British shipping companies (G)

Last modified: 2023-07-03 by rob raeside
Keywords: george gibson | gibson rankine | gillie & blair | glen line | george gordon | govan shipbuilders | gracechurch | great yarmouth shipping | guinea gulf line | gg&co | gs | gysco | gg |
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• George Gibson & Co., Ltd.
• Gibson Rankine Line
• G. T. Gillie & Blair
• Glen Line
• Glover Brothers
• George Gordon & Co.
• Goulandris Brothers
• Govan Shipbuilders Ltd.
• Gracechurch Container Line
• Graig Shipping Co. Ltd.
• Great Yarmouth Shipping Co., Ltd.
• Guinea Gulf Line Ltd.

• House flags of British shipping companies
• House flags of shipping companies
• United Kingdom

from Stewart and Styring's Flags, Funnels and Hull Colors 1963

George Gibson & Co. Ltd. One of the survivors with origins back to 1797 and still going. The flag however is one of uncertainty rather strangely. Not only do sources disagree over dots after some or all letters or none, but also with the colours of these letters. Basically they plump for either black or red, although an 1895 source shows blue, neither of which appear to give any cause for misinterpretation. In 1920 they absorbed the Rankine Ltd. and some sources show the flag under Gibson Rankine Line which appears to have been a service name for trades associated with the latter company. At one stage in the late 1970s/early 1980s they had a German subsidiary, Deutsche George Gibson & Co Gastanker GmbH Reederei and a Mobil chart of German liveries shows another version with the upper band being pink and the lower band red.
Neale Rosanoski, 6 June 2004

by Jarig Bakker, 16 December 2004

Based on Wedge 1926 G. Gibson & Company, Limited, Leith. Triband red-white-blue, proportioned 2:1:2; on white "G.G.&Co" in black.
Jarig Bakker, 16 December 2004

Gibson Rankine Line

by Jarig Bakker

The flagchart "Vlaggen in de haven van Amsterdam" (flags in the harbour of Amsterdam), no date shows the flag of the Gibson Rankine Line, Leith (Scotland) - white with a rope in TV-screen form around two masted flag in saltire. The flag to the hoist is the Gibson flag; the flag at fly-side maybe another Gibson flag, though the letters are hardly visible
Jarig Bakker, 6 July 2004

It’s a triangular flag with horizontal bottom, purplish blue with a dark blue border around it except in the hoist.
Jorge Candeias, 24 Feb 1999

by Neale Rosanoski

G.T. Gillie & Blair. Judging from the company website at www.gillieblair.com the flag image comprises a mauve field with a very dark blue border except at hoist, these two colours being fimbriated white [see above]. Although the image seems to suggest that the flag comprises a right angled triangle I wonder as this would be most unusual and a normal long pennant would seem possible, particularly as the flags previously shown have been pennants.

     by Rob Raeside

Talbot-Booth in Merchant Ships 1944 shows a blue pennant with a white orle (above, left) whilst Brown1951 and Stewart 1963 have the orle extending to the hoist (above, right) with Brown showing a thicker white. Whether these represent changes in design or colours I do not know but the format would seem to be basic after allowing for artistic licence from the sources. Also note that Stewart shows under the name of their subsidiary Firth Shipping Co. Ltd.
Neale Rosanoski, 15 June 2004

Glen Line

by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)  This flag flies under a blue pennon charged with a white Maltese cross (possibly on a black square?)
James Dignan, 18 October 2003

Blue pennant with white Maltese cross over a red and white flag quartered diagonally, with Union Jack in center.
Jarig Bakker, 18 October 2003

Founded in the mid 1800s in Glasgow. The company name emerged in 1868. In 1880 became known as McGregor, Gow & Company, although it was still promoted as the Glen Line. Glen Line Ltd was formed in 1910. The shares of the company were acquired by Elder, Dempster and Co. in 1911. As Elder, Demster was owned by Royal Mail, the ensuing problems of caused by Lord Kylsant resulted in the line being a part of Alfred Holt and Co. (later known as Ocean Transport and Trading Co.). Glen Line ceased to own ships in 1978, and the Ocean Transport and Trading Co. was purchased by P&O, which sold the Glen Line assets to Curnow Shipping Limited. The company is not operating, although it appears to be still legally registered.
Phil Nelson, 19 October 2003

Glen Line. Originally the blue pennant flown superior had a white hoist bearing a blue saltire befitting the Scottish origin of the founders. By the 1912 books the Maltese Cross version was being shown whilst some sources show this as just a cross couped. A couple of early sources also show the Union Flag panel without any white but this seems to be printing blues.
Neale Rosanoski, 6 June 2004

Based on Wedge 1926 Glover Brothers, London - quartered diagonally white and red; on white "GB" in blue.
Jarig Bakker, 16 December 2004

George Gordon & Co.

The flag is white with a white canton fimbriated in black and charged with a black pig's head. The letters GG & Co. (black), in a kind of cursive writing, are placed in lower fly.
Source: 1911 Lloyd's flagbook, as illustrated at The Mystic Seaport Foundation.
Ivan Sache, 14 January 2004

Goulandris Brothers

by Jarig Bakker

From Scott, R.M., The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels, Cape Town, Caltex Africa Ltd. (1959).

Goulandris Brothers, Piraeus - actually a Greek company, but with a London agency.  A blue flag, white Greek "Gamma" ("G") on Greek ships, but a letter G on ships under other than Greek flag.

However Brown 1951 [Wedge (1951)] shows for the Goulandris brothers in their agency in London a blue flag with a Latin "G".
Jarig Bakker, 6 January 2005

Govan Shipbuilders Ltd.

by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd. A rectangular blue flag with a white saltire broken in the centre by the letters 'GS'. The flag is made of a synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and logo. A rope and toggle is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 13 August 2004

The logo is this image. I’ve seen both versions: in deep and in light blue, and don’t know which one is the right one (if any).
Jorge Candeias, 30 Jan 1998

Graig Shipping Co. Ltd.

by Jarig Bakker

From Scott, R.M., The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels, Cape Town, Caltex Africa Ltd. (1959).

Graig Shipping Co. Ltd., Cardiff - flag horizontal white over green, red "G".
Jarig Bakker, 2 January 2005

from Stewart and Styring's Flags, Funnels and Hull Colors 1963

by Jarig Bakker

Based on The flagchart "Vlaggen in de haven van Amsterdam" (flags in the harbour of Amsterdam), no date. Per saltite white and blue, clockwise letters G S Co Y which read correctly anticlockwise. Basically the same design as above but with different colors and smaller letters
Jarig Bakker, 6 July 2004

Great Yarmouth Shipping Co. Ltd. According to Brown 1943 and 1951 there was an earlier flag of blue, two narrow white horizontal bands well spread with a white "S" between them [see below]. Possibly suspect as the letter hardly seems appropriate. The change, if there was one, to the yellow and black flag is shown by Stewart in 1953.
Neale Rosanoski, 15 June 2004

by Rob Raeside

Brown's Flags and Funnels, 1951, also shows a flag blue with narrow white horizontal strips at 1/3 and 2/3 of flag height; in the center a white capital S.
Jarig Bakker, 6 July 2004

Guinea Gulf Line Ltd.

by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Guinea Gulf Line Ltd., Liverpool. A flag with a black field bearing a white five-pointed star in the centre. The red letters 'GG' are placed in the middle of the star. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 13 August 2004