The RMS Kildonan Castle was a Royal Mail Ship and passenger liner that went into service with Castle Line, and its successor, the Union-Castle Line. She was built to run the mail route from Southampton, England to Cape Town, South Africa starting in 1900. However, she began her life early, in December 1899, being requisitioned by the government to carry 3,000 troops to Cape Town at the start of the Boer War, and was temporarily used in South Africa to house POW's. She returned to England in 1901 for an outfitting to carry passengers and mail. She was one of nine ships on the England-South Africa run.[1] At the outbreak of World War I, she replenished the South African Army with arms and ammunition. She also served as a hospital ship during the Dardanelles Campaign, outfitted with 603 beds, and converted in March 1916 to an armed merchant cruiser. In January 1917, she took Lord Milner and 51 VIP delegates from England, France and Italy to Murmansk, Russia, on the Petrograd Mission.[2][3][4][5] She then undertook convoy duties in the North Atlantic, returning to her normal South African mail run after the war.
Hodson, Norman, The Race to the Cape: A Story of the Union Castle-Line, 1857-1977, Hampshire: Navigator, 1995
Hochschild, Adam, To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion: 1914-1918, Boston: Houghton, 2011
Wrench, John Evelyn, Alfred Lord Milner: The Man of No Illusions, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1958
Marlowe, John, Milner: Apostle of Empire, London: Hamish Hamilton, 1976
George, Lloyd, War Memoirs of David Lloyd George, Vol. III, III, Boston: Little Brown, 1934–36
External linksedit
History of the ship: Link
History as an armed merchant cruiser (AMC): Link
Nomenclature: Link
The Castle Line Atlas of South Africa, London: Currie, 1895
January 01, 1970
kildonan, castle, also, union, castle, line, royal, mail, ship, passenger, liner, that, went, into, service, with, castle, line, successor, union, castle, line, built, mail, route, from, southampton, england, cape, town, south, africa, starting, 1900, however,. See also Union Castle Line The RMS Kildonan Castle was a Royal Mail Ship and passenger liner that went into service with Castle Line and its successor the Union Castle Line She was built to run the mail route from Southampton England to Cape Town South Africa starting in 1900 However she began her life early in December 1899 being requisitioned by the government to carry 3 000 troops to Cape Town at the start of the Boer War and was temporarily used in South Africa to house POW s She returned to England in 1901 for an outfitting to carry passengers and mail She was one of nine ships on the England South Africa run 1 At the outbreak of World War I she replenished the South African Army with arms and ammunition She also served as a hospital ship during the Dardanelles Campaign outfitted with 603 beds and converted in March 1916 to an armed merchant cruiser In January 1917 she took Lord Milner and 51 VIP delegates from England France and Italy to Murmansk Russia on the Petrograd Mission 2 3 4 5 She then undertook convoy duties in the North Atlantic returning to her normal South African mail run after the war RMS Kildonan CastleHistory United Kingdom NameKildonan Castle OwnerUnion Castle Line BuilderFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited Glasgow Yard number408 Launched22 August 1899 Completed1899 CommissionedDecember 1899 Decommissioned1931 RenamedH M Transport 44 Pennant MI 74 FateBroken up 18 May 1931 NotesRequisitioned in two wars General characteristics Tonnage9 652 GRT 5 105 NRT Length515 ft 3 in Beam59 ft 2 in 18 03 m Depth34 7 ft Installed power1 663 nhp PropulsionAs built Steel Screw Steamer 2 Stroke Double Acting engine 2 Steam 4 cylinder 28 39 75 57 5 82 x 60in 2 Screw SpeedCruising 17 kn 31 km h 20 mph Max 18 kn 33 km h 21 mph CapacityAs built unk first class passengers unk second class passengers unk third class passengers ArmamentAs armed merchant cruiser 8 4 7 inch guns later 8 6 inch guns During the Roaring 20 s the Kildonan Castle was one of 38 ships in the Union Castle Line fleet 6 She was retired in 1930 Footnotes edit Hodson Norman The Race to The Cape pg 29 Hochschild Adam To End All Wars pg 254 Wrench pg 322 Marlowe pg 262 Lloyd George Vol III pgs 452 473 Hodson pgs 41 43References editHodson Norman The Race to the Cape A Story of the Union Castle Line 1857 1977 Hampshire Navigator 1995 Hochschild Adam To End All Wars A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion 1914 1918 Boston Houghton 2011 Wrench John Evelyn Alfred Lord Milner The Man of No Illusions London Eyre amp Spottiswoode 1958 Marlowe John Milner Apostle of Empire London Hamish Hamilton 1976 George Lloyd War Memoirs of David Lloyd George Vol III III Boston Little Brown 1934 36External links editHistory of the ship Link History as an armed merchant cruiser AMC Link Nomenclature Link The Castle Line Atlas of South Africa London Currie 1895 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title RMS Kildonan Castle amp oldid 1183697806, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
