[Ray Woodward]

Churchill on Capetown Castle

Hi Ken,When Churchill travelled on the Capetown,he demanded a fresh water bath in his cabin ,which was duly installed. It was still in situ until the old girls demise. You probably know that the baths on the Cape boats were salt water with fresh water rinse. The only thing the salt water soap was good for was doing one's dhoby

Regards samdar

It would seem prime ministers like to travel on the Capetown Castle. Harold MacMillan also travelled on her from Capetown to Madeira He stayed most of the time on the officers deck for a rest 1960. Ray Woodward

 

[NoMoss]

I recall the Capetown Castle incident, but not at sea at the time. I had heard she was B&W blast injection and the starting air valve jammed opened with the explosion going back to the starting air bottles? I seem to recall that it was blamed on a piece of weld getting stuck in the valve. I also seem to think it resulted in ssome modification - safety valves on bottles, I simply cannot recall.....anyone?

It was a tragic accident. I joined the ship on its first trip after that. It was a very happy ship under Capt 'Billie' Byles. After a couple of trips they 'promoted' me to a 'fruit boat', the Roxborough Castle - not a happy bunny.

 

[onestar]

RMMV Capetown Castle

Union Castle were not alone in using the RMMV prefix, White Star did for Brittanic (1930) and Georgic (1931) and kept this when part of Cunard White Star. Shaw Savill also used RMMV for Dominion Monarch.
MV was for motor vessel, S for steam. When RMS was first used, all power driven vessels were steam.
There may have been other motor vessels in this category, I have not done a detailed search.

 

[PJG1412]

Last RMS

To add further to this thread I believe the last RMS is the RMS St Helena on which I was a passenger 5 years ago, and meet several ex UC staff (some of the names as mentioned by SHIPBUILDER) including the man who wrote out my papers on joining UC, he could not belive this paperwork was still held by me !! I sailed on the Pendennis and Stirling 63/64 see thread "Stirling Ladies" ship. Great memories.(Thumb)
Pete
PS: I always thought was Royal Mail Ship !!

 

[DARREN MCGORRIN]

Hi I Know My Father Served As A Steward On The Cape Town Castle In The 60,s His Name Was Dennis Goldsbrough. Do You Or Do You Know Of Anyone Who New Him
Thanks Darren

 

[DARREN MCGORRIN]

Hi Did You Know My Father Dennis Goldsbrough. He Was A Steward In The 60,s On The Capetown Castle.
Many Thanks Darren

 

[olddog96]

Hi All ,I did 3 trips on the "Capetown" as a tourist winger great life but could not run 2x14"s or 2x16"s now. From Sept.59 to Feb 60 Went under the name of Vernon Castle.

 

[Dickyboy]

Del Monicos

Hi. All the Lavender Ladies sailed from Southampton on Thursdays at 4pm on the dot, was delayed once, something to do with Winston Churchill but I've forgotten the details now. I did three trips on the Stirling and spent many a happy hour in Del Monicos. Does anyone remember the Ticky Hock bar at Capetown station, hic hic. Cheers to all. Ken.

I was on the Capetown Castle, did three trips on her from 18 Feb 65 to 23 July 65. She was my second ship & I was a Deck Boy.
I remember Del Monicos and the Ticky Hock bar in the old station.
I also remember that an old boy, who was in charge of the Seapoint Swimming Pool, used to keep it open for an extra hour just so that us boys could get a swim.
I'm trying to think of the drinking hole in P E, it only served medicenal brandy, we might have had to take it in ourselves.
I wasn't keen on Union Castle, they were very tight with the overtime. Good crews though.

 

[john ward]

Tikky hock yes! Once I was getting rid of some of it in the nearby gents and gave a friendly nod to a neighbouring "stallholder" who looked very surprised to see me, and on leaving I looked round and found I had just used the non-whites loo and could have ended up in big trouble with the law! The station has moved up Adderley St. now and the whole city has changed.

 

[FANTAIL]

Well that was some interesting reading on the Capetown Castle,

I did one trip as a assistant lining keeper 10 june 1965
being I was the last too sign on, it was the only job going,
But I did enjoy that trip,placed a photo on Life on board.

