sunk. The war at sea was global, so ships built in the north east can be found all around the world. Historic England helps to protect historic wreck sites around our coast by highlighting their significance, sharing their stories and applying legal controls. Historic wrecks are an important part of the industrial heritage of these women shipbuilders and the north east.