Winchester Castle Trivia

[Doc Vernon]

Here is some trivia on one of my old Ships the Winchester Castle!
May interest some!

WINCHESTER CASTLE
From the archive, first published Tuesday 26th Mar 2002.

IN ADDITION to peacetime voyaging on the South Africa service, the Union-Castle liner, Winchester Castle served during the Second World War as an assault training ship and troopship, and for a time was code-named Radio Diego Suarez.

This part of her career happened after the ship took part in the Madagascar landings and entered the bay of Diego Suarez where a powerful radio transmitter was installed on her decks to broadcast propaganda.

Earlier Winchester Castle had spent a year in Scottish waters as a training ship for assault troops. Many

thousands of men stormed ashore from this ship during this period.

The vessel also took part in the North Africa, southern France, Sicily and Anzio landings and altogether

during the war she steamed 270,000 miles.

Built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, the Winchester Castle began operating from Southampton to the Cape of Good Hope in 1930.

Originally she had two squat funnels but just before the outbreak of war she was re-engined and emerged from refit with only one funnel.

The liner made the last commercial sailing from Southampton to South Africa before the war started.

In the immediate post-war period she made several voyages carrying settlers to South Africa before

rejoining the mail service, operating with much success throughout the 1950s.

She was withdrawn in 1960 and was sold to the Japanese for scrap.

[alf corbyn]

a very interesting read vernon. did two tips on the llandovery castle and was told she was a hospital ship in ww 2. alf

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Alf
Yes there are some very interesting facts on some of the old UCL Ships,like othersCompanies as well i suppose!

Here are some Links and a bit more trivia! I always love reading these kind of things!
Cheers Alf!

The LLANDOVERY CASTLE & LLANSTEPHEN CASTLE were specially built in 1914 for the east coast route, they were near sisters although built at different yards each carrying about 450 passengers in three classes and in the matter of passenger accommodation and deck space were years ahead of their time. They were received with acclamation on the east coast, but after only one or two voyages, the outbreak of war caused their transfer to other routes. LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE survived WW1 & WW2, but LLANDOVERY CASTLE was attacked by a U-boat off Cape Finisterre as early as 8 June 1915, but escaped by means of her superior speed.

http://www.allteq.com.au/gascoigne-m...y%20Castle.pdf

http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuil...ip.asp?id=4067

http://www.ssmaritime.com/Llan-Castle-Ships.htm

http://sites.google.com/a/mercantile...on-castle-line

[happy daze john in oz]

Quite a number of UCL ships served during the war. The old Windsor was one, hit by a bomb she sank. During WW1 the company lost 8 ships while Clan line lost half of their fleet of 56 cargo ships. I was told many years ago by a senior engineer of the company that the Windsor of 1960 as well as the Pendennis and Transvaal had been built ot Royal Navy standards and could be converted to other use in the event of a third WW. The Windsor would have been converted to an aircraft carrier and her 8 holds had been designed to be able to take aircraft with folded wings.Have an idea one of the other, maybe the Carnarvon had been converted to aircraft and the Arundel had also served as a troop carrier.

[Rodney Mills]

Rodney Mills R602188

First trip to British M.N. and Old Friends. Sighned on March 20, 2010.

Log Book as follows.

Gravesend Training School, Catering. 30-11-53 - 15-1-54
Port Jackson Catering Boy, Eng. Mess. 9-2-54 - 6-6-54
Port Townsville Catering Boy 30-7-54 - 5-8-54 Home Trade
Port Townsville Catering Boy 18-8-54 - 8-1-55
Good Hope Castle Catering Boy, Galley 25-2-55 - 15-3-55 Home Trade
La Cumbre, Catering boy, Galley 18-3-55 - 22-1-56
Warwick Castle, Asst. Sculleryman, 7-3-56 - 13-5-56
ditto 3rd Asst. Cook 29-5-56 - 4-8-56
ditto 3rd Asst. Cook 21-8-56 - 28-10-56
ditto 3rd Asst Cook 13-11-56 - 15-1-56
Dunnottar Castle 3rd Asst Cook 17-4-57 - 14-6-57
Athlone castle 2nd Asst Cook 22-8-57 - 4-10-57
ditto 2nd Asst Cook 18-10-57 - 29-11-57
ditto 2nd Asst Cook 11-12-57 - 24-1-58
ditto 2nd Asst Cook 5-2-58 - 21-3-58

Also 4 "trips to the Union Castle Catering School in Silvertown, London. Ship's Cook's ticket Aug. 57.
I was ship's cook for one week on the Athlone Castle, subbing for a missing Ship's cook until a grown up one could board in Cape Town. I was 19 years old and scared to death the crew wouldn't like my cooking. I only took my ticket because Union Castle paid me a pound extra a month.

Emigrated to Canada in July 58. Three years later emigrated to the States, California. I had a very successful career in the food industry and was able to retire at 47. I am 72 now and living in South Caroliner. I'm thankful to Gravesend School (?) for the discipline it installed in me at 16, to The British M.N. for broadening my horizons and the love of travel and the Union Castle for the very good foundation in food service and preparation.

Athlone Castle shipmates I remember. George Holland, Brian Kraven and Derick (Bernie) Herbert, all cooks.

Good luck and best wishes shipmates,

Rodney Mills

[robpage]

The Pendennis certainly was . the main deck had eight rows of Rivits to take a flight deck if needed , and extra nozzles on the HP turbines , I dont think the Windsor or Transvaal were built in the same way .Long time ago , but the conversion plans were available , I think they were iin the Engineer Superintendants Office at Southampton .

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Rodney
Would just like to give you a warm Welcome to this very good site!
Here you will find lots of info,good Crew and with luck also find a few old Shipmates!
So sit back,relax and just enjoy the trip!
Hope we will have you here for a long time!
A site truly worthy of the British Merchant Navy!
Cheers

If this applies to you then please do send in your details!
Note Well

If you would like to join in and have your Full name R Number and First Ship
Included in the Flag project then please pass it on to Mike Hall who is doing a Main Flag for all
to be displayed some time in one of the UK Museums!
We need your names to get the New Flag full,so please do respond!
Thank you
Vernon (castleman)

Please go to following Link

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=1974

Or reply to me in person! Via Private Message Link above below I will pass on the info!


http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/p...?do=newpm&u=18

If any new Members or old ones too want a bit of info on the Flag Projects please
Go to the following Links where you can see Pics and Write ups on this subject!
Thanks

http://www.merchant-navy.net/gallery...ry.php?cat=558



I see you have entered all details so i will pass on this info to Mike Hall for inclusion on our Flags!
Thanks!
Vernon

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Robpage, think you will find the Windsor was built in such a way that she could be converted to a small aircraft carrier in the event of war. Holds were built to take aircraft with fold back wings.

[robpage]

I wouldn't dispute it , My only thought was that the Pendennis had additional reinforcement at the main deck level to take a flight deck and additional nozzles on the HP turbines to gain the required speed for a carrier . I was not sure that the Windsor had these features .

[happy daze john in oz]

Not sure about the specific on this one but it is information I gained from Abercrombie, cheif engineer when I was officers steward on the Windsor. It was about the time of the Cuban missile crisis and he was sure that if it got nasty the ship would be taken over by R.N.