The
Union-Castle Line was a prominent
shipping lineA shipping line is a business that operates ships that it may or may not own.An example of a shipping line would be Mitsui O.S.K. Line or the Orient Overseas Container Line -History of shipping lines:...
that operated a fleet of passenger liners and freighters between
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
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 LineThe Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
in 1956 to form British & Commonwealth Shipping, and then with South African Marine Corporation in 1973 to create International Liner Services, but maintained its separate identity throughout.
The
Union-Castle Line was a prominent
shipping lineA shipping line is a business that operates ships that it may or may not own.An example of a shipping line would be Mitsui O.S.K. Line or the Orient Overseas Container Line -History of shipping lines:...
that operated a fleet of passenger liners and freighters between
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
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 LineThe Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
in 1956 to form British & Commonwealth Shipping, and then with South African Marine Corporation in 1973 to create International Liner Services, but maintained its separate identity throughout. Its shipping operations ceased in 1977.
Predecessor lines
The Union Line traced its history to 1853, when it was founded as the Southampton Steam Shipping Company (then renamed the Union Steam Collier Company, then the Union Steamship Company) to transport coal from South Wales to Southampton. In 1857, renamed the Union Line, it won a contract to carry mail to South Africa.
Meanwhile,
Donald CurrieSir Donald Currie GCMG was a British shipowner.Currie was born in Greenock, Scotland. However, he spent his school days in Belfast at the Belfast Academy and later at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and at a very early age he was employed in the office of a shipowner in that port...
had built up the Castle Packet Co. which traded to Culcutta round the Cape of Good Hope. This trade substantially curtailed by the opening of the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa...
in 1869, and the Castle Line started to run to South Africa instead, later becoming the Castle Mail Packet Company. From 1876, the mail contract to South Africa was awarded jointly to the Castle Mail Packet Company and the Union Line. After a period of intense competition and later co-operation, including transporting troops and military equipment during the
Boer WarTwo Boer Wars were fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Orange Free State and the South African Republic , founded by settlers known as Voortrekkers who made the Great Trek from the Cape Colony....
, the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line merged 8 March 1900, creating the
Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, Ltd, with Castle Shipping Line taking over the fleet.
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 changed to this scheme (for example,
Galacian became
Glenart CastleHMHS Glenart Castle was a steam ship originally built as Galacian in 1900 for the Union-Castle Line. She was renamed Glenart Castle in 1914, but was requisitioned for use as a British hospital ship during the First World War...
) but others (such as
GalkeaSS Galeka was a steam ship originally built for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, but requisitioned for use as a British troop transport and then a hospital ship during the First World War...
) 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
SouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the ceremonial 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...
and
Cape TownCape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa, and the largest in land area, forming part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many...
. Every Thursday at 4pm a Union-Castle
Royal Mail ShipRoyal Mail Ship , usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail. They have the right to fly the pennant of the Royal Mail when sailing.The designation has been used since 1840...
would leave Southampton bound for Cape Town. At the same time, a Union-Castle Royal Mail Ship would leave Cape Town bound for Southampton.
The combined line was bought by Royal Mail Line in 1911, but continued to operate at Union-Castle. Many of the line's vessels were requisitioned for service as troop ships or
hospital shipA hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces or navies of various countries around the world, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones...
s in the First World War, and eight were sunk by mines or German
U-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s. The Royal Mail Line ran into financial difficulties in the 1930s, culminating in the prosecution of its director
Lord KylsantOwen Cosby Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant was a British businessman and politician.Kylsant the third son of Reverend Sir James Erasmus Philipps, 12th Baronet, of Picton Castle, and the Hon. Mary, daughter of the Hon. Reverend Samuel Best...
, and Union-Castle Line became an independent company again. Many vessels were again called up in the Second World War. Four -
Dunnottar Castle,
Carnarvon Castle,
Dunvegan Castle and
Pretoria Castle - became armed merchant cruisers.
British & Commonwealth, and International Liner Services
The company took over the King Line in 1949, and merged with Bullard King and
Clan LineThe Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
in 1956 to form British & Commonwealth Shipping. It merged with South African Marine Corporation in 1973 to create International Liner Services, but competition with air travel adversely affected its shipping activities, and cargo shipping rapidly became
containerisedContainerization is a system of intermodal freight transport using standard intermodal containers that are standardised by the International Organization for Standardization...
