Perim Island

Death Throes of the Perim Coal Company

It did not take long for the full effects of the recession to bring about the closure of the Perim Coal Company. In the article Boom and Bust one can see that in the financial year 1930-31 the number of ships calling to coal at Perim (154) were only 40% of the total for the previous year; slightly worse was that the tonnage of coal sold was only 37.5% of the 1929-30 figure. 

Although one less ship called to coal in the following year (1931-32) each ship took an average of 19% more coal. This must have given cause for hope in the future, but it was not to be.

1931-32 was the last year for which full statistics have been found.  Ships coaling in each of the next three years (1932-35) were down to around 130 a year. Worse was to come. In the last full year of operation (to 31st March 1936) only 92 ships coaled which averages out at less than two a week. There must have been quite a few days with no ship being coaled, especially during the traditionally quieter months from October to March. For the last six months of operation a ship was calling only every two to three weeks. 

In the last few years of operation the coal company got a bad reputation for delivering on board slightly less than the amount ordered; another ploy was to ‘accidentally’ spill coal whilst transferring it from lighter to steamer. (See also Perim Chronicle 1936-1948, when in 1938 the police inspector was ordered to dredge for coal.)