several Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. It is the country's only facility equipped to accept all military vehicles from army bases (by rail or road) and load them on ships destined for war zones. The port played a major role despatching ships with vehicles and equipment in the 1982 Falklands conflict, receiving eighty war dead at its conclusion. , sunk at Fitzroy, and her sister ships were based here. In October 2010, it was announced that ownership would transfer from the Ministry of Defence to a private contractor as a cost-saving measure. Two of Southampton's best-known liners the Cunard Line RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 and the P&O liner played major roles in the Falklands war effort; the latter received an enthusiastic welcome upon her return. The Watergate Quay area was a centre for the building of naval warships during the mediaeval period, while naval and merchant ships were built in the Redbridge area during the 18th century. From 1904 to 2004 the John I. Thornycroft shipyard occupied a large site in Woolston, at the eastern mouth of the Itchen, building warships for the Royal Navy and others; the company was particularly busy before and during the two World Wars. It merged with Vosper & Company of Portsmouth in 1966, and the Woolston yard closed in 2003. Smaller shipyards, such as Husband and Day Summers & Co., also participated in the war effort. Ship classes built in Woolston include: Coastal Motor Boat Thornycroft type destroyer leader Thornycroft M-class destroyer Type IV Hunt-class destroyer Landing Craft Assault Cross-channel ferries Cross-channel passenger steamers had moved from the Royal Pier to the Outer and Inner Docks when the latter opened. Their destinations included Le Havre, Cherbourg, St Malo and the Channel Islands. Most passengers arrived at the docks by train. During the 1960s, the port operators and shipping lines realised that passengers wanted to take their cars on their travels. The passenger-only service ceased in 1964 with the arrival of the first roll-on/roll-off car ferry service. The vessels Viking I and Viking II of Thoresen Car Ferries ran to Le Havre and Cherbourg. and Viking III soon joined them along with a freight-only ferry Viking IV in 1967, during the summer peak a further vessel, Free Enterprise II, would relocate to the port to offer extra sailings to Cherbourg. Structural changes to the docks were made in preparation for the switch. In 1963, the entrance