Rustenburg Castle

RUSTENBURG CASTLE was built in 1946 by Harland & Wolff in Belfast with a tonnage of 8322grt, a length of 474ft 2in, a beam of 63ft 4in and a service speed of 16 knots.

Sister of the Riebeeck Castle she was delivered on 5th March 1946 to carry fruit from South Africa on the northbound voyage and general cargo on the southbound voyage.

In 1971 she was sold to Chinese breakers for £147,500 and sailed on her final voyage from Singapore to Shanghai on 6th September 1971.

From an Email received June 2020 from Ray Catterall

The photo was taken in May 1962 by a late friend of mine named Andrew Douglas.

Andy gave me this shot many years ago. It was taken by him whilst serving as a Cadet aboard ‘Rustenburg Castle’, and features his mentor 2/O, Sir W.A. ‘Bill’ Codrington (Bart), clutching a sanding block, and 3/O, Warwick Hyde standing in the lifeboat. I believe from what Andy told me that the Master’s name was Matthews.

Life at Sea - 1962

Rustenburg Castle Left Southampton 4 April For Cape Town
Master	G Matthews
Chief Officer	P S R Truman
Second Officer	W A Codrington
Third Officer	W A Hyde
Cadets	A C Douglas
Radio Officer	L Fowler
Carpenter	D Matheson
Bosun	T H Collett
Chief Engineer	M A MacMillan
Second Engineer	R A Blenkinsop
Third Engineer	J P McMullen
Fourth Engineer	A MacLeod
Junior Engineer	G A Deag D D Barnes C J Skerratt T H Gormely D Dobson
Electrician	L F Gillett
ER Storekeeper	C Sheath
Purser Catering Officer	T Williams

Tim Gunner

Did the final voyage on her to South Africa - full fruit cargo mostly grapes I recall - but Brian Spiller might remember more. Chatty but happy ship under Capt Lofts. Stowaway for the last voyage.

Geoff Hatwell

I did that trip too, signed on 12/7/71 signed off 22/9/71 ...was EDH...think we flew home on the first Air France flight from Shanghai. Remember going on board first time in London, and saw wires all over the deck and thinking what a mess. Good trip though.

Brian Spiller

Yes remember the trip to Shanghai well and we had a great time there as booze was so cheap!!-----It all more or less tasted the same and resembled the smell from the river!!

I think we had something like 7 -10 days at The Peace Hotel waiting for a flight home (Paris)---Antony Wedgewood Benn was there at the time for some reason!!L

Memorable trip especially going down the Malacca Straits and we thought we were being attacked by pirates but they were after scrap as word had got out we were on our way to Shanghai!!

Memories of her Final Voyage - 1971

Rustenburg Castle Left Southampton 27 April For South Africa
Master	R Lofts
Chief Officer	A Rapkin
Second Officer	B Spiller
Third Officer	T Gunner
Radio Officer	P Hammond
Carpenter	O Griffiths
Bosun	F Rose
Chief Engineer	M Smith
Second Engineer	A Young
Jnr Second Engineer	R Jones
Third Engineer	L Harding
Fourth Engineer	J Murphy
Junior Engineer	A Chinn I Bruce
Chief Frig Engineer	K Sneddon
Second Frig Engineer	R Bumstead
Third Frig Engineer	W Edwards
Electrician	J Paton
ERS	P Knight
Purser Catering Officer	J Foley
Chief Cook	A Santos
Second Steward	P Glass

Master	From	To
A G Patey	6/1946	11/1946
R S Davies	11/1946	12/1946
A C Black	12/1946	4/1947
A G Patey	4/1947	9/1947
W S Aldous	9/1947	10/1947
G D Fowler	10/1947	11/1947
A J Bidwell	11/1947	9/1948
J P Smythe	9/1948	9/1951
N M Lloyd	12/1952	10/1953
H L Holland	1954
A J Hort	1954	10/1955
G W Laurenson	10/1955	4/1956
A T Underdown	12/1955	1/1956
A A Freer	4/1956	6/1956
W C Swift	8/1956	8/1957
C E Lorains	9/1957	7/1958
G D Fowler	8/1958	12/1958
A E Payne	1/1959	8/1959

Vessel

Built

Service

Tonnage

Rustenburg Castle

1946

1946 Original plans included accomodation for 36 passengers

1955 Replaced Stirling Castle for a North bound mail voyage

1971 Scrapped at Shanghai

8322

Official Number

Ship Builder

Engine Builder

Engine Type

Screws

180893

Harland & Wolff

Belfast

Harland & Wolff

Belfast

Motor 8 Cyl

Burmeister & Wain

8000 BHP

Master	Date	Left	Destination
J M Lycett	9/1959	London	S Africa
A A Freer	3/1960	Immingham	S Africa
	4/1960	Southampton	Oslo S Africa
	9/1960	Gravesend	E Africa
G S Cochrane	5/1961	Southampton	East London
G E Matthews	8/1961	London	S & E Africa
	2/1962	London	S & E Africa
	4/1962	Southampton	Cape Town
	6/1962	London	Durban
G D Fowler	8/1962	London	Port Elizabeth
	1/1963	North Shields	Cape Town
R H Pape	5/1963	Southampton	Port Elizabeth
	7/1963	London	Lourenco Marques
	10/1963	Birkenhead	E Africa
	1/1964	Genoa	E & S Africa
W Graham	4/1964	Southampton	E Africa
	6/1964	London	E Africa
	8/1964	Liverpool	S Africa
	10/1964	London	S & E Africa
D L’Estrange	5/1965	Southampton	S Africa
H M Walden	7/1965	Liverpool	S Africa
E C Martyn	12/1965	London	E & S Africa
	3/1966	Southampton	S Africa
H N Dryden	5/1966	Southampton	S Africa
	7/1966	Southampton	S Africa
E C Martyn	2/1967	Tyne	S Africa
	4/1967	Southampton	S Africa
	7/1967	Southampton	S Africa
D A Rees	12/1967	London	Walvis Bay
	3/1968	Southampton	S Africa
	5/1968	Southampton	S Africa
G S Gann	8/1968	Birkenhead	S Africa & Beira
	11/1968	Genoa	S & E Africa
I M Shearer	7/1969	Cardiff	S Africa & Mauritius
N E Upham	12/1969	Birkenhead	S Africa & Beira
R S Olden	6/1970	London	Mauritius
R D Lofts	4/1971	Southampton	S Africa
	7/1971		Shanghai

Email the Site The Group Register Previous Page