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River Irrawaddy 

The main river in Burma, the Irrawaddy flows southwards from the Burmese interior to the Indian Ocean where it forms a large delta . The delta area had come under British rule in 1852 following the second Anglo-Burmese war and the interior followed suit after a third conflict in 1885 (during which the entire Irrawaddy Flotilla fleet was requisitioned by the British military).

The Irrawaddy Flotilla and Burmese Steam Navigation Company was founded in 1865 by Scotsmen Robert Findlay, owner of a teak logging company and Peter Denny of the family-owned shipbuilders in Dumbarton and five other businessmen after receiving an exclusive government contract for the carriage of troops, mails and other cargoes between Rangoon and Mandalay. The operation began with four paddle steamers which has been used in India before seeing service in the second Anglo-Burmese war. The company was registered in Glasgow (UK) and managed by P Henderson & Co (two directors of which were founding shareholders in the Flotilla Company). Todd, Findlay & Co were the local agents.

The first paddle steamer received was the Bassein, built by Barclay, Curle of Glasgow in 1865

The next newly built paddle steamers for the company was Colonel Phayre which arrived from A&J Inglis yard in Glasgow, Scotland in 1866 for assembly at the company's Dalla shipyard . This vessel remained in the fleet until 1876 and saw ten years of subsequent service in Malaya. This was followed by Colonel Fytche, from Archibald Denny of Dumbarton, Scotland. Both ships were needed as the company obtained contracts to serve deeper into the Burmese hinterland

Robert Duncan & Co of Port Glasgow, UK, then became the preferred shipyard and delivered the following side-wheelers to the company : 

In 1876 the company was reincorporated as the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company with a fleet of thirteen paddle steamers and embarked on further expansion. The Dumbarton firm of  William Denny & Brothers became their regular vessel supplier, primarily of side-wheel paddle steamers, although there were also some stern/quarter-wheelers

The First World War wreaked havoc on the fleet. A number of river paddlers were requisitioned for use by the British army in Mesopotania (current day Iraq) on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Some failed to complete the treacherous sea voyage - others were lost in operations or, if they survived hostilities, remained in Mesopotamia.

The Irrawaddy Flotilla fleet suffered probably the greatest ever attrition of any shipping company as the entire fleet of paddle steamers and associated barges and lighters numbering around 600 units was scuttled in Burmese waters during a short period in May 1942 to prevent them falling into the hands of the advancing Japanese army (and to obstruct Japanese river navigation) during World War II.

A number of vessels were recovered and restored after the war, but with most remaining in governement hands, a programme of new-building was embarked upon

The Burma Inland Water Transport Board, took over what remained of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in 1948 after independence and nationalisation of major foreign-owned assets in Burma and the company was would up in 1950. The Irrawaddy Flotilla name was revived as a private venture in 1995 by Scottish publishing entrepreneur and Burma-enthusiast Paul Strachan and it now provides luxury river cruises, trading as Pandaw after the paddler Pandaw, the remains of which were discovered by Strachan in 1998. The new fleet of luxury Pandaws are based on the design of the Pandaw of 1947 and earlier Flotilla steamer classes, albeit without paddle wheels or steam engines, rather than the "modern" Irrawaddy Princess which Strachan first promoted in 1995.  

Paddle Steamers built by Wm Denny & Bros. of Dumbarton for Burma (1877-1947)

Source : Caledonian Maritime Research Trust  database  http://www.clydeships.co.uk - with thanks to various contributors, primarily Stuart Cameron

Yarrow, Scotstoun, Glasgow (Deliveries 1946-1947)

Side-wheelers :

Minthamee, Minlat, Mingalay and Mintha were built in 1946/7 in a split order with Denny's
Minthamee survives as RV Myat Yadana
200ft x 32 ft : Engine - Triple Expansion 16, 25.5 and 41 in x 54 in

Note : Yarrow also delivered Stern-wheelers to the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company between 1908 and 1920. They also delivered five motor powered sternwheelers in 1956

Hanthawa (1909)

Tharrawa (1911-1924) : 130 x 22 ft : 182 GRT : Engine : Triple expansion diagonal  12, 19 and 31 in x 39 in by McKie & Baxter of Govan. Survived Mesopotamia

Galone (1911-1914) :  160 x 28.1 ft :  425 GRT.  Engine : Triple expansion diagonal by McKie & Baxter of Govan.  Requisitioned by the Royal Indian Marine and taken to Mesopotamia

Yemin (1911)

Photos : clydeships.co.uk