This company used the quayside above and below the old Redheugh Bridge for their operations. They scrapped at least 18 naval vessels between 1946 and 1962 with the last one being the Algerine class minesweeper Welcome.

See postings under JJ King for location details of the two yards.

Brian H has identified these two vessels at CW Dorkin' scrap yard as probably Algerine class minesweepers WELCOME M386 (ahead) and WAVE M385 (mostly broken up and down river of her). They were broken up in 1962.

Over 1946-62, the British Iron & Steel Corporation (BISCO) bought most of the ships scrapped in the UK on behalf of the steel companies, allocating each to a suitable breaker. After the scheme finished in 1962, breakers had to bid for and buy their own ships. A number of smaller breakers did not have the finance to do so, so closed, like Dorkin.

Ian Buxton wrote:Over 1946-62, the British Iron & Steel Corporation (BISCO) bought most of the ships scrapped in the UK on behalf of the steel companies, allocating each to a suitable breaker. After the scheme finished in 1962, breakers had to bid for and buy their own ships. A number of smaller breakers did not have the finance to do so, so closed, like Dorkin.

BISC, no O as that was for us in the Iron Ore Dept...then started buying scrap on a workdwide basis and continued well into the 70's as by then we were buying battleship scrap from Florida....much of which was shipped into Sunderland using,where possible Stag Line vessels..often taking up to 3 weeks to discharge as some plates were 10incges thick!,this was supplemented by fragmetised auto scrap,again much of this was ex US....

Geoff