# Winchester Castle



## clarksmc (Dec 6, 2007)

Hello:
I am a newbie to this forum and I seek some advice on where to start researching a particular ship. She is the Winchester Castle. All I know at this point is that she sailed with passengers from South Hampton to Buenos Aires in Oct of 1948. Any clues are greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Richard


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings Richard and welcome to SN. Generally speaking the WC sailed from Southampton on the South African run, perhaps the trip you mentioned might have been a special. The Royal Mail liners were the usual BA runners. But someone will come up with a definitive answer.Bon voyage.


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## vectiscol (Oct 14, 2006)

According to the history of Union Castle Line, "The Cape Run" by Mitchell & Sawyer, published in 1984, Winchester Castle was built in 1930 but reconstructed in 1938 in order to meet the demands of a new, faster mail service contract to South Africa. After war service for all of Union Castle's mail ships, it was intended to reconvert Winchester, Carnarvon and Arundel Castles at 3-monthly intervals after Stirling Castle had been released from Government service in April 1947, and re-start the Cape mail service by 1948.

However, due to great developments in South Africa, and also Tanganyika and Rhodesia, during WW2, the Union government sponsored attractive schemes for emigrants. Consequently, the reconversion of the three older mail ships was postponed, and, to quote directly from the book, "Carnarvon Castle made the first [emigrant] sailing in June, 1947, her accommodation being rated at 1,283 passengers, and she was followed by Winchester Castle (877 passengers) and Arundel Castle (846). These three ships continued carrying emigrants until more than 30,000 had been transported to South Africa by the time the service ended in May, 1949."


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## old mariner (Aug 8, 2020)

vectiscol said:


> According to the history of Union Castle Line, "The Cape Run" by Mitchell & Sawyer, published in 1984, Winchester Castle was built in 1930 but reconstructed in 1938 in order to meet the demands of a new, faster mail service contract to South Africa. After war service for all of Union Castle's mail ships, it was intended to reconvert Winchester, Carnarvon and Arundel Castles at 3-monthly intervals after Stirling Castle had been released from Government service in April 1947, and re-start the Cape mail service by 1948.
> 
> However, due to great developments in South Africa, and also Tanganyika and Rhodesia, during WW2, the Union government sponsored attractive schemes for emigrants. Consequently, the reconversion of the three older mail ships was postponed, and, to quote directly from the book, "Carnarvon Castle made the first [emigrant] sailing in June, 1947, her accommodation being rated at 1,283 passengers, and she was followed by Winchester Castle (877 passengers) and Arundel Castle (846). These three ships continued carrying emigrants until more than 30,000 had been transported to South Africa by the time the service ended in May, 1949."


good book - have it on my shelf


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## eddyw (Nov 6, 2007)

Hi clarksmc. Some information here:





Winchester Castle (1)


A Record of The British & Commonwealth Shipping Company. The Companies, the ships and the people that manned them.




www.bandcstaffregister.com




No mention of Buenos Aries voyage. In fact states resumed Cape mail run 22nd Sept 1948. It might be worth checking newspaper shipping 'notices' for period to confirm whether this is the case.


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