Union-Castle Line

The Union-Castle Line was a British shipping line that

operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Union-Castle Mail SS Co. Ltd
Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from
the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line.

It merged with Bullard King and Clan Line in 1956 to form

British & Commonwealth Shipping, and then with South
African Marine Corporation (commonly referred to as
Safmarine) in 1973 to create International Liner Services, but
maintained its separate identity throughout. Its shipping
operations ceased in 1977. House flag

Contents
Predecessor lines
Union-Castle Line
British & Commonwealth, and International Liner
Services
Ships Union-Castle liners in East India Docks,
References London in 1902

Sources and further reading Trade name Union-Castle Line

External links Industry Shipping

Predecessors Union Line
Castle Mail Packet Co.
Predecessor lines Successor British and Commonwealth
Shipping
The Union Line was founded in 1853 as the Southampton
Steam Shipping Company to transport coal from South Founded 8 March 1900 in United
Wales to Southampton. It was renamed the Union Steam Kingdom
Collier Company and then the Union Steamship Company. In Defunct 1990
1857, renamed the Union Line, it won a contract to carry mail Headquarters United Kingdom
to South Africa, mainly the Cape Colony. The inaugural
Area served London and Southampton
sailing of the Dane left Southampton on 15 September.[1]
to Cape Town
Meanwhile, Donald Currie had built up the Castle Packet Key people
Co. which traded to Calcutta round the Cape of Good Hope. Donald Currie
This trade was substantially curtailed by the opening of the Sir Francis Vernon
Suez Canal in 1869, and the Castle Line started to run to Thompson
South Africa instead, later becoming the Castle Mail Packet Services Passenger, cargo and mail
Company. transport
In 1872 the Cape Colony gained responsible government and its first
Prime Minister, John Molteno, ordered a re-negotiation of the
country's mail services. In 1876, keen to avoid either of the two main
companies gaining a monopoly on the country's shipping, he awarded
the South African mail contract jointly to both the Castle Mail Packet
Company and the Union Line. The contract included a condition that
the two companies would not amalgamate, as well as other clauses to
promote competition, such as alternating services and speed
premiums. This competition led to their shipping services running at
unprecedented speed and efficiency. The contract was eventually to
Union-Castle House, Southampton
expire however, and the period of intense competition was later to
give way to co-operation, including transporting troops and military
equipment during the Boer War. Finally, on 8 March 1900, the Union
Line and Castle Shipping Line merged, creating the Union-Castle
Mail Steamship Company, Ltd, with Castle Shipping Line taking
over the fleet.[2][3][4]

Union-Castle Line
Union-Castle named most of their ships with the suffix "Castle" in
their names; the names of several inherited from the Union Line were Gascon was built in 1897
changed to this scheme (for example, Galacian became Glenart
Castle) but others (such as Galeka) retained their original name. They
were well known for the lavender-hulled liners with red funnels
topped in black, running on a rigid timetable between Southampton
and Cape Town. Every Thursday at 4pm a Union-Castle Royal Mail
Ship would leave Southampton bound for Cape Town. At the same
time, a Union-Castle Royal Mail Ship would leave Cape Town bound
for Southampton. In 1922 the line introduced its Round Africa
service, a nine-week voyage calling at twenty ports en route.
Alternate sailings travelled out via the Suez Canal and out via West
Africa.[1] Galeka was built in 1899 and sunk
by a mine in 1916
The combined line was bought by Royal Mail Line in 1911, but
continued to operate as Union-Castle. Many of the line's vessels were
requisitioned for service as troop ships or hospital ships in the First
World War, and eight were sunk by mines or German U-boats. The
Royal Mail Line ran into financial difficulties in the 1930s,
culminating in the prosecution of its director Lord Kylsant, and
Union-Castle Line became an independent company again with
Vernon Thomson as Managing Director. Many vessels were again
requisitioned in the Second World War. Three – Dunnottar Castle,
Carnarvon Castle, Dunvegan Castle became armed merchant
Glenart Castle as a First World War
cruisers. Pretoria Castle (1939) was also first requisitioned as an
hospital ship. She was built in 1900
armed merchant cruiser, but later served as an escort carrier.[6] as Galician

