Henry Robb

Henry Robb, Limited, known colloquially as Robbs, was a British shipbuilding company based in Leith Docks on the east coast of Scotland. Robbs was notable for building small-to-medium sized vessels, particularly tugs and dredgers. During World War II, Robbs built a large number of naval warships for the Royal Navy, including preparing the designs and building the prototype of the "Basset"-class anti-submarine / minesweeping trawler. In 1968, Robbs purchased, and amalgamated with, the Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Dundee, forming Robb Caledon Shipbuilding. 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 closed in 1981, Robb's yard surviving two more years, closing in 1983. This brought to an end over 600 years of shipbuilding in Leith. The land once occupied by Robb's shipyard is now the Ocean Terminal shopping centre, home to the Royal Yacht "Britannia".

Robbs-built ships

* HMS "Herald" - "Hecla"-class survey vessel
* RRS "Bransfield" - British Antarctic Survey ice-strengthened research vessel
* "Wild Duck"-class RMAS cable-layer / salvage vessel
** RMAS "Pochard
** RMAS "Goosander"

Flower class corvette

* HMS "Delphinium"
* HMS "Dianthus"
* HMS "Petunia"
* HMS "Polyanthus"
* HMS "Lotus"
* HMS "Pink"

Castle class corvette

* HMS "Flint Castle"

River class frigate

* HMS "Derg"
* HMS "Glenarm"
* HMS "Ness"
* HMS "Niss"
* HMS "Windrush" - transferred to the Free French in 1944 as "La Decouverte", she is currently hulked after use as a fire-training ship, and is the only surviving River-class vessel.
* HMS "Wye"

Loch class frigate

*HMCS "Loch Achanalt"
*HMS "Loch Insh"
*HMS "Loch Katrine"

Bay class frigate

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

=Royal Fleet Auxiliaries=

* RFA "Hebe" - naval stores ship
* RFA "Bacchus" - naval stores ship
* RFA "Engadine" - aviation training ship

"Bustler"-class ocean rescue tugs]

* HMRT "Bustler"
* HMRT "Growler"
* HMRT "Hesperia"
* HMRT "Mediator"
* HMRT "Reward"
* HMRT "Samsonia"
* HMRT "Turmoil"
* HMRT "Warden"

External links

* [http://www.angelfire.com/nb/henryrobb/ The Ships of Henry Robb]
* [http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_a_l/0_around_edinburgh_-_leith_docks_ships_1989-95.htm Photos of the closed Robbs yard at edinphoto.org.uk]
* [http://www.shipphotos.co.uk/yards/caledon.htm Photos of Robb Caledon built ships at shipphotos.co.uk]