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Before the start of WW1, Barrow was in the front line of an international maritime arms race that threatened to tip the balance of world peace.

Vickers were at the cutting edge of naval technology and were building some of the most powerful ships that had sailed the seven seas.

The shipyard was the place to go to if you were a foreign government who had aspirations to be a world power. Turkey wanted to join the club and placed an order for a dreadnought to be named the Reshadieh but it was at a cost. To afford to buy this colossally expensive ship the Ottoman Empire raised the money by public subscription and it became the peoples’ ship.

On the cusp of hostilities the battleship was due to be handed over to the Turkish Navy, but Winston Churchill requisitioned the ship at the last minute, fearing it could be used against us in the war.

Whether the Admiralty's action precipitated Turkey's declaration of war is still open to question, but what is certain; the ship was renamed the Erin, and along with the rest of the British fleet, it saw little action.

The parallels with the post war nuclear détente are striking and in particular having the skills to build our nuclear submarine deterrent illustrates Barrow shipyard is still one of the most advanced in the world.

Location: Dock Museum, North Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA14 2PW
Image: HMS Erin (1913)

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