After the war the line made good use of its three ships converted to
troop transports to facilitate carrying the vast number of emigrants
seeking new lives in East and South Africa. When they ran out of berths the line set up its own internal travel
agency to book passages on other lines and even air services. The mail service to South Africa, curtailed
during hostilities, recommenced with the sailing of Roxburgh Castle from Southampton on 2 January 1947.[1]
British & Commonwealth, and
International Liner Services
The company took over the King Line in 1949, and merged with
Bullard King and Clan Line in 1956 to form British & Dover Castle which was built in
Commonwealth Shipping. It merged with South African Marine 1900, was a hospital ship in the First
Corporation in 1973 to create International Liner Services, but World War and was sunk by torpedo
in 1917
competition with air travel adversely affected its shipping activities,
and cargo shipping rapidly became containerised. The final South
African mail service arrived in Southampton on 24 October 1977, and
International Liner Services withdrew from shipping in 1982. British
& Commonwealth continued in other fields, and acquired Atlantic
Computers in 1989, but accounting problems soon became apparent
and British & Commonwealth was liquidated in 1990.

In the 1950s and 60s the line operated a fleet of fifteen ships, eight on
the principal weekly mail run from Southampton to Cape Town. Each
ship could carry an average of two hundred First Class passengers Armadale Castle was built in 1903
and four hundred and fifty in Tourist Class. Six of the remaining ships and was an armed merchant cruiser
operated the monthly Round Africa service, sailing both clockwise in the First World War
and anti-clockwise round the continent. The remaining ship operated
a service carrying up to 750 Tourist Class passengers to Beira and
back via the West Coast route every three months.[1]

In December 1999 the Union-Castle name was revived for a

millennium cruise; the P&O ship Victoria was chartered for a 60-day
cruise around Africa, and had its funnel repainted for the occasion.

The last few surviving Union-Castle Line ships were scrapped in the Kenilworth Castle was built in 1904,
early 21st century, the former Kenya Castle in 2001, the former was a passenger ship liner[5]
Transvaal Castle in 2003, the former Dunnottar Castle in 2004, and
finally Windsor Castle in 2005.

Ships
The initial Union fleet consisted of the colliers Union, Briton, Saxon,
Norman and Dane. In 1860 this was augmented by the much larger
Cambrian.[1]
RMS Edinburgh Castle was built in
At the time of the merger in 1900, the Union fleet included: 1910, was an armed merchant
cruiser in the First World War and an
Arab, Briton, Falcon, Gaika, Galeka, Galician, Gascon,
accommodation ship in the Second
Gaul, German (2), Goorkka, Goth, Greek, Guelph,
World War
Mexican, Moor, Norman (2), Sabine, Saxon (4), Scot,
Spartan, Susquehanna, and Trojan, with Celt on order
(renamed Walmer Castle before it came into service)

and the Castle Line fleet included:

Arundel Castle (3) (1894–1905), Avondale Castle (1897–1912), Braemar Castle (1) (1898–
1924), Carisbrook Castle (1898–1922), Doune Castle (1890–1904), Dunolly Castle (1897–
1905), Dunottar Castle (1890–1913), Dunvegan Castle (1896–1923), Garth Castle (1880–
1901), Harlech Castle (1894–1904), Hawarden Castle
(1883–1904), Kildonan Castle (1899–1931), Kinfauns
Castle (2) (1899–1927), Lismore Castle (1891–1904),
Norham Castle (1883–1903), Pembroke Castle (2)
(1883–1906), Raglan Castle (1897–1905), Roslin Castle
(2) (1883–1904), Tantallon Castle (2) (1894–1901), Gloucester Castle was built in 1911
Tintagel Castle (1) (1896–1912) and was a hospital ship in the First
World War. Afterwards she returned
to civilian service. She was sunk by
torpedo in 1942

Llandovery Castle was built in 1914,

was a hospital ship in the First World
War and was sunk by torpedo in
1918

Passenger steam liner Leasowe

Castle was built in 1915 and was a
troopship in the First World War. She
was sunk by torpedo in 1918

RMS Carnarvon Castle was built in

1926, was an armed merchant
cruiser in the Second World War and
fought the German auxiliary cruiser
Thor in 1940
 Ship Built Tonnage Notes and references
Passenger steamer

