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HMT Durham Castle

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HMT Durham Castle
HMT Durham Castle.jpg
HMT Durham Castle 1.jpg
History
Name HMT Durham Castle
Owner Union Castle Mail Steam Ship Line Co Ltd, London
Builder Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Govan
Launched 17 Dec 1903
Completed 1904
In service 1904
Out of service 1934
Fate 1940 struck a mine and sank
General characteristics
Type passenger / cargo ship
Tonnage 8,217 tons
Length 475 ft 5 in (144.9m)
Beam 56 ft 8 in (17.2m)
Depth 31 ft 7 in (9.63m)
Propulsion twin screw
Speed 14 knots (25.93 km/h)


Remarks

Built for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, she continued in commercial service during WW1, with occasional troop carrying roles. In June 1918 while sailing up the English Channel in a convoy, the HMS Kent cut across her bow forcing her to take avoiding action. Sadly in doing so she collided with HMS Rival and suffered severe damage and several casualties.

Between the wars she continued with services to East Africa via the Suez canal, before in 1939 being taken over by the Admiralty and used as an accommodation ship. In January 1940 under tow to Scarpa Flow where she was to be sunk as a block ship, she hit a mine laid by U-Boat U-57 off Comarty and sank.

Medical Staff

England to Cape Town 10 - ?? March 1918

Soldiers carried

England to Fremantle 10 March - ? May 1918

England to Adelaide 22 May - 16 July 1919