MV Bloemfontein Castle
Encyclopedia
The MV Bloemfontein Castle was a passenger liner. She was launched at Harland & Wolff's yard at Belfast
on 24 August, 1949 by Mrs Leif Egeland, wife of the High Commissioner
for the Union of South Africa
in London. She was completed on 25 March 1950. Built for Union-Castle Line
's Intermediate service to South and East Africa
, she was their first one-class ship. She took her name after the town of Bloemfontein
, capital of the Orange Free State
.
The Bloemfontein Castle was given the familiar Union-Castle profile of well-raked rounded stem, cruiser stern, a low streamlined funnel and a single mast abaft the bridge, giving a well-balanced appearance. There were two hatches forward and three aft, served by six 10-ton and four 5-ton capacity derricks. Cargo 'tweendeck spaces were insulated for the carriage of fruit, with certain compartments for chilled and frozen produce.
The Bloemfontein Castle was the first intermediate liner to be built since the war had ended, and the institution of a single class-tourist was an innovation for Union-Castle. She was built to cater for an expected emigrant boom and to alleviate the still considerable pressure at the time for accommodation at lower range fares. The main public rooms were on the promenade deck, a large lounge forward being extended the whole width of the ship so there were no passageways either side. Aft of this was a combined library and writing room, connected by a long gallery to a commodious smoking room. On the upper deck a dining room for 386 also extended the width of the ship. Accommodation for 739 passengers was spread through seven decks.
Some 250 of Union-Castle's staff were invited for the shakedown cruise made from London in March, 1950. She left London on her maiden voyage on 6 April 1950 - sailing the London
- Rotterdam
- Las Palmas
- Ascension
- St. Helena - Walvis Bay
- Cape Town
- Port Elizabeth - East London - Durban
- Lourenço Marques
- Beira
route that she alone served. She sometimes called at Southampton
homewards during the busy fruit season.
On 8 January 1953, Bloemfontein Castle rescued 234 passengers and crew from the Holland Afrika liner Klipfontein
which was sinking after hitting a sunken German U-boat
off Mozambique
. Captain J. A. Fergurson and his senior officers later received commemorative gifts from the Holland Afrika Line.
When the expected flow of European emigrants to South Africa did not materialize, Bloemfontein Castle was sold to the Greek Chandris Lines in 1959, after a short life of only nine years with Union-Castle.
Renamed Patris and refitted in just three weeks for Chandris' service between Europe and Australia, the ship was the first large liner in the Chandris fleet. In 1979 Chandris sold Patris to Karageorgis Lines, who first renamed her Mediterranean Island then Mediterranean Star in 1981. She was refitted and used as a ferry until sold to Pakistan breakers in 1987.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
on 24 August, 1949 by Mrs Leif Egeland, wife of the High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
for the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
in London. She was completed on 25 March 1950. Built for Union-Castle Line
Union-Castle Line
The Union-Castle Line was a prominent British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line...
's Intermediate service to South and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, she was their first one-class ship. She took her name after the town of Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, capital of the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
.
The Bloemfontein Castle was given the familiar Union-Castle profile of well-raked rounded stem, cruiser stern, a low streamlined funnel and a single mast abaft the bridge, giving a well-balanced appearance. There were two hatches forward and three aft, served by six 10-ton and four 5-ton capacity derricks. Cargo 'tweendeck spaces were insulated for the carriage of fruit, with certain compartments for chilled and frozen produce.
The Bloemfontein Castle was the first intermediate liner to be built since the war had ended, and the institution of a single class-tourist was an innovation for Union-Castle. She was built to cater for an expected emigrant boom and to alleviate the still considerable pressure at the time for accommodation at lower range fares. The main public rooms were on the promenade deck, a large lounge forward being extended the whole width of the ship so there were no passageways either side. Aft of this was a combined library and writing room, connected by a long gallery to a commodious smoking room. On the upper deck a dining room for 386 also extended the width of the ship. Accommodation for 739 passengers was spread through seven decks.
Some 250 of Union-Castle's staff were invited for the shakedown cruise made from London in March, 1950. She left London on her maiden voyage on 6 April 1950 - sailing the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
- Las Palmas
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
- Ascension
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
- St. Helena - Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay , is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies...
- Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
- Port Elizabeth - East London - Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
- Lourenço Marques
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
- Beira
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
route that she alone served. She sometimes called at Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
homewards during the busy fruit season.
On 8 January 1953, Bloemfontein Castle rescued 234 passengers and crew from the Holland Afrika liner Klipfontein
Klipfontein
The Klipfontein was a Dutch ocean liner built in the mid 20th century.-Sinking of the Klipfontein:On 8 January 1953 the ocean liner Klipfontein struck a foreign object off the coast of Mozambique in uncharted waters. She sunk in three hours time. All were saved by the ocean liner Bloemfontein...
which was sinking after hitting a sunken German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
off Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. Captain J. A. Fergurson and his senior officers later received commemorative gifts from the Holland Afrika Line.
When the expected flow of European emigrants to South Africa did not materialize, Bloemfontein Castle was sold to the Greek Chandris Lines in 1959, after a short life of only nine years with Union-Castle.
Renamed Patris and refitted in just three weeks for Chandris' service between Europe and Australia, the ship was the first large liner in the Chandris fleet. In 1979 Chandris sold Patris to Karageorgis Lines, who first renamed her Mediterranean Island then Mediterranean Star in 1981. She was refitted and used as a ferry until sold to Pakistan breakers in 1987.