Built by William Beardmore

Alnwick
Castle
1901 5,893 and Company, Glasgow
Torpedoed by U-81 on 21
March 1917 Athlone Castle was built in 1936 and
was a troopship in the Second World
Armadale War
1903 12,973 1936 scrapped
Castle
Steamer

Built by Barclay, Curle & Co.,

Aros Castle 1901 4,460 Ltd., Glasgow
Torpedoed by U-90 on 21
Nov 1917

Passenger ship built by Fairfield RMS Edinburgh Castle, built in 1947

Shipbuilding and Engineering
Arundel
1894 4,588 Company, launched 1895, sold to
Castle
the Danish East Asiatic Company
in 1905 and renamed Birma
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff, launched 11 September
Arundel
1921 19,023 1919, completed 8 April 1921,
Castle
maiden voyage 22 April 1921,
scrapped 1959
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff, launched 28 November Bloemfontein Castle, built in 1950
Athlone
1936 25,564 1935, completed 13 May 1936,
Castle
maiden voyage 22 May 1936,
scrapped 1965
Balmoral
1910 13,361 1939 scrapped
Castle
ex-Clan Robertson

1976 renamed Balmoral

Castle The cargo ship MV Winchester
Balmoral Castle, built in 1964 as Clan Line's
1965 7,952 1979 renamed Balmoral
Castle Clan Ramsay
Universal
1982 sold to Greece,
renamed Psara Reefer.

Bampton 1932 sold to Greece, renamed

1920 6,698
Castle Atlantis
ex-Glenstrae

1920 purchased from Glen

Banbury Line, renamed Banbury
1918 6,430
Castle Castle
1931 sold to Greece,
renamed Rokos
Berwick 1902 5,883 1919 burnt out at Mombasa, sold to
Castle Italy
Bloemfontein 1959 sold to Greece, renamed
1950 18,400
Castle Patris
Hospital ship

Built by Barclay, Curle & Co.,

Braemar
Castle
1898 6,318 Ltd., Glasgow
Mined and damaged by U-73
in the Aegean Sea in 1916

ex-Empire Duchess

1949 purchased from MoWT,

renamed Braemar Castle
Braemar
Castle
1943 7,067 1950 transferred to King
Line, renamed King James
1958 sold to Hong Kong,
renamed Tyne Breeze

Braemar
1952 17,029 1966 scrapped
Castle
1931 sold to Greece, renamed
Bratton Castle 1920 6,696
Proteus
Capetown
1938 27,000 1967 scrapped
Castle
Steamer

Built by Northumberland SB.

Co., Ltd., Newcastle upon
Tyne
ex-Holtye
Carlisle Castle 1913 4,325 1915 purchased from F.S.
Holland & Co., London,
renamed Carlisle Castle
Torpedoed by UB-57 near
Royal Sovereign Light
Vessel on 14 Feb 1918

1930 sold to Mitchell, Cotts & Co.,

Carlow Castle 1917 5,833
renamed Cape St. Columba
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff, launched 14 January
Carnarvon
1926 20,122 1926, completed 26 June 1926,
Castle
maiden voyage 16 July 1926,
scrapped 1963
1926 went ashore South West
Cawdor Castle 1902 6,235
Africa and declared a total loss
Chepstow 1913 7,494 ex-Anglo-Brazilian
Castle
 1915 purchased from Nitrate
Producers Ltd., renamed
Chepstow Castle
1933 scrapped

1924 transferred to Bullard King,

Cluny Castle 1903 5,147
renamed Umkuzi
Passenger steamer

Built by Barclay, Curle & Co.,

Ltd., Glasgow
Torpedoed and damaged by
Comrie Castle 1903 5,173 UC-71 5 nautical miles
(9.3 km) S of St.Catherine's
Point on 14 Mar 1918
1924 transferred to Bullard
King, renamed Umvoti

1927 sold to W. Schuchmann,

Corfe Castle 1901 4,592
Hamburg, renamed Ostee
ex-Hova

1917 purchased from F.S.

