I don't think that the carrier is Argus George - the arrangement of openings below the flight deck are quite different. More likely one of the Merchant Aircraft Carriers, adapted from a number of tankers and grain ships.

The following articles suggest that the Wiki entry is inaccurate in that MENESTHEUS was completed and went to the Far East whereas AGAMEMNON was not completed.

I think the "Carrier" in Group 2 is either ex HMS ACTIVITY which became BRECONSHIRE or ex HMS MIRALDA both were re-converted by Hawthorn Leslie in 1946.

Also the small ship in Palmers Dock in Group 4 is I think the trawler NORTHERN DUKE, built by Deschimag Seebeck at Bremerhaven in 1936 with FERNMOOR built by Doxfords in 1936.

The ship on the outside of Group 3 could be EMPIRE VOICE built by Barclay, Curle & Co in 1940.

The above info helped by listings of ships in the river published in the Shields Daily News.

Great work Dave. Good to find the later BRECONSHIRE (maybe) and also LALANDE

1940, 6902grt by Barclay Curle as EMPIRE VOICE, 1946 BERNARD Booth S.S., 1947 BYRON Lamport & Holt in 1953 renamed LALANDE, 1961 sold as UNCLE BATT, broken up Aioi 09/1961. A rare L&H visitor to M'bro Dock, 13 April 1960 in my little book.

Still a question of who is outboard of the MAC vessel .... passenger/cargo maybe ex AMC or similar?

One of the numerous Blue Funnel class that was built around that time??
Only a gues but might be a starting point
Does not lookt o have any superstructure though
Rgeards
Graham

I suspect that Group 2 is both ex HMS ACTIVITY which became BRECONSHIRE and ex HMS MIRALDA.

After close comparison of photos, I think the outboard one is indeed ACTIVITY being rebuilt as BRECONSHIRE, the hatch layout is right, the deckhouse forward of the trunked No.3 hatch and the curve to the lower part of the bridge are all good matches.
I can't immediately see a photo of MIRALDA but of course she was a Shell tanker and the rebuild here has yet to get seriously underway, she was 15m shorter than BRECONSHIRE.

Good work Boss. Thanks.