A Burns & Laird Lines poster from June 1941 advertising the freight and passenger routes which the company operated between Glasgow and Ireland.
G & J Burns and Laird Line had both been operating under the ownership of Coast Lines since 1919. During over a century of independent existence before that, however, the firms had been pioneers of passenger and trade routes between Scotland and Ireland. A merger followed in 1922 and the Laird Line funnel of red, white and black was adopted by all of the ships of the fleet.
The Glasgow to Belfast route which is advertised on this poster was served by the sister ships Royal Ulsterman and Royal Scotsman from 1936 until 1967. However the vessels were requisitioned by the Royal Navy during the Second World War for use in Allied sea-borne landings and would have been absent on national service in 1941.
Reference: TD 644/40
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Burns & Laird Lines, Coast Lines, G & J Burns, Laird Line, passenger ships, posters, Royal Scotsman, Royal Ulsterman, Second World War, shipping lines, steamships