The Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd. had all of its steamships called up for duty in World War I and had to rely on chartered vessels for much of the emergency. As with the other companies that had steamers serving, most of those that had survived the dangerous war time duties returned in dribs and drabs during 1919. Two of the steamers, Duchess of Hamilton and Duchess of Montrose, had been lost while minesweeping during the war. At the beginning of April, Duchess of Fife returned to the Clyde, followed a few days later by Caledonia, damaged badly in a collision with a freighter on the Seine. In the last week of the month, Duchess of Rothesay arrived and a few days later, the turbine Duchess of Argyll, while Marchioness of Breadalbane appeared on the first of May. The remaining unit of the fleet, Marchioness of Lorne, did not return until 1921 and was laid up in Bowling Harbour for a couple of years before being scrapped at Dumbarton.

Marchioness of Lorne being broken up at Dumbarton in 1923

First to be pressed into service in June were the Duchess of Argyll on the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay service and Marchioness of Breadalbane for Millport. The latter, appeared with black paddle-boxes that year and neither vessel was particularly well-finished internally.

Marchioness at Breadalbane at Largs in 1919 (Valentine)

There was a set-back in May when Duchess of Rothesay sank at her moorings at Merklands Wharf and it was the end of July before she was refloated. She was not able to enter service until 1920. Her quasi-sister, Duchess of Fife, did appear in September and Caledonia, repaired after her adventure, was ready for the winter service in October.

Duchess of Argyll (Robertson)

Duchess of Argyll at Gourock in 1920

Duchess of Argyll in Rothesay Bay, 1920

Marchioness of Breadalbane in 1920 (Robertson)

Marchioness of Breadalbane at Largs (Judges)

Marchioness of Breadalbane at Arrochar

Duchess of Fife in 1920 at Rothesay

Duchess of Fife off Dunoon around 1921 (McGeachie)

Duchess of Fife at Gourock around 1920

Duchess of Fife at Millport in 1922

Caledonia in 1920 (Robertson)

Caledonia at Princes Pier around 1920

Caledonia (McGeachie)

Caledonia (Robertson)

Duchess of Rothesay at Dunoon around 1922 (McGeachie)

Duchess of Rothesay in 1920 at Wemyss Bay (Aerial Photos)

The Glasgow and South Western Railway Co. also had the bulk of its steamer fleet involved in war duties. Only the Glen Sannox, considered unsuitable, was available to maintain the Arran service during the war. The company had its war losses too, with Mars, sunk in a collision with a destroyer, and Neptune lost while minesweeping in April 1917. Minerva served in the Mediterranean area and while she survived the war, she was sold and did not return to her native waters. Thus it was a much depleted fleet that returned to the Clyde; Glen Rosa at the beginning of April, Juno a week later, and towards the end of the month, the remaining units, Atalanta, Jupiter, and Mercury. Mercury had had her stern blown off by a mine and a day after reentering service had her bow blown off, surviving both incidents but requiring more significant renovation before she entered service in 1920. Jupiter also did not appear until 1920. Juno and Atalanta entered service at the end of June, 1919, and Glen Rosa appeared in September.

Juno in 1920

Juno leaving Tighnabruaich in 1920

Atalanta at Ardrossan

Glen Rosa in 1920

Glen Rosa at Millport in 1921 (Valentine)

Duchess of Rothesay at Craigmore in 1922 with Glen Rosa (Valentine)

Glen Sannox in 1920

Glen Sannox entering Ardrossan Harbour in 1921

Jupiter leaving Dunoon in 1920

Jupiter in Rothesay Bay in 1921

Unlike the North Bank fleet where significant reconstruction was carried out before the vessels re-entered service, the changes to those on the South Bank were, for the most part, quite minor. As with the North Bank steamers, deck houses were augmented with lockers for life-saving equipment on the roof and the larger units of the South Western fleet that retained their bridge aft of the funnel and between the paddle-boxes sported a canvas dodger at the bow for a look-out, ostensibly because there was a danger of mines particularly in the outer Firth.

Jupiter in 1920

When she appeared in 1920, Mercury looked more massive than she had in pre-war years, possibly the result of a funnel of larger diameter.

