My next door neighbour when we lived in Tower Hamlets worked in the Packet Yard for many years. Coincidentally, many of the houses in the street were painted in a colour resembling the fireproof cream paint on the Sealink ferries
My Grandad worked on the docks throughout the war years, ending up on the train ferry dock before retiring in the 50s. His photos of that time are all with my sister, I hope to get them from her soon to copy and will put any interesting ones up here.