HMT Durham Castle
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMT Durham Castle |
| Owner | Union Castle Mail Steam Ship Line Co Ltd, London |
| Builder | Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Govan |
| Launched | 17 Dec 1903 |
| Completed | 1904 |
| In service | 1904 |
| Out of service | 1934 |
| Fate | 1940 struck a mine and sank |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | passenger / cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 8,217 tons |
| Length | 475 ft 5 in (144.9m) |
| Beam | 56 ft 8 in (17.2m) |
| Depth | 31 ft 7 in (9.63m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 14 knots (25.93 km/h) |
Contents
Remarks
Built for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, she continued in commercial service during WW1, with occasional troop carrying roles. In June 1918 while sailing up the English Channel in a convoy, the HMS Kent cut across her bow forcing her to take avoiding action. Sadly in doing so she collided with HMS Rival and suffered severe damage and several casualties.
Between the wars she continued with services to East Africa via the Suez canal, before in 1939 being taken over by the Admiralty and used as an accommodation ship. In January 1940 under tow to Scarpa Flow where she was to be sunk as a block ship, she hit a mine laid by U-Boat U-57 off Comarty and sank.
Medical Staff
England to Cape Town 10 - ?? March 1918
Soldiers carried
England to Fremantle 10 March - ? May 1918
- Frank Moore
- James Lang to Cape Town only