Good Hope Castle (2)


GOOD HOPE CASTLE (2) was built in 1965 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend with a tonnage of 10538grt, a length of 592ft, a beam of 77ft 5in and a service speed of 22.5 knots.

The second 'Mini Mail' fast cargo ship, her delivery was delayed by 3.5 months during which time the Capetown Castle had to undertake her sailings but her eventual arrival meant that seven ships could handle the mail contract requirements instead of eight.

She was the first of the pair to have her accommodation altered to cater for the government requirements.

On 23rd June 1973 a severe engine room fire spread to the accommodation and she had to be abandoned.

Eighty two survivors were picked up by the Liberian tanker George F. Getty and were landed at Ascension.

Taken in tow by the German owned salvage tug Albatros she reached Antwerp on 18th August.

There, the contract for the extensive repairs was awarded to Astilleros Espanoles and, as a result, she was towed to Bilboa by the tug Heros.

Repairs were completed by May in the following year and she was back in service on 31st of that month.

Like her sister, she also had the distinction of appearing on an Ascension Island postage stamp in May 1976.

In February 1978 she was sold to Costa Armatori SpA of Genoa and renamed Paolo C.

Launch - February 1965    &    Maiden Voyage - January 1966

Review  - April 1965

Wheelhouse of Good Hope Castle

Painting the bridge front, pre health and safety issues! AB Phil Hayden

S/Stwd. Fred Wilkinson

Bob Tallach 3/O and probably Trevor Johns.

Officer’s lounge, Asst Purser, Think G Walter, ? , ?, Trevor Johns S/2/O, Stephen Wright.

Two four legged passengers Cape Town to East London, A B Bob Henshall, AB Phil Hayden and Bob Tallach 3/O

By invitation to the crew’s mess, an evening’s entertainment and pre Christmas Party in honour of Mrs. L’Estrange

Taken in December 1966 of the officers aboard the Good Hope Castle


Front row.  P Marret 1st Engineer,  F McKiernan Chief Purser,  Capt D L’Estrange Master,  

R Gemmell Chief Engineer,  A MacIntyre Chief Officer,  R Hooker Snr 2nd Engineer

Middle Row.   R Tallack 3rd Officer,  Cadet,  F Chatterton Jnr 2nd Engineer,  F Hill Assistant Purser,  Cadet,  P Goddard Radio Officer,  Cadet,  ?,  ?.

Back Row.  ?,  ?,  A White Ex 2nd Officer,  J Crutwell Jnr 2nd Engineer,  T Johns 2nd Officer,  ?,  Cadet,  ?,  E Tulip Chief Fridge Engineer

Good Hope Castle Officers - 1966

Life at Sea - 1966

Master

From

To

D L’Estrange

1/1966

5/1968

D Sowden

Relief Master

7/1967

8/1867

R Shattock

Relief Master

8/1967

9/1967

A A Freer

Relief Master

12/1967

4/1968

H Charnley

3/1969

3/1970

P St Q Beadon

5/1970

10/1970

I Bennet

10/1970

7/1971

C Hedges

Relief Master

8/1971

9/1971

J Catterall

Relief Master

11/1971

1/1972

H N Dryden

2/1972

6/1973

R J Miller

Relief Master

6/1973

8/1973

Fire & Repairs

6/1973

5/1974

P J Rose

Died on Board

5/1974

8/1974

P Eckford

8/1974

2/1975

A G Allson

3/1973

8/1975

M Ure

10/1975

8/1976

A G Allson

11/1975

12/1976

W J Howson

2/1977

11/1977

Laid up

11/1977

2/1978

Permanent Master shown in bold

Good Hope

Castle

Left Southampton

14 January

For South Africa

Master

D L’Estrange

Chief Officer

R S Olden

Second Officer

J H Butress

Extra Second Officer

T M Johns

Third Officer

P Nind

Cadets

L Goilot

A King

W Boreham

R Lenthall

Carpenter

W Ross

Bosun

A Weaver

First Radio Officer

P Goddard

Chief Engineer

R Gemmell

First Engineer

P Marett

Second Engineer

J Miller

Jnr Second Engineer

G Skinner

A Nimmo

Junior Engineer

D Ross

J Collins

D Robinson

C Dawson

Engineer Cadets

R Whitten

Chief Frig Engineer

E Tulip

First Electrician

R Purssell

Second Electrician

T Falconer

ER Storekeeper

G Barfoot

Purser/Catering Officer

F McKiernan

Asst Pursers

C Gatehouse

Chef

D Pope

Good Hope

Castle

Left Southampton

4 November

For South Africa

Master

D L’Estrange

Chief Officer

A MacIntyre

Second Officer

T M Johns

Extra Second Officer

A White

Third Officer

R Tallack

Cadets

N Burgess-Webb

G Walter

S Waters

B Wright

Carpenter

W Ross

Bosun

A Weaver

First Radio Officer

P Goddard

Chief Engineer

R Gemmell

First Engineer

P Marett

Second Engineer

R Hooker

Jnr Second Engineer

F Chatterton

J Crutwell

Junior Engineer

R Rees

J Collins

R Wood

Engineer Cadets

D Hudson

Chief Frig Engineer

E Tulip

First Electrician

H Pringle

Second Electrician

P Wright

ER Storekeeper

G Barfoot

Purser/Catering Officer

F McKiernan

Second Purser Catering

H Hill

Chef

F Wilkinson

Bosun Arthur Weaver

Taken in January 1970 of the officers aboard the Good Hope Castle


Front row. Eddie Bremner 2nd Officer, Peter Lovell 1st Engineer, R. Kenyon Chief Officer, H. Charnley Master,

John Forbes Chief Engineer, Bill Parr, Purser. John Davies 2nd Engineer.


