Giant of the Clyde shipyards dies at 85

the age of 85, was known by many as Mr Clydebank. He earned the name

because he was not only a key part of the famous yard but was closely

involved in the affairs of the town, not least with Scouting. He was one

of the few freemen of the burgh receiving his burgess ticket in 1966.

''Big John'', as he was known in the yard, was born in Clydebank. Mr

Joe Brown, who was the convener of shop stewards at the yard when Mr

Rannie was managing director, said: ''He was tough because it was that

kind of industry, but I found him fair and compassionate. He was this

way in his negotiations and also when dealing with promotions, where he

tried objectively to analyse the capabilities of individuals.''

Mr Brown said Mr Rannie was a forward-thinker who had been held back

by the financial strictures surrounding the industry. Mr Brown, a

retired full-time union official and previous chairman of the Clyde

Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, said Mr Rannie had

regretted the go-ahead not being given for the construction of a brand

new shipyard capable of building the largest ships at Newshot Isle, near

Cardross.

A contemporary was Mr A. Ross Belch, former managing director of Scott

Lithgow on the lower Clyde and now a businessman who is chairman of

Irvine Development Corporation. He said: ''I knew John well and had

great respect for him. He was one of the great Clydeside shipbuilders

who made a major contribution to the industry in the prosperous years

after the war. His name will always be associated with famous passenger

liners which were built by John Brown at Clydebank.''

Another Clydebank man, Mr Alex Ferry, general secretary of the

Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, said: ''John

Rannie was one of the old type shipbuilders. When he was managing

director at the yard he was 'Mr John Brown'. Everyone in the yard, from

the chief naval architect to the youngest apprentice, knew who he was

and respected him. He was a very bluff man who was full of the joys of

life. Beneath this exterior was a sincere person who cared about

shipbuilding, the people employed in it and the town of Clydebank.''

Like me, Mr Ferry cannot remember seeing Mr Rannie outside without his

famous bowler hat -- worn at one time by shipyard managers and those

above this position. It was said Mr Rannie bought the bowler for 50p in

Dunoon, but I recall him telling me he had more than one.

Made a CBE in 1969, he served his apprenticeship at the yard, and then

graduated BSc with first class honours in naval architecture at Glasgow

University, and later MSc of London University. After two years as a

naval architect to a Spanish shipbuilding firm, he returned to Clydebank

as West Yard manager in 1931, but in 1936 joined the staff of Lloyd's

Register of Shipping. Mr Rannie was closely involved with the

manufacture of war-time emergency Utility ships when he was employed for

some years in management in American and Canadian yards. He returned to

Clydebank in 1944 as shipyard manager. He became managing director in

1964.

Interviewed as the QE2 was nearing completion, Mr Rannie spoke of the

innate sense of craftsmanship which prevailed at Clydebank, but was

sometimes overlooked. He said: ''Our men have had to meet the challenge

of new techniques, new materials and new ideas, and have had to put

these in place of the traditional methods of shipbuilding, which many of

them have pursued since their apprenticeship.''

On the formation of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders in 1968, he stayed on

until he was 65 as director with responsibility for completing the QE2.

But the master shipbuilder had not hung up his famous bowler because he

spent more than two years in the early 1970s as general manager of a

shipyard at Marystown, Newfoundland, which, when he arrived there, was

losing a million dollars a year. When he left it was in the black and

the work force had risen from 100 to more than 400.

Mr Rannie is survived by his wife and three children.