Fantail

 

[Swingle]

Hi - I'm a new boy so not sure where this post might end up!
I was a passenger on the Capetown Castle on that fateful voyage that ended on October 17, 1960. I am currently writing a personal memoir and wonder if anyone can help me on two items.
As I remember the captain welcomed us aboard during our first meal with the reassuring words "...welcome aboard the Warwick Castle..." Can anyone substantiate this.
I thought it worth mentioning but don't want to do an injustice. Perhaps Captain Byles had just transferred from the Warwick Castle?
Second. I watched as my new wife and other women and children got into one of the first lifeboats. It seemed that the lifeboat came down to a comfortable boarding level and everyone designated got in. Once fully loaded an officer above gave an order and a seaman in the bow appeared to knock out a pin. The steward (from Malta I recall) in the stern did not seem to understand the command. There was a delay until one of the passengers translated the command into Spanish and then things went ahead smoothly. Naturally we were all a bit shook up so I don't trust my memory.
Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

[Swingle]

Capetown Castle. I have a further question concerning the fatal voyage of October 1960. The day before the explosion we passengers noticed that the ship was noticeably listing and asked a ship's officer about it. He told us it was normal half way through a voyage for the freshwater tanks on one side to be used up causing a list. I thought this was odd and that surely there was a of balancing the water pumped from tanks so this wouldn't happen. Can anyone shed any light?

 

[Bleurk]

I sailed from Southampton to Cape Town with my family in December 1963 when my Dad was assigned to HMS Afrikander for two years. Dad is convinced we sailed on 30th November 1963 which according to my computer was a Saturday which doesn't fit in with the posts above saying it would have been a Thursday. Does anyone know the actual dates of that run - I believe we stopped off at Las Palmas on the way down.

Thanks

 

[Chris Isaac]

I sailed from Southampton to Cape Town with my family in December 1963 when my Dad was assigned to HMS Afrikander for two years. Dad is convinced we sailed on 30th November 1963 which according to my computer was a Saturday which doesn't fit in with the posts above saying it would have been a Thursday. Does anyone know the actual dates of that run - I believe we stopped off at Las Palmas on the way down.

Thanks

According to the Crew List published she sailed from Southampton on Thursday 28th November under the command of Captain Alec Hort.
http://www.bandcstaffregister.co.uk/page1834.html

More about the ship can be found here:
http://www.bandcstaffregister.co.uk/page188.html

 

[Bleurk]

Chris, thanks. That is just brilliant. The Movietone video is just so how I remembered it especially the crossing the line ceremony. Brilliant. I have copied to my Dad so he can have a butchers too.

 

[DURANGO]

I was first trip e.d.h on the Rothesay castle when the Capetown castle had the engine room incident I think we laid alongside her for 10 days in Las Palmas assisting with power to her fridges to save her cargo .

 

[Hails for eric pell]

My great uncle was Eric Pell from Hartlepool who was a stoker we ebelive and onbard this ship at the time of the expolision. He spent many months in hospital and told my ather (then 10yrs old) of how he helped saved his fellow sailors. His face was pretty messed up my father recalls but healed as i dont recall a scary looking man when i was a child, but a lovely man of many a tale from around the world. He left me a Down bros makers wooden box with red velvet lining full of coins from his travels. Funnily im here today as i found this box again and asked my father about Eric. Any info would be fabulous for me to add to my family tree. He sadly passed away in 1996. Thanks Hayley
[email protected]

 

[Hails for eric pell]

Can anyone link the Cape Town Castle to Edinburgh Castle in and around the time of the explosion Oct 1960? We as a family understood my great uncle Eric Pell was aboard the Cape Town but ive just found online on ancestry.com an incoming passenger list Nov 11 th 1960 from Durban South Africa arriving in Southampton, official number 3007/01 (does this number relate to Eric or the ship or register?) on the Edinburgh Castle ship and NOT the cape town ship?
Could he have been transferred after the explosion and re entered UK from the edinburgh? thanks for any help on this mystery. Hayley

 

[R58484956]

Not official number of either ship.

 

[ChasH]

chasH

Hi. All the Lavender Ladies sailed from Southampton on Thursdays at 4pm on the dot, was delayed once, something to do with Winston Churchill but I've forgotten the details now. I did three trips on the Stirling and spent many a happy hour in Del Monicos. Does anyone remember the Ticky Hock bar at Capetown station, hic hic. Cheers to all. Ken.

yes visited many times i think it was adderly st station, and the del monicos first saw cherry wayner playing there good memories all the best chasH