MV Stirling Castle

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RMMV Stirling Castle in the Southampton Drydock - November 1959
RMMV Stirling Castle in the Southampton Drydock - November 1959
Career
Class: Passenger Liner
Yard: Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Numbers:
Launched: July, 1935
Delivered: February, 1936
Operator: Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co.
Fate: 1966 Scrapped Japan
General characteristics
Tonnage: 25,554 gross tonnes
Length: 725 foot
Beam: 82 foot
Propulsion: Two B & W. two-stroke double acting marine diesels. Twin screw.
Speed: 20 knots
Capacity: 783 passengers

For other ships named after the castle, see Stirling Castle (disambiguation)

The RMMV Stirling Castle was an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line in service from the 1930s to the 1960s, primarily on the Southampton - Cape Town route.

Named after Stirling Castle in Scotland, she was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast, and launched July 1935. She left Southampton on her maiden voyage, 7 February 1936. In August of that year, Stirling Castle set a new record for the route, reaching Table Bay in 13 days 9 hours, beating the previous record of 14 days, 18 hours, and 57 minutes set by Scot in 1893.

During World War II, Stirling Castle was used as a troopship, returning to passenger service in 1946. She was broken up in Japan in 1966.

[edit] References

See an account of life on board this ship and others of the Union-Castle Line in the 1960s, at http://rgascoyne.canadianwebs.com/LifeAtSea.htm

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