The Union-Castle Southampton to the Cape Service

Every Thursday at 4pm a blast from the siren of a Union-Castle Mail Ship would herald the departure of one of the lavender hulled ships from Southampton on their passage to South Africa. About sun­rise on a Friday morning another Union-Castle liner would arrive in Southampton. This was the routine of the Cape Mail Service throughout the 1950s and up to 1965, and this is an account of these ships.

The history of this prestigious mail run goes back to the 1850s and the start of the rivalry between two companies, The Union Steam Ship Company and the Castle Line.

In 1853 the Southampton Steam Shipping Company was formed with a fleet of five small ships, to be engaged in the carrying of coal from South Wales to service the liners owned by P&O, Royal Mail and the General Screw S.S. Co. sailing out of Southampton. The ships were named, Union, Briton, Saxon, Norman and Dane.  Soon after, the company was renamed the Union Steam Collier Company.

The war in Crimea caused this trade to be reduced and the ships were requisitioned for the transport of troops, horses and equip­ment to the Crimea. By 1857 the company had been renamed the Union Steam Ship Company for the service between Southampton and Rio de Janeiro. However tenders were invited by the Admiralty for a mail service to South Africa. The tender sub­mitted, by now, the Union Line, was accepted, and on the 15th September 1857 the steamer Dane (530 grt) sailed with mail for South Africa. Because the sailing was not widely advertised the ship sailed with only 6 passengers and £102.0s 0d. value of goods. However, once news of the service became known the venture prospered, and the contract time of not to exceed a passage time of 42 days was completed in 35 days within two years of operating the service. A bonus of £250 was paid for every day under 35 days.

In 1850 the Union Line was so success­ful that it took delivery of the Cambrian, the first ship to exceed 1,000 grt. By 1870 The Union Line was operating with ten small steamers.

Meanwhile, the Castle Packet Company started by Donald Currie in 1862 commenced voyages from Liverpool to Calcutta, later in 1865 moving to London. Currie began to diversify and introduced steamers from the UK to South Africa, the first, Iceland (1,474 grt) commenced her maiden voyage on the 25th January 1872. Soon the Castle Line ships were sailing faster to the Cape and the Windsor Castle was the first ship to complete the southbound voyage in 23 days.

In 1876 the mail contract came up for renewal, and it was given to both companies to share, with the proviso that they were required to provide alternate weekly sailings, with a voyage time of 26 days. It was also a condition of the contract that the two com­panies could not merge. This was to sustain the rivalry between them.

Demand for passages to South Africa increased dramatically with the discovery of precious minerals, gold and diamonds, in South Africa before in the second half of the 19th century.

This increased the intense rivalry between the Union Line and the Castle Line. In 1890 the Dunottar Castle of 5,465 grt entered service. With a capacity for 360 pas­sengers she was the largest ship on the run and on her maiden voyage reduced the voyage to 17 days 19 hours 50 minutes with a return run of 16 days 14 hours. The name of the ship had been mis-spelled with only one ‘n’, whereas Dunnottar Castle (2) of 1936 was spelled correctly.

In 1899 the vessel was requisitioned as a troop ship for the Boer War, until laid up in 1904 in Southampton Water.

Dunottar Castle was sold to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1913 and renamed Caribbean. On the 19th November 1914 the vessel was hired as an Armed Merchant Cruiser and armed with eight 4.7-inch guns. She was found to be unsuitable for this role and in January 1915 she became an accommodation ship for dockyard workers.

However, en-route to Scapa Flow, at noon on the 26th September 1915 she began to take in water in heavy weather, eventually sinking in the early hours of 27th September 1915, 35 miles south off Cape Wrath.

Most of the crew were saved but 23, who were still onboard, mainly from the engine room, were lost.

The Union Line responded with the ss Scot, which was the first twin-screw liner of the Cape Service. Wm. Denny & Bros, Dumbarton completed her in 1891, with a gross tonnage of 6,844 and powered by two 3 cylinder steam engines developing 11,000hp. She was considered one of the best looking ships of her time and had a service speed of 18.5 knots achieving 19.62 knots on trials. On her maiden voyage in 1893 from Southampton to the Cape via Madeira the journey was completed in 15 days 9 hours 52 minutes. This record stood until 1936 when broken by Stirling Castle.

Also used as a troop ship during the Boer War she was laid up at Netley from September 1903 to September 1905, when she was sold to the Hamburg Amerika Line and renamed Oceana.

