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This story was submitted by Neil Garside who worked at Andrews Boathouses after the war.
ANDREWS BOATHOUSES CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR EFFORT 1939-1946

Andrews Boathouses was founded in 1925 by John Andrews on the site of an old wharf off Hedsor Road and had continued to grow throughout the 20's and 30's building motor launches and motor cruisers, and becoming famous for their Greyhound Slipper Stem Motor Launches. They also ran a hire fleet of cruisers and launches and maintained, moored and stored private craft.
At the outbreak of the 2nd World War the firm was very soon on a war footing firstly letting a large portion of the boathouses to G. Beaton & Son Ltd of Beatonson Works, Willesden, London NW 10, an engineering company who produced aircraft components including wing components for Spitfires. Their tenancy started on 18th September 1939 with Andrews' staff initially making benches, unloading machinery, making and fitting blackout shutters and partitioning etc. This was to be a satellite factory for Beaton & Son Ltd throughout the war, their other factory at Acton, West London was actually bombed a year later. At Bourne End they even added to the buildings and had four air raid shelters and a canteen built all of which remained until the site was redeveloped in the late 1990's.
Andrews Boathouses' first wartime contract for J.I. Thornycroft & Co.Ltd. placed in early December 1939 was to build 2 x 36ft. tunnel stem motor lighters for a client in Africa at a cost of 拢700 per boat, engines and stem gear supplied by J.I. Thornycroft. On completion the boats were requisitioned by the Admiralty and used in the evacuation of Norway and from there in use on other war duties and never did get to Africa. Andrews was awarded their first Admiralty contract on 16th September 1940 which was for 4 x 25ft. diesel-engined motor cutters which were used as tenders to naval ships. From 1940-1946 Andrews built and delivered 47 of these craft from a succession of Admiralty contracts, 51 were actually ordered but 47 completed, the remainder of the last contract being cancelled owing to the end of the war and some compensation paid. These craft were fitted with Dorman or Fowler engines. The cost of these cutters was 拢569-15s each by the end of the war less engine and stem gear which were supplied by the Admiralty but installed by Andrews. After the boats had finished trials the charge for hauling out and cartage to Bourne End station for despatch by rail was an additional 拢3-10s.
Andrews' hire cruisers spent the war years as houseboats moored on the opposite side of the river from the boathouses as there was no petrol to run them but they were let firstly as a safer haven from the London Blitz and later on for holidays for those who could take them.
Throughout the war Andrews Boathouses still managed to give service to their private customers in the way of maintenance, moorings, storage and general service even selling new craft that had just been completed before war broke out, second-hand boats were also bought and sold, somehow people got petrol to run them and time to use them.

When the war finally came to an end and the last of the motor cutters were being completed, and despite shortages, peacetime boatbuilding returned to Andrews. They delivered their first new post-war Greyhound launch named "Son-Ray" in May 1946. Beaton & Son finally left Andrews' at the end of September 1946, and in spite of the austerity of the early post-war years, the scene was now set for what many of us consider to be the finest years of Andrews Boathouses, the late 40's to mid 70's, but that's another story.
John Andrews sadly died in August 1963, the business continued until 1983 when it finally closed prior to being redeveloped for housing which did not take place for a number of years. Many of us who trained and worked at Andrews, and in spite of the poor wages and harsh working conditions, still hold the place in great esteem. The memories and many of the boats and designs still live on.
Footnote: Other local boatbuilders who contributed to the war effort were:
Townsends of Wharf Lane, Bourne End built ship's lifeboats for the Admiralty. W oottens of Cookh~ Dean built 20ft. motor cutters & 10ft. dinghies for the Admiralty.
J.G. Meakes of Bridge Works, Marlow built 63ft. air sea rescue launches as sub卢contractors to J.r. Thornycroft, for the Air Ministry.
The numbers of craft built by the three firms mentioned above are not known.
Main source of information - Andrews' Sales Ledgers and personal memories.

Neil Garside

September 2005

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