The Liss with a gross tonnage of 5853 was built by the Furness Shipbuilding Company, Haverton Hill for A/S Krezimasko. The keel was laid on 18 February 1920 and the ship was launched on 26th May 1921.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
Furness Shipbuilding yard was part of the Furness, Withy shipbuilding company based in Hartlepool. The Yard was built as an emergency WW1 shipyard to cope with the repair requirements of World War I. Shipyard construction began in 1917 on an 85 acre site with frontage to the River Tees. When completed it had twelve berths and a fitting-out basin. It commenced manufacturing ships in March 1918. A number of ships were ordered by the British Government. During the first half of the 1920s there was a constant supply of substantial orders for the Furness Haverton Hill shipyard. The yard went on to make a number of colliers and to build many other ships as well as deep-sea tankers, passenger/cargo liners and whaling vessels.
Following the 1928-1932 worldwide trade depression trade picked up, and 11 new ships were made in 1936, thereafter the Furness shipyard launched 26 deep-sea tankers, 22 other ships and three fishing fleet factory ships. During the World War II extra repair berths were opened by the yard and during the 1947-63 period the yard made over 76 ships and tankers. In 1954, it was acquired by Haverton Holdings Ltd, a London based asset stripper whose ownership was a disaster for all concerned. This company was a subsidiary member of the ‘Sears Shoes Group’ who owned Selfridges and many other leading retailers with no known previous knowledge of shipbuilding or heavy engineering. In 1967 Sears Holdings disposed of its shipbuilding activities and announced the yards closure at Haverton Hill, with the loss of 3,000 jobs. Eventually in 1968 The Furness Yard was merged with the Swan Hunter Shipbuilding consortium, in 1977 the yard was nationalised, and in 1979 was closed for good.
(Bob Wilson, Five Lamps)
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This small tanker was a tribute to the workmanship of the Furness yard. She was in service for over 40 years, being operated by various Scandinavian companies. In 1963 she was renamed O.K. Hauge. Two years later she was sold for scrap and went to a breakers yard in Germany.
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Those where the days when we built are own ships owned our own steel – providing skilled work for local industries. Sold down the river by successive governments
Ken Howells
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