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HMT Cawdor Castle

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HMT Cawdor Castle
HMT Cawdor Castle 2.jpg
HMT Cawdor Castle 1.jpg
History
Name HMT Cawdor Castle
Owner Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, London
Builder Barclay, Curle & Co, Glasgow
Yard number 429
Launched 7 Dec 1901
Completed 15 Jan 1902
In service 1902
Out of service 30 Jul 1926
Fate wrecked 1926
General characteristics
Type Cargo /passenger steamer
Tonnage 6,235 tons
Length 414 ft 8 in (126.39)
Beam 51.2 ft (15.61m)
Depth 28.0 ft (8.53m)
Propulsion twin screw
Speed 14 knots (25.93 km/h)



Remarks

Built for the Union Castle Line's emigrant trade to South Africa. When the emigrant trade slowed down after the Boer War she spent a lot of her time as a fast cargo carrier.


The SS Cawdor Castle was used as a troop ship in the great war of 1914-18. It transported the East and West Yorkshire Regiments from Southampton on the 8 Sep 1914 to Saint Nazaire, in France. It was then used to transport troops to India from Southampton departing 9 Oct 1914, carrying the 1/5th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment plus two batteries of Artillery (4th & 5th Hampshire Artillery). They arrived at Bombay via Gibralter, Malta, Port Said, Suez and Aden one month later on the 9 Nov 1914. It carried the Chatham Battalion of the Royal Marines to Anzac Beach, Gallipoli during April 1915 and thereafter it was used to convey troops around the Mediterranean.


Towards the end of the War she was again on the west-coast service and she was the first vessel to reach Table Bay after the Armistice with repatriated South African troops. Until 1923 she was employed on her usual South African run but was then laid up for over a year. She was subsequently put back inservice but now purely as a cargo vessel and the colour of her hull was changed to black.


On 30th July 1926 she ran aground at Conception Bay in South West Africa during a voyage from London to Mauritius. The German survey vessel Moewe stood by and gave assistance and the crew of the wrecked vessel were all safely landed. Cawdor Castle could not be refloated and within a short time broke up.

Soldiers carried

Alexandria to Gallipoli 10 - 14 August 1915