In November 1910 Oceana was sold to Bermuda North Atlantic SS Co. of Toronto, and cruised between New York and Bermuda. She was arrested in 1912 for outstanding debts and became the property of Morse Dry Dock Company, being laid up in the River Hudson before returning to service for a short period. At the end of 1914 Cia Trasatlantica of Cadiz purchased her and she was renamed Alphonso XIII. She was renamed Vasco Nunez de Balboa in 1923 before being laid up in 1925 until sold to Italian breakers in February 1927.

When the Mail Contract came up for renewal again in 1900, the Government indi­cated it would be awarded to one company only, and that there was a ‘no amalgamation’ clause in the contract. The two companies declined to compete against each other and no proposals were submitted. Amalgamation was now inevitable and on 8th March 1900 the Union-Castle Mail SS Co. Ltd., was registered as a company,

In 1909 Sir Donald Currie died and in 1911 the control of the company passed to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. and Elder Dempster Co. with Sir Owen Philipps, later Lord Kylsant, becoming chairman. The Union-Castle Line continued to operate under it own name and management.

The company lost 8 vessels during the First World War, which, included Alnwick Castle (5,893/1901), Aros Castle (4,460/1901), Carlisle Castle (4,325/1913), Dover Castle (8,271/1904), Galway Castle (7,988/1911), Glenart Castle (6,807/1900), Leasowe Castle (8,106/1917) and Llandovery Castle (11,423/1914).

Armadale Castle (12,973/1903) and Edinburgh Castle (1) (13,326/1910) were both requisitioned as Armed Merchant Cruisers and survived the war returning to the South African Mail Service in 1919.

Llandovery Castle (10,639/1914) was requisitioned as a Hospital Ship in 1916 and assigned to Canadian forces. The German U-boat U-86 on the 27th June 1918 torpedoed her 116 miles west from Fastnet. In an attempt to cover up the fact the he had torpe­doed a hospital ship the U-boat commander, Helmut Brummer-Patzig ran down all but one of the lifeboats and machine gunned many of the survivors. U-86 survived the war, surren­dering on the 20th November 1918, and sank en-route to the breakers in 1921.

Following the end of the Great War the company looked to return to normal services. Arundel Castle was completed on the 8th April 1921 making her maiden voyage on the 22nd April 1921. Built by Harland and Wolff at Belfast, and laid down as Amroth Castle. In 1915, her completion was delayed until the end of the war. She was 19,023 grt, originally provided with four funnels (the 4th being a dummy) and steam turbines powering two shafts gave her a speed of 17 knots. Passenger numbers included 219 first class, 167 second class and 194 tourist class. The vessel was refitted in 1937 with her funnels reduced to two, new boilers and a flared bow which increased her length from 661 feet to 686 feet.

At the outbreak of World War II, Arundel Castle was requisitioned as a troop transport and following the end of hostilities was used as an immigrant carrier. Following refurbishment she returned to regular service between Southampton and South Africa in 1949. On 6th February 1959 she arrived at Hong Kong to be broken up by HK Chiap Hua Manufactory.

A sister ship to Arundel Castle, Windsor Castle (1), was similarly delayed due to the First World War. Originally ordered from Harland & Wolff, her building was subse­quently sub-contracted to John Brown & Co. at Clydebank and she made her maiden voyage in April 1922. Windsor Castle and Arundel Castle were the only four funnelled liners not on the North Atlantic service.

As built Windsor Castle had a gross ton­nage of 18,967 tons and steam turbines driving two screws gave her a service speed of 17 knots. As with Arundel Castle, the ship was refitted in 1937 emerging with two funnels, and new boilers, which increased her speed to 20 knots. Her original passenger capacity of 870 was reduced to 604 following her refit.

The ship was requisitioned as a troop transport during the Second World War and on the 23rd March 1943 she was sunk by a torpedo dropped by a German aircraft off Algiers. One crewman, a junior engineer, was killed, with 2,699 troops and 289 crew being rescued by escorting destroyers.

By the mid 1920s Union-Castle intro­duced the first mail ship in excess of 20,000 tons, the Carnarvon Castle, and she was also the first of the mail ships to be powered by diesel engines.

