Discover the history of Concrete Ships

Back in 2019, I started a personal research project to learn more about British built World War I era concrete ships. 

Initially, my aim was to create awareness of the 'Life and Times' of a unique fleet of 64 concrete ships that were commissioned by the British Government during World War I and launched between 1918 and 1920, after the Armistice was signed and the war was over. I then discovered 9 other British concrete ships of differing designs, built in the same era, so obviously I had to research them too !

A number of these World War I vessels still exist, but most are lost forever. This aim of this website was to highlight the plight of the few remaining Crete Ships in the hope that greater awareness would stimulate greater interest and ideally, commitment to save and to restore what remains today of this historic fleet. 

Bitten by a bug, when I had finished the manuscript of my first book, I felt compelled to undertake the research on the Ferro-Concrete Barges built during World War II. There were rather more of these to discover, since 294 Open Barges and 201 Petrol Barges were built between 1940 and 1945. 

What I didn't realise at the outset, when I was finding out Why they were built, Where they were built, How they were built and by Whom they were built, was just how many exist today, littering the coast of the UK and also to be found in the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and even Iceland. Like their World War I predecessors, they travelled far and wide.

This new WWII FCB section of the website will build out over time, and a second manuscript, with a working title ' British Ferro Concrete Barges of World War II' is nearing completion.

Having finished the research on British concrete vessels of both World Wars, I obtained a First Edition, signed copy, of Nicolay Fougner's 1922 book 'Seagoing and Other Concrete Ships'. When I discovered that Fougner had built a concrete ship in the U.S., I  felt compelled to launch into the research about the U.S. built concrete ships...and then France, Norway, Argentina, Germany, indeed, the whole World. It's a massive topic, but fortunately one that my friend and collaborator, whom I met on my research journey, Erlend Bonderud, had already gathered most the facts for his forthcoming publication, 'Concrete Shipbuilding 1848 - 1972'.

I am under no illusions that I have become extremely, compulsively and rather eccentrically obsessed with this subject matter.  Erlend doesn't help one bit to keep me sane, but rather feeds the compulsion. Erlend speaks a number of languages and this helps immeasurably with the difficult research, that involving language skills in particular. Thankfully, I also have an understanding wife. My kids just think I'm mad.

Whilst on my concrete ship research journey, I became acutely aware that the Internet is literally littered with Urban Myths, half truths, fantasy and fiction about Concrete Ships. 

Wikipedia leads the charge. I tried to correct the nonsense written on the appalling Wikipedia page 'Concrete Ship', only to find myself 'Indefinitely Blocked' from updating Wikipedia on the grounds that by citing referenceable facts from this website, I was 'self-promoting' apparently. Self promoting history  ? History that has been meticulously researched and is completely free to access ? I guess the irony is that should I ever manage to publish my manuscripts, and they become authoritative works on the subject, someone that buys the work will be able to reference them !

A unique fleet of 64 British concrete ships launched and completed between 1918 and 1920 called 'The Crete Fleet'. I called them 'The Crete Fleet' because their names were prefixed with 'Crete' and suffixed with a noun.

 I have however decided that every concrete ship ever built is also a member of 'The Crete Fleet', and that it is a catchy enough title for a webpage !

The beauty in the photo is named 'Creteboom' and she rests on the River Boy at Ballina, Co. Mayo, Republic of Ireland. 

You can read all about British World War I Concrete Ships by clicking the button below

"Probably the best Ferro Concrete Barge in the World"  With 495 built during World War II, that's quite an accolade !

From a design and ergonomic point of view, this was a truly imaginative use of a surplus Ferro Concrete Barge, I'm sure you will agree

I spent a couple of years tracking down World War II Ferro-Concrete Barges built in the U.K. There were 495 to find, and I found a lot of them still existing today, eight decades later. 

There's a section on this website all about the British built Ferro-Concrete Barges of World War II. Just click the button to take you there !