. 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 December 1999, the Union-Castle name was revived for a
millennium cruiseAt the end of 1999, most cruise ships embarked on millennium cruises scheduled around New Year's Eve celebrations of the end of the millennium and the beginning of 2000....
; 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 early 21st century, the former
Kenya Castle in 2001, the former
Transvaal Castle in 2003, the former
Dunnottar Castle in 2004, and finally
Windsor Castle in 2005.
Ships
At the time of the merger in 1900, the Union fleet included:
- Arab, Briton, Falcon, Gaika, Galkea
SS Galeka was a steam ship originally built for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, but requisitioned for use as a British troop transport and then a hospital ship during the First World War...
, Galician, Gascon, Gaul, German (2), Goorkka, Goth, Greek, Guelph, 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), Breamar 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), Kildonoan 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), Tintagel Castle (1) (1896-1912)
| Vessel |
Tons |
In Service |
| Alnwick Castle |
5,893 |
1901-1917 |
| Armadale Castle SS Armadale Castle was a passenger steamship built in 1903 at Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering,Govan, Scotland for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd, London, the first ship ordered for the newly formed company....
(2) |
12,973 |
1903-1936 |
| Aros Castle |
4,460 |
1901-1917 |
| Arundel Castle (4) |
19,023 |
1921-1958 |
| Athlone Castle |
25,564 |
1934-1965 |
| Balmoral Castle (2) |
13,361 |
1910-1939 |
| Balmoral Castle (3) |
7,952 |
1965-1982 |
| Bampton Castle |
6,698 |
1920-1932 |
| Banbury Castle |
6,430 |
1918-1931 |
| Berwick Castle |
5,883 |
1902-1919 |
Bloemfontein CastleThe 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...
|
18,400 |
1950-1959 |
| Braemar Castle (2) |
7,067 |
1943-1950 |
| Braemar Castle (3) |
17,029 |
1952-1966 |
| Bratton Castle |
6,696 |
1920-1931 |
| Capetown Castle RMMV Capetown Castle, a motor vessel, was launched on 23 September 1937 as a passenger liner for Union-Castle Line. In 1940, the progress of World War II caused her conversion to a troop ship, a role she filled until 1946, when she returned to civilian service.-References:See an account of life on...
|
27,000 |
1938-1967 |
| Carlisle Castle |
4,325 |
1913-1918 |
| Carlow Castle |
5,833 |
1917-1930 |
| Carnarvon Castle (2) |
20,122 |
1926-1963 |
| Cawdor Castle |
6,235 |
1902-1926 |
| Chepstow Castle |
7,494 |
1913-1933 |
| Cluny Castle (3) |
5,147 |
1903-1924 |
| Comrie Castle |
5,167 |
1903-1924 |
| Corfe Castle |
4,592 |
1901-1927 |
| Crawford Castle |
4,264 |
1910-1930 |
| Dover Castle (2) |
8,271 |
1904-1917 |
| Dover Castle (3) |
7,950 |
1964-1981 |
| Drakensburg Castle |
9,905 |
1945-1951 |
| Dromore Castle |
5,242 |
1919-1942 |
| Dunbar Castle (2) |
10,002 |
1930-1940 |
| Dundrum Castle |
5,259 |
1919-1943 |
| Dunluce Castle (2) |
8,114 |
1904-1939 |
Dunottar CastleThe RMS Dunottar Castle was built at Govan Shipyards in 1889 by the Fairfield Ship Building & Engineering Co. for the Castle Line, passing to the Union Castle Line in 1900. This steam ship became famous in the 1890s for reducing the voyage time from Southampton, England, to Cape Town, South Africa,...
(1) |
5,625 |
1890-1916 |
| Dunnottar Castle (2) |
15,002 |
1936-1958 |
| Dunvegan Castle (2) |
15,007 |
1936-1940 |
| Durban Castle |
17,382 |
1938-1962 |
| Durham Castle |
8,217 |
1904-1939 |
| Edinburgh Castle (2) |
13,326 |
1910-1940 |
| Edinburgh Castle (3) |
28,700 |
1947-1976 |
| Galway Castle |
7,988 |
1911-1918 |
| Garth Castle (2) |
7,612 |
1910-1939 |
| Glenart Castle HMHS Glenart Castle was a steam ship originally built as Galacian in 1900 for the Union-Castle Line. She was renamed Glenart Castle in 1914, but was requisitioned for use as a British hospital ship during the First World War...