Built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast the ship was launched on the 14th January 1926 and completed on 26th June 1926. She had a gross tonnage of 20,063, a length of 656 feet and a beam of 73 feet 6 inches. She was powered by 2-stroke double acting B&W die­sel engines (2×8 cylinders) giving her a speed of 16 knots. Carnarvon Castle carried 310 first class, 275 second class and 266 third class passengers. She was originally built with two squat funnels, the forward one being a dummy.

During 1937-38 Carnarvon Castle went back to Harland & Wolff for a major refit, when she was re-engined with 2×10 cylinder 2 stroke double acting diesels and her for­ward dummy funnel was removed and replaced with a streamlined unit. The vessel received a modified and streamlined bow, which increased her length to 686 feet. Her engines now produced 26,000 bhp giving a maximum speed of 20 knots. Passenger capacity was now 266 first class, 245 second class and 188 third class.

Carnarvon Castle returned to the Cape route on 8th July 1938, setting a new record of 12 days 13 hours and 38 minutes, which stood until 1954.

On the 8th September 1939 she was requisitioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser and refitted at Simonstown in South Africa. She was armed with eight 6-inch guns and two 3-inch anti aircraft guns. On the 5th December 1940 the vessel was in action with the German auxiliary cruiser Thor (ex Santa Cruz) (3,862grt/built 1938) off the coast of South America. The German vessel inflicted considerable damage to Carnarvon Castle before making her escape. The Union-Castle liner sustained 27 hits with 4 dead and 27 wounded, and had to put into Montevideo for repairs.

She continued in the role as an Armed Merchant Cruiser earning the Battle Honour Atlantic (1939-42) until December 1943 when she was converted to a troop transport at New York. Earlier plans to convert her to an escort aircraft carrier did not materialise.

In 1947 Carnarvon Castle was returned to service as an immigrant ship before being refitted early in 1949 to bring her to pre war standards, returning to service on the 15th June 1950. The final passenger configuration being 216 first class and 401 tourist class passengers.

In 1962 the vessel was sold to Japanese ship breakers, arriving at Mihara, Japan on the 8th September 1962 for breaking up by Seibu Kogyo K.K.

In 1930 the two funnelled motor ships, Winchester Castle (20,108 grt) and Warwick Castle (20,445 grt) were completed by Harland & Wolff at Belfast. The forward funnel was a dummy and they carried 189 first class and 398 tourist class passengers. The ships were fitted with B&W 8 cylinder direct acting diesel engines for a speed of about 17 knots.

Both were refitted in 1938 with 2×10 cylinder 2SCDA diesel engines together with a new, modern, single streamlined funnel.

Both ships served as troopships during World War II and Warwick Castle whilst in this role was torpedoed by U-413 off the coast of Portugal on the 12th March 1942. The vessel was en-route from Gibraltar to the Clyde and fortunately had landed her troops in the allied North Africa campaign but still had 428 persons onboard, including 133 ser­vice personnel. The ship was part of Convoy MFK-IX when attacked and her master, Captain Henry Richard Leepman Shaw together with 59 crew and 54 service person­nel were killed, there were 314 survivors.

Winchester Castle survived the war and in 1947 was used as an austerity emigrant ship to South Africa, when, after refurbish­ment, she returned to the Cape Mail Service on the 22nd September 1948. The ship arrived at Mihara, Japan on the 5th November 1960 to be broken up by Nichimen K.K.

In the late 1920s early 1930s the com­pany, under the umbrella of the Royal Mail Group, ran into financial difficulties and the

chairman Lord Kylsant, was sent to prison in November 1931 for the offence of issuing a document with intent to deceive. The Union-Castle Line became an independent company with Vernon Thomson as managing director. Sir Vernon Thomson died in February 1953 and in October 1955 it was announced that the company was to merge with its rivals on the freight side, the Cayzer family’s Clan Line and in February 1956 Cayzer succeeded in gaining control of Union-Castle.

Stirling Castle was completed by Harland & Wolff at Belfast in January 1936. Stirling Castle had a gross tonnage of 25,550 and was propelled by 2 B&W 10 cylinder two stoke double acting diesel engines with two screws. She had a service speed of 20 knots, and as built carried 297 first class and 492 cabin class passengers.

During the World War II, Stirling Castle was used as a troopship, surviving unscathed. After the war she was used as an immigrant ship to Australia, and following refurbish­ment resumed her passenger service in 1947.

Stirling Castle was withdrawn from ser­vice in November 1965 and was broken up at Mihara on the 3rd March 1966.

