RMS Arundel Castle
 SS Arundel Castle at Cape Town, South Africa. | |
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | SS Arundel Castle |
| Owner: | Union-Castle Line |
| Port of registry: | Southampton |
| Builder: | Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Ireland |
| Yard number: | 455 |
| Launched: | 11 September 1919 |
| Completed: | 8 April 1921 |
| Maiden voyage: | 22 April 1921 |
| Fate: | Scrapped in 1959 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 19,023 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Length: | 661 ft(201.9 m), lengthened to 686 ft (209.5 m) during 1937 refit. |
| Beam: | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Propulsion: | Steam turbines powering two propellers. |
| Speed: | 17 knots. 20 knots after 1937 refit. |
| Capacity: | 1,170 |
The RMS Arundel Castle was a British ocean liner which entered service in 1921 for the Union-Castle Line. Her sister ship was the SS Windsor Castle; they were the only four-funneled liners not built for transatlantic service. She received a refit in 1937, with her four funnels being reconfigured into two, her hull lengthened, and her bow remolded from a blunt chisel-style into a more modern, angular design. She served in the Second World War as a transport in the Mediterranean.
The Arundel Castle was withdrawn from service in 1958 and taken to Chiap Hua - the ship breakers in Hong Kong.
When it sailed into Hong Kong harbour for scrapping in the 1950s, Chiap Hua organised a lavish cocktail party on board the vessel with many of Hong Kong's dignitaries including government officials and Bank executives invited. The ship’s furnishings and accessories including the chronometers, captain’s arm chair, steering wheel, crockery and sterling silver cutlery, were offered as gifts, free for the taking.
Colour film of the Arundel Castle shortly before scrapping in Hong Kong can be seen in the Look At Life film "Ticket to Tokyo" released in 1959.
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