Mercury in 1921

Strikes and shortages plagued the railway steamer service in the first few years after the war. However, as the railways themselves struggled to recover from the lack of maintenance and investment that had prevailed over the years of the emergency, the conversation turned to amalgamation. Early on, there was talk that the South Western would be grouped with the North British but by 1922, the focus was on an amalgamation of the South Western with the Caledonian and on January 1, 1923, the South Western steamers were transferred to London, Midland and Scottish Railway ownership. Restrictions on where these steamers could provide service, negotiated when the Glasgow and South Western Railway first sought powers to operate steamships, remained in place while the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. steamers were free of such restrictions. Nevertheless, the two fleets were managed as a single entity and a new funnel colouring of buff, with a red band and black top was adopted. The funnel colours were instantly disliked by the public and branded as “tartan lums.”

Atalanta in 1923

Atalanta in 1923 in Lamlash Bay

Atalanta leaving Dunoon in 1923

Glen Sannox at King’s Cross Ferry in 1923 (Valentine)

Glen Sannox approaching King’s Cross

Glen Sannox leaving Whiting Bay

Duchess of Argyll was the man steamer sailing to Arran by way of Rothesay and the Kyles. She also did other excursion work.

Duchess of Argyll at Corrie Ferry

Duchess of Argyll at Corrie Ferry (Valentine)

Duchess of Argyll at Largs

Juno continued with excursions from the Ayrshire resorts.

Juno at Ayr in 1923 (Valentine)

Juno at Troon in 1923 (Valentine)

Juno at Ardrossan in 1923

Juno at Rothesay in 1923

Jupiter sailed mainly from Greenock and Gourock to the lower Ayrshire resorts and Round Bute excursion.

Jupiter in 1923 (Robertson)

Jupiter at Millport in 1923

The main Rothesay and Kyles service from Greenock, Gourock and Wemyss Bay was carried out by the Duchess of Fife, Duchess of Rothesay and Mercury.

Duchess of Fife at Rothesay

Duchess of Fife at Dunoon

Duchess of Fife off Gourock (Robertson)

Duchess of Fife

Duchess of Fife off Dunoon (McGeachie)

Duchess of Rothesay in Rothesay Bay 1923 (Valentine)

Duchess of Rothesay in Rothesay Bay 1923 (Valentine)

Duchess of Rothesay off Gourock (Robertson)

Duchess of Rothesay

Duchess of Rothesay off Dunoon (McGeachie)

Duchess of Rothesay off Gourock (Robertson)

Mercury off Gourock in 1923 (Robertson)

Mercury off Dunoon with Duchess of Argyll in 1923

Mercury in Rothesay Bay in 1923 (Valentine)

The Marchioness of Breadalbane and Glen Rosa handled the Millport traffic and Cumbrae Circle from Wemyss Bay and Fairlie.

Marchioness of Breadalbane (Robertson)

Glen Rosa and Marchioness of Breadalbane at Kilchattan Bay

Glen Rosa approaching Kilchattan Bay

Glen Rosa in Rothesay Bay

Caledonia handled the Holy Loch run.

Caledonia at Princes Pier

Caledonia off Gourock (Robertson)

Caledonia at Ardnadam Pier

For the 1923 season, the former South Western steamers retained their grey hulls, but in 1924, the hull colours were standardized to black.

Atalanta in 1924 (Robertson)

Atalanta at Rothesay

Atalanta leaving Whiting Bay in 1924

Juno in 1924 (Robertson)

Jupiter in 1924 (Robertson)

Jupiter in 1924

Jupiter in 1924

Jupiter at Rothesay in 1924

Mercury in 1924 (Robertson)

Mercury at Princes Pier in 1924

Mercury at Dunoon in 1924

Glen Rosa at Millport in 1924 (Valentine)

For Glen Sannox, this was to be her last season in service. The old paddle steamer was laid up at the end of the season and sent to the scrapyard. She was replaced by a turbine steamer of the same name in 1925.

Glen Sannox approaching Whiting Bay in 1924

Glen Sannox at Ardrossan in 1924 (Valentine)

Glen Sannox laid up in James Watt Dock at the end of 1924

The negative comments regarding the funnel colours led to a change in 1925 to buff with a black top, a livery that was retained well into the 1960s.

Glen Rosa in 1925

The 1925 season was the last season in which Glen Rosa had her bridge aft of the funnel. For the remainder of her career, her bridge was moved forward of the funnel.