Holland, London, renamed
Crawford
1910 4,264 Crawford Castle
Castle
1930 sold to W. Kunstmann,
Stettin, renamed Victoria W.
Kunstmann

Hospital ship

Built by Barclay, Curle & Co.,

Ltd., Glasgow
Dover Castle 1904 8,271 Torpedoed and sunk by UC-
67 50 nautical miles (93 km)
N of Bona, Algeria on 26
May 1917

ex-Clan Ranald

1976 renamed Dover Castle

1979 renamed Dover
Dover Castle 1964 7,950
Universal
1981 sold to Greece,
renamed Golden Sea

Drakensberg 1945 9,905 ex-Empire Allenby

Castle
1946 purchased from MoWT,
renamed Drakensberg
Castle
1959 scrapped
 Cargo ship

Built by Harland & Wolff at

Greenock
Launched as War Poplar,
completed as Dromore
Dromore Castle
1919 5,242
Castle She hit a mine and sank
whilst in a convoy 20
nautical miles (37 km) SE of
the River Humber, without
any loss of life, on 12 Dec
1941

Steamship

Laid down as Doune Castle

and upon purchase named
Dunbar Castle
1895 Sold to Fairfield Ship
Building and Engineering
Dunbar Castle 1883 2,837
Co. and renamed Olympia
10 December 1910 – ran
aground on Bligh Reef off
Alaska's Prince William
Sound and sank without loss
of life

Passenger ship built by Harland

and Wolff, completed 20 May 1930,
Dunbar Castle 1930 10,002
struck a mine off North Foreland,
Kent and sank on 9 January 1940
Cargo ship built by Harland and
Dundrum Wolff, completed 31 December
1919 5,259
Castle 1919, caught fire and sank in Red
Sea 2 April 1943
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff, completed 15
Dunluce September 1904, sold for scrapping
1904 8,114
Castle in 1939 but purchased by the
Admiralty for use as
accommodation ship
Dunottar 1890 5,625 Passenger ship
Castle
Built by Fairfield
Shipbuilding and
Engineering Co, Goven,
Scotland Dec 1899
requisitioned as a troop
transport for the Second Boer
War
 1913 sold to the Royal Mail
Steam Packet Company as
Caribbean

Passenger ship built by Harland

and Wolff, launched 25 January
1936, completed 27 June 1936,
Dunnottar
1936 15,002 maiden voyage 10 July 1936,
Castle
renamed Victoria 1958, The
Victoria 1976 and Princesa Victoria
1993, scrapped 2004
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff, launched 26 March
1936, completed 27 August 1936,
Dunvegan requisitioned by Admiralty in 1940
1936 15,007
Castle as an armed merchant cruiser and
renamed HMS Dunvegan Castle,
torpedoed and sunk off Ireland by
U-46 on 27 August 1940
1962 scrapped. In 1947 it was the
Durban Castle 1938 17,382 crime scene of the Porthole Murder
Case[7][8]
Passenger/cargo

Built by Fairfield
Shipbuilding & Engineering,
Govan
Durham
1904 8,217 1939 requisitioned by the
Castle
Admiralty as an
accommodation ship
Struck a mine off Cromarty
on 20 Jan 1940 and sank

Passenger ship built by Harland

and Wolff, launched 27 January
1910, completed 28 April 1910,
maiden voyage May 1910.
Fitted with 6-inch guns and
Edinburgh operated as armed merchant
1910 13,326
Castle cruiser during First World War.
Requisitioned in Second World War
and moored in Freetown as
accommodation ship. Judged not
worth returning to UK and sunk as
a target by gunfire November 1945.
Edinburgh
1947 28,700 1976 scrapped
Castle
ex-Polar Honduras (Hamburg-Sud)
1981 leased from Barclays
Mercantile Finance Co renamed
Edinburgh Universal
Edinburgh
1979 9,996
Universal 1984 transferred to Hong
Kong renamed Caspian
Universal
Eider 1900 1,236 1926 purchased from Royal Mail
SP Co., for the Southampton –
Bremen – Hamburg feeder service

1936 sold to J. Billmeir,

renamed Stanhill

Passenger ship built by Harland &

Wolff, torpedoed by U-82 160
nautical miles (300 km) SW of
Galway Castle 1911 7,988
Fastnet Rock, Ireland on 12
September 1918. Taken under tow
but sank on 15 September.

