FOR ALL THOSE WITH AN INTEREST IN BRITISH INDIA STEAM NAVIGATION (BI)
BI News
BI started publishing its own house magazine - BI News - for staff in 1949. Between then and September 1971, 69 issuesof the magazine were published and distributed to all ships in the fleet and all shore offices.
To begin with, because of paper shortages following the Second World War, BI News was printed in-house using basic Roneo equipment but in the 1950s soon moved up to a 'glossy' format incorporating some colour. The final issue fittingly featured on the cover BI's first and last vessels against the setting sun. Over the years, the magazine's pages welcomed new staff to the company and was an information source for BI's many pensioners. The issues of BI News documented many staff changes, personal announcements of marriages and births, historical articles and, of course, the large new tonnage additions to BI's fleet of the 50s and 60s.
We are very fortunate to have been entrusted with a complete set of BI News by Andrew Monteath, whose father worked for many years in BI and before that in Mackinnon Mackenzie in India. The issues are made up into bound volumes and we would be happy to look for specific information in response to requests. Please note however, we have not got research facilities and must decline requests for general searches of the volumes. For more information email editor@biship.com
Other history pages: Timeline | Companies | Routes | BI News | Mercantile Empire | BI/P&O Merger document | Gairsoppa & Mantola | Dara wreck | Rohilla disaster | Calabria | Abhona trials | E Africa Shipwrecks | Today in History