Athlone Castle was completed by Harland & Wolff at Belfast in May 1936. She was 25,564 grt with 2×10 cylinder double acting two stroke diesels giving a speed of 20 knots. The ship carried 246 first class and 538 cabin class passengers.

She served as a troopship during World War II and was used to repatriate troops to Australia and from Singapore.

She underwent refurbishment from September 1946 to May 1947 by her builders and then returned to the UK-South Africa run.

On the 23rd July 1965 Athlone Castle left Cape Town for the last time and was decommissioned upon her arrival at Southampton. She sailed from Southampton to Taiwan on the 16th August 1965 and arrived at Kaohsiung on 13th September 1965 to be scrapped.

Capetown Castle was built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast and completed in March 1938 making her maiden voyage the follow­ing month. She had a gross tonnage of 27,002 tons and was powered by the usual B&W 2×10 cylinder diesels giving a speed of 20 knots. As built she carried 292 first class and 490 cabin class passengers.

Used as a troopship during World War II, following refurbishment, she returned to commercial service on the 9th January 1947. Capetown Castle remained in service until September 1967. However when the acceler­ated mail service was inaugurated in 1965, with the introduction of Southampton Castle and Good Hope Castle, Capetown Castle was retained to run a budget ‘extra service’ and continued to sail from Southampton and occasionally via Flushing in The Netherlands to the Cape.

After 180 voyages to South Africa she was withdrawn and broken up at La Spezia arriving on the 26th September 1967.

In July 1948 the first of the post-war built liners entered service, Pretoria Castle (2) was also the first steam driven ‘Cape’ liner since the mid 1920s. She was built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a gross tonnage of 28,705, twin screws driven by steam powered geared turbines providing 35,000 shp which gave her a speed of 22.5 knots. Passenger numbers were 155 first class, and 491 tourist class.

Pretoria Castle was selected to represent the Union-Castle Line on the 15th June 1953 at the Coronation Review of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1962 the ship was fitted with full air conditioning and in 1965 more cabins were added and externally her forward mast was shortened the aft masts removed and a new mast fitted above the wheelhouse

On the 1st January 1966 she was sold to South African Marine Corporation (UK) Ltd., and entered service on the 2nd February 1966 as S.A. Oranje and was painted in Safmarine colours. The ship was registered in Cape Town on the 17th March 1969 but retained Union-Castle crews and management.

SA Oranje was withdrawn from service in September 1975 and then made a cargo only voyage to Durban before continuing on to Kaohsiung in Taiwan to be broken up by Chin Tai Steel Enterprises, arriving on the 2nd November 1975.

Edinburgh Castle (2) a sister to Pretoria Castle was the next vessel to enter service, making her maiden voyage in November 1948. Built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast she had a gross tonnage of 28,705 and powered by geared steam turbines providing 35,000 shp to give her a speed of 22.5 knots.

Refitted in the mid 1960s along similar lines to Pretoria Castle, air conditioning was added and her silhouette was altered by the reconfiguration of her masts. As built passenger capacity was 214 first class and 541 tourist class and in the mid 1960s following the two refits she carried 151 first class and 491 tourist class passengers.

Taken out of service in 1976 due to the high cost of fuel, she commenced her last sailing on the 5th March to South Africa. From then on it was a cargo only voyage to the Far East and breakers in Taiwan, where breaking up commenced in June of that year.

Pendennis Castle, built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast was ordered early in 1955, her keel being laid on the 8th November. In January 1956 Union-Castle merged with Clan Line, to form the British and Commonwealth Shipping Company. Clan Line took the lead in management and immediately set about incorporating improvements into Pendennis Castle, including the addition of stabilizers necessitating the lengthening of the hull by 18 feet.

A shipyard strike delayed the launch of the ship, and she was simply christened by the Dowager Lady Rotherwick on the 10th December 1957 and sent down the ways with­out ceremony on the 24th December 1957 being delivered on the 14th November 1958.

Pendennis Castle had a gross tonnage of 28,582 as built and geared steam turbines driving twin screws gave her a speed of 22.5 knots. She carried 197 first class and 473 tourist class passengers.

Rising oil prices in 1973 caused a reduc­tion in speed to save fuel, adding one day to the voyage.

Pendennis Castle was withdrawn from service in 1976 leaving Southampton for the final time on the 23rd April, returning to be de-stored on the 14th June. From 9th August 1976 she was laid up in Hong Kong.