Garth Castle 1910 7,612 Launched 13 January 1910.[9] 1939

scrapped
Formerly Union Line Galician

Hospital ship
Built by Harland & Wolff, Ltd.,
Belfast
1 Mar 1917 – Mined and
Glenart Castle 1900 6,807
damaged by UC-65
26 Feb 1918 – Torpedoed
and sunk by UC-56 10
nautical miles (19 km) W of
Lundy

Glengorm
1898 6,763 Formerly Union Line German
Castle
Hospital ship

Built by Fairfield SB. & Eng.

Co., Ltd., Glasgow 31 Mar
1917 – Damaged by UB-32
near the Isle of Wight. 15 Jul
1942 – Sunk by German
Gloucester
Castle
1911 7,999 raider Michel off South West
Africa. Captain H.H. Rose
and 92 passengers and crew
were killed. Two lifeboats
containing 61 people were
picked up by the raider and
taken to Japan as prisoners

ex-Empire Life

Good Hope 1946 purchased from MoWT,

1945 9,905
Castle renamed Good Hope Castle
1959 scrapped

Good Hope 1978 sold to Italy, renamed Franca

1965 10,500
Castle C
Gordon Castle 1901 4,408 1924 scrapped
Grantully
1909 7,612 Launched 14 October 1909.[9] 1939
Castle scrapped
1 June 1933 beached after collision
Guildford
1911 7,995 in Elbe with Blue Funnel Line's
Castle
Stentor. Total loss
1907 transferred from Liverpool-
Hamburg Line

Hansa 1904 880

1937 sold to J. Billmeir,
renamed Stanray

ex-Dresden, (North German Lloyd)

1903 purchased by Houston

Line, renamed Helius
Helius 1888 4,579 1904 purchased by Union-
Castle
1906 sold to Turkey,
renamed Tirimujghian

1924 purchased from Portuguese

Government, East Africa feeder
service
Incomati 1920 340
1928 sold to Portugal

Sir Donald Currie's yacht, used as

officer cadet training ship

1914–1918 HMS Iolaire anti-

Iolaire 1902 999 submarine patrol ship
1939 became HMS
Persephone
1948 scrapped

Passenger ship built by Harland

Kenilworth and Wolff, launched 15 December
1904 12,975
Castle 1903, completed 19 May 1904,
scrapped 1936
ex-Empire Wilson

Kenilworth 1946 purchased from MoWT,

1944 9,916
Castle renamed Kenilworth Castle
1968 scrapped

1967 sold to Greece, renamed

Kenya Castle 1951 17,040
Amerikanis
Kinnaird 1956 7,718 ex-Clan Ross
Castle
ex-South African Scientist,
renamed Kinnaird Castle
1962 reverted to Clan Line
 1969 transferred to King Line
1975 sold to Panama,
renamed Nazeer

ex-Clan Stewart, ex-South African

Sculptor

1961 transferred from

Kinpurnie Safmarine renamed
1954 8,121
Castle
Kinpurnie Castle
1967 sold to Panama,
renamed Hellenic Med

ex-Clan Ross

1976 transferred from

Houston Line, renamed
Kinpurnie Kinpurnie Castle
1966 7,950
Castle 1979 renamed Kinpurnie
Universal
1982 sold to Greece,
renamed Syros Reefer

Passenger steamer

Built by Cammell, Laird &

Co., Ltd., Birkenhead
20 Apr 1917 – Torpedoed
and damaged by U-35 90
Leasowe
1917 8,106 nautical miles (170 km) WxN
Castle
of Gibraltar
27 May 1918 – Torpedoed
and sunk by UB-51 104
nautical miles (193 km) W of
Alexandria

Passenger liner/troop transport

Built by Workman, Clark &

Co Ltd, Belfast
Llandaff She took part in Operation
1926 10,786
Castle Ironclad
Torpedoed and sunk by U-
177 on 30 Nov 1942 off
South Africa

Llandovery 1914 11,423 Hospital ship

Castle
Built by Barclay, Curle & Co.,
Ltd., Glasgow
27 Jun 1918 – Torpedoed
 and sunk by SM U-86 116
nautical miles (215 km) W of
Fastnet Rock, Ireland

