HMHS Guildford Castle
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMHS Guildford Castle |
| Owner | The Union-Castle Mail Steam Ship Co. Ltd, London |
| Builder | Barclay, Curle & Company, Glasgow |
| Yard number | 488 |
| Launched | 11 Aug 1911 |
| Completed | October 1911 |
| Fate | Collision 31 May 1933 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger / Cargo Refrigerated |
| Tonnage | 7,995 tons |
| Length | 452 ft 1 in |
| Beam | 56 ft 2 in |
| Depth | 30 ft 8 in |
| Speed | 13 knots (24.08 km/h) |
Contents
Remarks
Owned by the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company. At the outbreak of WW1 Guildford Castle participated in the first troop convoy from England to Europe before being commissioned as a hospital ship with 427 beds serviced by nine medical officers , 13 nurses and 59 other medical staff. She served in this role from 22 Sep 1914 until 19 Nov 1918. Early during the Gallipoli campaign she saw service in the eastern Mediterranean before
She also, during the German West and East African campaigns in 1915, remained in Southern African waters where she was more occupied with coping with disease rather than war wounds. On 10 Mar 1918 enroute to Avonmouth she was hit by a torpedo that failed to explode.
She was decommissioned on 9th November 1918 and returned to commercial service initially on the Intermediate service in 1920 and then on the round Africa service. On 31 May 1933 she collided with the blue Funnel Line ship SS Stentor in the River Elbe estuary due to pilot error. Two people lost their lives, and she was beached the following day and declared a total constructive loss.