She was sold to the Filipino owned Ocean Queen Navigation Company and reg­istered in Panama and re-named Ocean Queen. Painted with a white hull and golden brown funnel it was intended that the vessel would operate as a cruise ship out of Hong Kong. However Ocean Queen did not return to commercial service, and in 1977 she was sold to Kinvara Bay Shipping of Panama and re-named Sinbad, later being changed to Sinbad I. She was now painted all white with a bright red funnel. She remainied laid up at Hong Kong and in April 1980 she sailed for the final time to be scrapped in Taiwan.

Laid down on the 9th December 1957, Windsor Castle (2) was the largest passen­ger/cargo liner operated by The Union-Castle Line on its Cape Mail Service. She replaced Winchester Castle, and now under British and Commonwealth Company ownership, together with problems around the comple­tion of Pendennis Castle, the contract went to Cammell, Laird & Company (Shipbuilders & Engineers) of Birkenhead.

As built Windsor Castle had a gross ton­nage of 37,640, and geared steam turbines providing 49,000 shp gave her a service speed of 22.5 knots. She was able to carry 230 first class and 591 tourist class passen­gers. After her 1972 refit her gross tonnage was re-calculated at 36,123.

Windsor Castle sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton on the 18th August 1960, making her final voyage from Cape Town at 4pm on 6th September 1977.

She was immediately sold to Yiannis Latsis, the Greek finance and shipping mag­nate, and was re-named Margarita L. Other offers had been received from Sitmar Cruises and Carnival. The ship was converted into an office, leisure centre and accommodation facility for Petrola International S.A. in Jeddah. The ship remained at her especially constructed berth at Jeddah and, apart from a refit in 1983, remained there until laid up at Piraeus, subsequently providing accommoda­tion for Mr Latsis and his family at Eleusis, Greece.

After the death of Mr Latsis in 2003 the ship was offered for sale, and in December 2004 she sailed for the breakers on the 14th April 2005 under the shortened name of Rita. Demolition began at Alang on 18th August 2005 exactly 45 years to the day since her maiden voyage from Southampton.

Transvaal Castle was the final ‘Cape’ passenger/cargo liner built to carry substan­tial numbers of passengers to South Africa. She was built by John Brown & Co, Clydebank, Scotland and made her maiden voyage on the 19th January 1962.

As built, the vessel was 32,697 grt, and powered by geared steam turbines driving twin screws developing 44,000 shp she attained a speed of 22.5 knots. Transvaal Castle was unique in the large Union-Castle Liners on the express mail run in that she was a one class ship, carrying 728 passengers.

As the newest ship in the fleet, along with the oldest, Pretoria Castle, in 1966 the vessel was transferred to the associate com­pany South African Marine and re-named S.A. Vaal. The ship was re-painted in Safmarine colours, but remained under the management of Union-Castle and crewed by their personnel. In February 1969 she was registered in Cape Town.

Carnival Cruise Lines Ltd., bought S.A. Vaal in April 1977 and re-named her Festivale and registered her in Panama. Refitted in Japan her holds were converted to passenger accommodation, thus doubling her passenger carrying capacity.

In 1996 Festivale was charted to Delphin Cruise Lines and re-named Island Breeze. She was sold again in 1998 to Premier Cruise Line and was chartered to Thomson until 2000 when she was re-named The Big Boat III with a red hull and white superstructure.

Premier Cruise Line went bankrupt in 2000 and The Big Red Boat III was sold to breakers in India in the summer of 2003, arriving at Alang on 9th July 2003.

With the increase in speed of the journey the voyage was cut from 13.5 to 11.5 days and the famous departure from Southampton at 4pm on Thursday of every week was altered to 1pm every Friday. Stirling Castle made the final 4 o’clock sailing on the 8th July 1965 and the following week Windsor Castle left Southampton at 1pm on Friday 16th July.

The final voyage of the South African Cape passenger/cargo liners ended with the arrival of the S.A. Vaal on 10th October 1977. This effectively ended the company’s shipping services. The name Union-Castle Mail S.S. Co. Ltd. under the umbrella of British & Commonwealth Shipping Company Ltd. soldiered on until the mid 1980s and then ceased to exist.

So came the end of the once prestigious Union-Castle Steam Ship Company that had been a household name for reliability and the only way to travel to and from South Africa.