Llandovery
1925 10,640 1953 scrapped
Castle
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff (Govan), launched 4 July
1929, completed 21 November
1929, maiden voyage 5 December
1929, damaged during an air raid
Llangibby while docked in Liverpool on the
1929 11,951
Castle night of on 21–22 December 1940,
torpedoed and damaged by the U-
402 16 January 1942. Converted to
Landing Ship, Infantry and used in
invasion of Normandy. scrapped
1954
operated as troop transport.
Llanstephan
1914 11,348 Converted to Landing Ship,
Castle
Infantry. 1952 scrapped
1901 acquired as tender at Port
Elizabeth

Lochgair 1888 111

1905 sold to J.G. Stewart,
Glasgow, renamed Loch Gair

Passenger/cargo steamer

12 Mar 1908 ran ashore 4

nautical miles (7.4 km) from
Newark Castle 1902 6,224
the coast, in Richard's Bay
near the Umhlatuzi River,
South Africa

1976 sold to Philippines (Panama

flag), renamed Ocean Queen
Pendennis
1958 28,582
Castle
April 1980 scrapped

ex-Reichenfels, (Hansa Line)

1914 captured by Britain

1916 managed by Union-
Polglass
1903 4,631 Castle renamed Polglass
Castle
Castle
1921 sold to Hansa Line,
renamed Reichenfels

Pretoria 1939 17,383 Requisitioned in October 1939,

Castle fitted with 6-inch guns and operated
Warwick as armed merchant cruiser by RN.
Castle 1942 sold to Admiralty and rebuilt
as an escort carrier
 1946 re-purchased by Union-
Castle, renamed Warwick
Castle
1962 scrapped

1966 transferred to South African

Marine Corp., renamed S.A.Oranje
Pretoria
1948 28,705
Castle
1975 scrapped.

Purchased from ex-Pacific Steam

Nav. Co,

1964–1973 chartered by
Reina Del Mar 1956 20,263 Union-Castle for cruising
1973 purchased by Union-
Castle
1975 scrapped

Rhodesia
1951 17,041 1967 scrapped
Castle
Cargo ship

Built by Harland & Wolff Ltd,

Richmond
1938 7,798 Belfast
Castle
Torpedoed and sunk by U-
176 in mid-Atlantic

Richmond
1944 7,971 1971 scrapped
Castle
Riebeeck
1946 8,322 1971 scrapped
Castle
ex-War Soldier

1919 purchased from

Ripley Castle 1917 7,521 shipping controller, renamed
Ripley Castle
1931 scrapped

Rochester 1970 sold to Cyprus, renamed

1937 7,795
Castle Glenda and scrapped
Refrigerated cargo ship built by
Roslin Castle 1935 7,016 Harland and Wolff, completed 4
May 1935, scrapped 1967
ex-War Earl

1919 purchased from

shipping controller, renamed
Rosyth Castle 1918 4,328
Rosyth Castle
1920 transferred to Bullard
King & Co., renamed Umlazi
Rotherwick 1959 9,650 1975 sold to Liberia, renamed Sea
Castle Fortune
Refrigerated cargo ship built by
Harland and Wolff, completed 11
Rothesay
1935 7,016 May 1935, went ashore on Scottish
Castle
Island of Islay, total loss 5 January
1940
Rothesay 1975 sold to Uruguay, renamed
1960 9,650
Castle Laura
Rowallan 1942 bombed by German aircraft
1939 7,798
Castle and sunk in Mediterranean
Rowallan
1943 7,950 1971 scrapped
Castle
Cargo ship

Built by Harland & Wolff,

Roxburgh Belfast
1937 7,801
Castle Torpedoed and sunk by U-
107 in mid-Atlantic on 22
Feb 1943

Roxburgh
1944 8,003 1971 scrapped
Castle
Rustenberg
1946 8,322 1971 scrapped
Castle
Sandgate 1937 caught fire and sank NE of
1922 7,607
Castle Bermuda
Sandown
1921 7,607 1950 scrapped
Castle
Southampton
1965 10,538 1978 sold to Italy, renamed Paola C
Castle
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff, launched 15 August
Stirling Castle 1936 25,554 1935, completed 29 January 1936,
maiden voyage 7 February 1936,
scrapped 1966
ex-Hilco Speedster (Larsen. Oslo)

1981 leased from Lombard

Facilities Ltd, London
Stirling
Universal
1979 9,065 renamed Stirling Universal
1984 transferred to Hong
Kong renamed Speedster
Universal