(formerly Union Line Galician) |
|
|
| Glengorm Castle (formerly Union Line German) |
|
|
|
| 7,999 |
1911-1942 |
| Good Hope Castle (1) |
9,905 |
1945-1959 |
| Good Hope Castle (2) |
10,500 |
1965-1978 |
| Gordon Castle |
4,408 |
1901-1924 |
| Grantully Castle (2) |
7,612 |
1910-1939 |
| Guildford Castle |
7,995 |
1911-1933 |
| Kenilworth Castle (2) |
12,975 |
1904-1936 |
| Kenilworth Castle (3) |
9,916 |
1944-1968 |
| Kenya Castle |
17,040 |
1951-1967 |
| Kinnaird Castle |
7,718 |
1956-1969 |
| Kinpurnie Castle (1) |
8,121 |
1954-1967 |
| Kinpurnie Castle (2) |
7,950 |
1966-1982 |
| Leasowe Castle |
8,106 |
1917-1918 |
| Llandaff Castle |
10,786 |
1926-1942 |
| Llandovery Castle The Llandovery Castle, built in 1914 in Glasgow as RMS Llandovery Castle for Union Castle Line, was a Canadian hospital ship torpedoed off southern Ireland on 27 June 1918 with the loss of 234 lives....
(1) |
10,639 |
1914-1918 |
| Llandovery Castle (2) |
10,640 |
1925-1953 |
| Llangibby Castle |
11,951 |
1929-1954 |
| Llanstephan Castle |
11,348 |
1914-1952 |
| Newark Castle |
6,224 |
1902-1908 |
| Pendennis Castle |
28,582 |
1958-1976 |
| Polglass Castle |
4,631 |
1903-1921 |
| Pretoria Castle HMS Pretoria Castle was an armed merchant cruiser and escort aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that saw service during World War II...
(1) / Warwick Castle (4) |
17,383 |
1939-1962 |
| Pretoria Castle (2) / S.A. Oranje |
28,705 |
1948-1975 |
| Reina Del Mar |
20,263 |
1956-1975 |
| Rhodesia Castle |
17,041 |
1951-1967 |
| Richmond Castle (1) |
7,798 |
1938-1942 |
| Richmond Castle (2) |
7,971 |
1944-1971 |
| Riebeeck Castle |
8,322 |
1946-1971 |
| Ripley Castle |
7,521 |
1917-1931 |
| Rochester Castle |
7,795 |
1937-1970 |
| Roslin Castle (3) |
7,016 |
1935-1967 |
| Rosyth Castle |
4,328 |
1918-1920 |
| Rotherwick Castle (2) |
9,650 |
1959-1975 |
| Rothesay Castle (1) |
7.016 |
1935-1940 |
| Rothesay Castle (2) |
9,650 |
1960-1975 |
| Rowallan Castle (1) |
7,798 |
1939-1942 |
| Rowallan Castle (2) |
7,950 |
1943-1971 |
| Roxburgh Castle (1) |
7,801 |
1937-1943 |
| Roxburgh Castle (2) |
8,003 |
1944-1971 |
| Rustenberg Castle |
8,322 |
1946-1971 |
| Sandgate Castle |
7,607 |
1922-1937 |
| Sandown Castle |
7,607 |
1921-1950 |
| Southampton Castle |
10,538 |
1965-1978 |
Stirling CastleRMMV Stirling Castle was an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line in service from the 1930s to the 1960s, primarily on the Southampton to Cape Town route....
(2) |
25,550 |
1936-1966 |
| Tantallon Castle (3) |
7,448 |
1953-1971 |
| Tintagel Castle (2) |
7,447 |
1954-1971 |
| Transvaal Castle / S.A. Vaal |
32,697 |
1961-1966 |
| Victoria |
26,677 |
1999-2000 |
| Walmer Castle (2) |
12,546 |
1902-1932 |
| Walmer Castle (3) |
906 |
1936-1941 |
| Warwick Castle (3) |
20,445 |
1930-1942 |
| Winchester Castle (1) |
20,109 |
1930-1960 |
| Winchester Castle (2) |
7,950 |
1964-1980 |
| Windsor Castle (2) |
18,967 |
1915-1943 |
| Windsor Castle (3) |
37,640 |
1960-1977 |
| York Castle |
5,517 |
1901-1924 |
External links