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Union-Castle Line

Union-Castle Page 5: 1940-1978

 

This page is still under construction!

 

This page is one of a series devoted to postcards and photographs of the Union-Castle Line. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. Below the table is a Fleet List in chronological order. There is a table of individual ship histories on the Union-Castle Header Page.

 

 

Ships on This Page:-

Bloemfontein Castle - (1950-1959 - 18,400gt)

Braemar Castle (3) - (1952-1966 - 17.029gt)

Edinburgh Castle (3) - (1947-1976 - 28,700gt)

Good Hope Castle (2) - (1965-1978 - 10,500gt)

Kenya Castle - (1951-1967 - 17,040gt)

Pendennis Castle - (1958-1976 - 28,582gt)

Pretoria Castle (2) - (1948-1966 - 28,705gt)

Reina Del Mar - (1964-1975 - 20,263gt)

Rhodesia Castle - (1951-67 - 17,041gt)

Southampton Castle (2) - (1965-1978 - 10,538gt)

Transvaal Castle - (1961-1966 - 32,697gt)

Windsor Castle (3) - (1960-1977 - 37,640gt)

 

Union-Castle Pages:-

Union-Castle Header Page

Union-Castle - Page 1 - Union SS Company up to 1900

Union-Castle - Page 2 - Castle Line up to 1900

Union-Castle - Page 3 - Union-Castle 1900-1914

Union-Castle - Page 4 - Union-Castle 1915-1939

Union-Castle - Page 5 - Union-Castle 1940-1978 - this page!

 

Associated Pages:-

Ferry Postcards

Cruise Ship Postcards

Ocean Liner Postcards

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

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References:-

UNION-CASTLE LINE - A Fleet History by Peter Newall: Published by Carmania Press in 1999

This is the definitive history of the Union-Castle Line - Available from Mainmast Books

 

 

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Union-Castle Line

 

Union-Castle Fleet List Page 5: 1940-1978

 

 

 

Edinburgh Castle (3)

(1947-1976 - 28,700gt)

 

 

Union-Castle Line official card.

 

 

Postcard of Edinburgh Castle.

 

 

Terence McNally postcard.

 

 

Terence McNally postcard.

 

 

Edinburgh Castle on 15th April 1976, after her last passenger sailing from South Africa.

Photos: ©1976-2004 Copyright Ian Boyle.

 

 

 

 

 

Pretoria Castle (2)

(1948-1966 - 28,705gt)

 

Union-Castle Line official card of Pretoria Castle (2).

 

 

Union-Castle Line official card of Pretoria Castle (2).

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon postcard of Pretoria Castle (2).

 

 

Terence McNally postcard.

 

 

Postcard of Pretoria Castle (2).

 

 

 

 

 

Bloemfontein Castle

(1950-1959 - 18,400gt)

 

Bloemfontein Castle was built in 1950 at Harland and Wolff. She was unusual for the time in being a one-class ship. This one-class experiment was not a success, hence the short life of only 9 years with Union-Castle, being sold to Chandris Lines in 1959. She was refitted in only three weeks for Chandris service, between Europe and Australia, and was renamed Patris. She was the first large liner in the Chandris fleet. In 1976, Chandris sold Patris to Karageorgis Lines, who renamed her Mediterranean Island, then Mediterranean Star. She was used as ferry until sold to Pakistan breakers in 1989.

 

Complete history of this ship

 

 

An official Union-Castle card of Bloemfontein Castle.

 

 

An official Union-Castle card of Bloemfontein Castle.

 

 

Photographic postcard of Bloemfontein Castle.

 

 

A modern card of Bloemfontein Castle, published by the Revd.Father M.N.W.Edwards.

The Photo was taken by M.N.W.Edwards in East London on March 20th, 1958.

The limited edition print run of this card, serial number BrS5, is now sold out.

 

 

 

 

 

Rhodesia Castle

(1951-1967 - 17,041gt)

 

Rhodesia Castle was completed in 1951 for the Union-Castle Line round Africa service. The first of three sisters built 1951-52, the others being Kenya Castle and Braemar Castle.

 

 

Union-Castle Line official sepia postcard.

 

 

Union-Castle Line official sepia postcard, with modified funnel.

The same image was used for cards of Rhodesia Castle, Kenya Castle and Braemar Castle.

 

 

 

 

 

Kenya Castle

(Union-Castle: 1951-67)

 

Kenya Castle was completed in 1951 for the Union-Castle Line round Africa service by Harland & Wolff, Belfast. The second of three sisters built 1951-52, the others being Rhodesia Castle and Braemar Castle. In 1967 Kenya Castle was sold to Chandris and renamed Amerikanis.

 

 

Union-Castle Line official card with original funnel.

 

 

Union-Castle Line official card with modified funnel.

The same image was used for cards of Rhodesia Castle, Kenya Castle and Braemar Castle.

 

 

Revd.Father M.N.W.Edwards modern card serial BrS27.

Photographed at Zanzibar, June 1955, by J.B.Boulton.

 

 

 

 

 

Braemar Castle (3)

(1952-1966 - 17,029gt)

 

Braemar Castle was completed in 1952 for the Union-Castle Line round Africa service. The third of three sisters built 1951-52, the others being Rhodesia Castle and Kenya Castle .

 

 

Union-Castle official sepia postcard of Braemar Castle (3).

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon postcard SS.17 of Braemar Castle (3).

Photo: Beken &Son, Cowes.

 

 

Photographic postcard of Braemar Castle (3).

 

 

Union-Castle official sepia postcard of Braemar Castle (3), with modified funnel.

The same image was used for cards of Rhodesia Castle, Kenya Castle and Braemar Castle.

