When I was working for Union-Castle in Cape Town, before I went to sea as an R/O, the Southampton Castle was the first ship I berthed for passengers on the South African coast. She carried 12 pax (so no doctor) and it was far more difficult to arrange the pax berths than on the bigger ships, as there was no room for mistakes.
Passengers often wanted to travel from Cape Town to Durban on one ship and return on the next one. If the next one was the Southampton or Good Hope Castle, not only could they mostly not be accommodated, they didn't like it as there was no entertainment. Between Cape Town and Southampton, the berthing was in the hands of the St Helena Government, and between St Helena and Ascension, deck passengers were carried on what was normally a sundeck/sports area.
More letters
Catch up with old Clan Line colleagues
The annual Clan Line reunion will take place this year at the Liner Hotel in Liverpool on Wednesday 1 October 2025.
The latest consequence of shortsighted policy-making
Having read the article about UK defence on your website, I thought it was spot on about needing to secure the future of the Merchant Navy if the government wants a defence capability.
Britain's WW2 government acknowledged Merchant Navy sacrifice
As you will know, this year marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day. I enclose a copy of a transmission, sent by telegraphy in May 1945, from the Admiralty to 'all ships', expressing the victory message to the Merchant Navy, from the minister of war transport.