Volume Four - An Era of Change, Uncertainty, Depression & War - The Penarth Dock Engineering Company Limited . . .

Hodges (Barry) Engineering Co. Limited

Situated between coal tips numbers one and two the company was first incorporated in December 1897. Following the dissolution of the partnership of Alfred Hill and Frederick Hodges at Penarth and Barry in 1895, Mr. Frederick Hodges appears to have concentrated his shiprepairing interests at Barry Docks in a new partnership with Mr. John George Walliker in the firm of Messrs. Hodges & Company, however, this company was dissolved on the 1st November 1898. It seems that they formed a new partnership named Messrs. Hodges and Walliker. I assume that from this company Hodges Engineering evolved. They were listed as Ship Repairers in Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales of 1920. Then as Mr Week's history of the Penarth Dock Engineering Company states 'The Barry wholly owned subsidiary, Penarth Pontoon & Hodges (Barry) Ltd. changed its name to Hodges (Barry) Engineering Co. Limited. This Company was acquired by the Parent Company in 1920 and from that date until 1956 carried on business as ship repairers at Barry.'

	I was sent there from Penarth during 1967 until 1969 developing skills in horizontal and vertical boring, cylindrical grinding, crankshaft grinding, gear hobbing and shaping, plano-milling, cribbage and dominoes, as well as annoying the foremen, etc. but for the major part, generally prating about as apprentices are prone to do!

The Barry & District News [305] published a letter from Mr. R C Chick Snr. on the subject of Hodges Engineering, Barry Dock, circa 1977. The accompanying image showed the workforce in the 1970's and he asked for help with their names. A response followed:

'I remember that . . . A few months ago, I wrote a letter about Penarth Dock Engineering after seeing a photo sent to Penarth times (Penarth Times, June 26) by Mr R. C. Chick. Barry & District News: Hodges Engineering, Barry Dock, circa 1977. So I was pleased to see a photo of the sister firm, Hodges at Barry Dock, last week (Penarth Times, September 11). I was a fitters mate at Penarth Dock and sometimes I was sent to Barry when they were short - Reggie Ryde and Josh Thomas were in charge of the shop. Several welders at both works and fitters would swap around, visiting Barry and vice versa.