 

 

 

 

Pendennis Castle

(1958-1976 - 28,582gt)

 

Union-Castle official sepia postcard of Pendennis Castle.

 

 

Union-Castle official colour postcard of Pendennis Castle.

Printed by J.Arthur Dixon (no serial number).

 

 

G.W.Hoffman photographic postcard of Pendennis Castle.

 

 

Photographic postcard of Pendennis Castle.

 

 

Photographic postcard of Pendennis Castle dressed overall.

 

 

 

 

 

Windsor Castle (3)

(1960-1977 - 37,640gt)

 

Union-Castle Line official sepia postcard.

 

 

Postcard of Windsor Castle prior to her maiden voyage.

 

 

Terence McNally postcard of Windsor Castle.

 

 

Aerial postcard of Windsor Castle at Capetown.

 

 

Terence McNally postcard Windsor Castle at Durban.

 

 

Postcard of Windsor Castle at Southampton.

 

 

Postcard of Windsor Castle.

 

 

Postcard of Windsor Castle, leaving Southampton.

 

 

 

 

 

Transvaal Castle

(1961-1966 - 32,697gt)

 

The Transvaal Castle was launched in 1961 by John Brown & Co, Clydebank. She was delivered to Union-Castle Line, and served on their route to South Africa from Southampton from 1962. She remained in Union-Castle Line colours only until 1966, when she was transferred to the South African Marine Corp (UK), remaining on the same service under the British flag, with Union-Castle Line crew and management as S.A.Vaal. In 1969 she was transferred to the South African flag.

 

S.A.Vaal was withdrawn in Southampton on October 10th, 1977 and sold to Carnival Cruise Line, who rebuilt her in Japan with extra decks, almost doubling the passenger capacity. The external appearance was not spoilt, however, and she has remained the handsome ship of Union-Castle days. Internally, the public rooms were much changed from the traditional liner, as the Carnival postcards below show. She returned to service in 1978 as Festivale, on Caribbean cruises in partnership with ex-Canadian Pacific liners Mardi Gras and Carnivale, revolutionising the cruise industry. Page 2 shows postcards from the Carnival era.

 

Following the delivery of purpose-built cruise ships to Carnival, she was sold to Dolphin Cruise Line who renamed her IslandBreeze. She was chartered to UK holiday company Thomson during the late 1990s, and passed to Premier cruises with the rest of the Dolphin ships. Page 3 shows postcards of the IslandBreeze. IslandBreeze was later renamed Big Red Boat III. On 4th June 2003 Big Red Boat III (sailing as Big Boat) steamed from Freeport enroute to the shipbreakers at Alang, India, via Gibraltar. She had the sad distinction of being the first Carnival Cruise liner to be scrapped.

 

Complete history of Transvaal Castle

 

 

Advance Union-Castle Line official postcard.

 

 

Union-Castle Line official sepia postcard.

 

 

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon postcard of Transvaal Castle.

 

 

Terence McNally postcard of Transvaal Castle.

 

 

Terence McNally postcard of Transvaal Castle.

 

 

 

 

 

Reina Del Mar

(Union-Castle: 1964-1975 - 20,263gt)

 

Reina Del Mar was the last PSNCo pasenger ship on their South American route, entering service in April 1956. She had been built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast, and was 20234 gross tons, and 560ft long. She carried 207 first, 216 cabin and 343 tourist class passengers. Reina Del Mar ran for PSNCo for only eight years before being withdrawn from the South American run in March 1964. Reina Del Mar was sent back after her builders in Belfast for conversion into a two-class cruise ship with 1047 passengers. She was chartered to the Travel savings Association, which was jointly owned by Union-Castle Line, Canadian Pacific, Royal Mail Lines, and the founder, Max Wilson. Reina Del Mar reappeared in June 1964 with the black TSA logo on a yellow funnel, and was managed by Union-Castle, who then took full ownership of TSA in October 1964. In November, she was converted into a one class ship with 1026 berths, although capacity was restricted to 998, and was repainted in full Union-Castle colours. She was the only Union-Castle cruise ship. In 1969 she was transferred within the Furness Withy Group to Royal Mail Lines, but chartered back to Union-Castle. In 1973 she was sold back to theUnion-Castle Line. Reina Del Mar was withdrawn in 1975 and sold to Taiwanese breakers, arriving on July 30th. Demolition was completed on December 10th 1975.

 

Complete history of Reina Del Mar

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon postcard of Reina Del Mar in TSA colours, after rebuilding as a cruise ship.

She carried these colours from June to November 1964, when she was repainted in Union-Castle colours.

This card was posted from Lisbon in 1965, at which point stocks of the card in old colours were obviously still available on board.

 

 

McNally postcard of Reina Del Mar in Union-Castle colours at Capetown.

 

 

 

 

 

Southampton Castle (2)

(1965-1978 - 10,538gt)

 

 

Photographic postcard of Southampton Castle.

 

 

Harold Jordan postcard of Southampton Castle.

 

 

Photographs of Southampton Castle leaving Southampton.

She is on the very last Union-Castle mailship departure to South Africa.

Photo: ©1977-2004 Copyright Ian Boyle, 16th September 1977

 

 

Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th September 1977

 

 

Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th September 1977

 

 

More Photographs of Southampton Castle

 

 

 

 

 

Good Hope Castle (2)

(1965-1978 - 10,500gt)

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon postcard of Good Hope Castle.

 

 

Modern Edwards postcard (issued 2004) of Good Hope Castle leaving Table Bay.

 

 

Modern Chantry Classics postcard SA16 (issued 2003) of Good Hope Castle.

 

 

Photographic postcard of Good Hope Castle.

 

 

Paolo (ex-Good Hope Castle) on her final voyage.

Photo © Copyright Ian Shiffman

 

 

 

 

 

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