Tantallon 1971 sold to Cyprus, renamed Aris

1953 7,448
Castle II
Tintagel 1971 sold to Cyprus, renamed
1954 7,447
Castle Armar
Transvaal 1961 32,697 Ocean liner
Castle
 Built by John Brown &
Company, Clydebank,
Scotland Sold to Safmarine
in 1966 and renamed SA
Vaal
Scrapped in 2003

Passenger ship built by Harland

Walmer and Wolff, launched 6 July 1901,
1902 12,546
Castle completed 20 February 1902,
scrapped 1932
1941 Southampton – Bremen –
Hamburg feeder service

Walmer 21 Sep 1941 bombed and

1936 906
Castle
sunk in the Atlantic while
convoy rescue ship

Passenger ship/troop transport built

by Harland & Wolff, launched 29
April 1930, completed 16 January
Warwick
1930 20,445 1931, maiden voyage 30 January
Castle
1931, torpedoed and sunk by U-413
in mid-Atlantic on 14 November
1942
Passenger ship built by Harland
and Wolff, launched 19 November
Winchester
1930 20,109 1929, completed 11 October 1930,
Castle
maiden voyage 24 October 1930,
scrapped 1960
ex-Clan Ramsey

1977 renamed Winchester

Castle
Winchester
Castle
1964 7,950 1979 renamed Winchester
Universal
1980 sold to Greece,
renamed Lady Madonna

Ocean liner

Built by John Brown &

Company, Clydebank,
Windsor
1915 18,967 Scotland
Castle
Torpedoed by enemy aircraft
and sunk on 23 Mar 1943 off
Algiers

Windsor 1960 37,640 1977 sold to Yiannis Latsis,

Castle Piraeus, renamed Margarita L
(Panama flag).

Scrapped at Alang, India,

from August 2005
 1924 sold to Italy, renamed San
York Castle 1901 5,517
Terenzo

References
1. Damant 1977
2. Murray 1953, p. 74.
3. "Sir Donald Currie" (http://ancestry24.com/currie-sir-donald/). Ancestry24.
4. Molteno 1900, p. 120.
5. Encyclopædia Britannica, ed.1911, vol. 24, pg. 889, Plate VIII.
6. Gardiner 1980
7. "The porthole murder" (https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/1973456.the-porthole-murder/). Daily
Echo.
8. "James Camb | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers" (http://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/
camb-james.htm). murderpedia.org.
9. "Launches and Trial Trips" (https://archive.org/stream/marineengineer32londuoft#page/284/mo
de/1up/search/Esturia). International Marine Engineering & Naval Architect. Marine
Engineering, Inc., New York—London. 32 (February): 284. 1910. Retrieved 2 February 2018.

Sources and further reading

Damant, Henry (1977). Every Thursday at Four O'Clock. Weaving International Friendship
Foundation.
Gardiner, Robert (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Conway
Maritime Press.
Harris, CJ; Ingpen, Brian D (1994). Mailships of the Union-Castle Line. Vlaeberg: Fernwood
Press. ISBN 1874950059.
Molteno, PA (1900). The life and times of Sir John Charles Molteno, KCMG, First Premier of
Cape Colony, Comprising a History of Representative Institutions and Responsible
Government at the Cape. II. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 120. ISBN 1-146-67157-1.
Murray, Marischal (1953). Union-Castle Chronicle 1853–1953 (https://archive.org/details/union
castlechron0000murr). London: Longmans, Green and Co.
Roussel, Mike; Warwick, Sam (2015). The Union-Castle Line: Sailing Like Clockwork. Stroud:
The History Press. ISBN 978-0750962919.

External links
Swiggum, Sue; Kohli, Marjorie. "Union-Castle Mail S.S. Company" (http://www.theshipslist.co
m/ships/lines/ucastle.shtml). The Ships List.
"The British & Commonwealth Shipping Company Limited, The Companies, The Ships & The
People" (http://www.bandcstaffregister.com).
Collection of Passenger Lists of the Union-Castle Line (https://www.gjenvick.com/Passengers/
Union-Castle/index.html) GG Archives
Union-Castle Line History and Ephemera (https://www.gjenvick.com/OceanTravel/SteamshipLi
nes/Union-CastleLine.html) GG Archives

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