Back Row, C. Tingley Chief Electrician. second left, M. Thomas Chief Fridge Engineer, last in the row


I cannot put names to the rest but I have a list of all on the Photo, so I expect they will be soon recognised.

 S. Ivey Extra 2/O, M. Savage 3rd Officer, Cadets: N .Middlehurst, D. Daley, A. Lukes, G. Thomson.  D. Withers Chief Radio Officer.

J. Robertson Jnr 2nd Engineer, B. Cook Jnr 2nd Engineer, Junior Engineers: W. Saberton, G. Liddle, R. Hutton, Engineer Cadet:, J. Thomlinson, R. Hutton.

A. May 2nd Electrician

Ships Officers - 1970

Good Hope Castle adrift in the South Atlantic after the fire

The pictures above were taken by Mike Line, then serving as a cadet on Southampton Castle

“I took a few until I ran out of film,  all on Kodak slides.  The press wanted the pictures and offered a good price,  but Head office refused to let me sell them.  I think they were used in the subsequent enquires”

The next sequence of pictures was taken by someone then serving aboard Clan Malcolm

They show her after the effects of the second fire and the burnt out accommodation and deck cargo

The German Bugsier Tug Albatros that towed Good Hope Castle from the South Atlantic to Antwerp

The German Bugsier Tug Heros that towed Good Hope Castle from the Antwerp to Bilbao

Clansman - August 1973

Life at Sea - 1972

Fire at Sea - 1973

Back in Service - May 1974

Life after Union-Castle Line

Accommodation Fire - July 1970

Clansman - October 1970

Good Hope

Castle

Left Southampton

26 December

For South Africa

Master

H Charnley

Chief Officer

R Kenyon

Second Officer

E Bremner

Extra Second Officer

S Ivey

Third Officer

M Savage

Cadets

N Middlehurst

D Daley

A Lukes

G Thomson

Bosun

A Weaver

First Radio Officer

D Withers

Chief Engineer

J Forbes

First Engineer

P Lovell

Second Engineer

J Davies

Jnr Second Engineer

J Robertson

B Cook

Junior Engineer

D Brown

G Liddell

W Saberton

Engineer Cadets

J Thomlinson

R Hutton

Chief Frig Engineer

M Thomas

First Electrician

C Tingley

Second Electrician

A May

Senior Mechanic

J Warman

W Johnson

W Davies

Purser/Catering Officer

W Parr

Second Purser Catering

K Hanson

Chef

A Dawson

Good Hope

Castle

Left Southampton

10 July

For South Africa

Master

P St Q Beadon

Chief Officer

P Flatau

Second Officer

E Bremner

Extra Second Officer

A Blackburn

Third Officer

M Williamson

Cadets

I Ward

C Tyacke

A Wright

A Theunissen

Bosun

D Stanley

First Radio Officer

D Withers

Chief Engineer

K Talbot

First Engineer

J Davies

Second Engineer

W Newton

Jnr Second Engineer

A Young

J Whitehead

Junior Engineer

C Cardwell

M Jennings

C Smith

Engineer Cadets

M Wiggins

R Hatton

Chief Frig Engineer

M Thomas

First Electrician

C Tingley

Second Electrician

R Butt

ER Storekeeper

K le Gallais

Purser/Catering Officer

W Parr

Second Purser Catering

T Watkins

Chef

A Dawson

Good Hope

Castle

Left Southampton

31 December

For South Africa

Master

J Catterall

Chief Officer

W Sutherland

Second Officer

M Newlands

Extra Second Officer

C Bagwell

Third Officer

G Paxton

Cadets

M Madelin

D Renson-Smith

D Mercer

R Lewis

Bosun

D Collins

First Radio Officer

D Withers

Chief Engineer

J Forbes

First Engineer

K Talbot

Second Engineer

J Field

Jnr Second Engineer

W Croston

W Atkinson

Junior Engineer

J Phelps

D Craig

A Wight

C Samuel

Engineer Cadets

W Lang

J Powell

Chief Frig Engineer

J Harrison

First Electrician

C Tingley

Second Electrician

P Bennett

Senior Mechanic

D Clarke

ER Storekeeper

K Le Gallais

Purser/Catering Officer

R Rex

Second Purser Catering

R Kennedy

Chef

T Hughes

Good Hope

Castle

Left Southampton

31 May

For South Africa

Master

P J Rose

Chief Officer

W Sutherland

Second Officer

M Brown

Third Officer

A Gorringe

Cadets

N Purdon

E Swale

A Gale

D Thomson

Bosun

E Petty

First Radio Officer

R Wilson

Chief Engineer

J Bunney

First Engineer

K Talbot

Second Engineer

E Pailthorpe

Jnr Second Engineer

W Croston

D Andrews

Junior Engineer

R Ashley

G Newns

C Buckingham

W Rae

Chief Frig Engineer

W Patterson

First Electrician

A Moir

Second Electrician

P Lake

Senior Mechanic

K Richards

D Bristow

J Drummond

ER Storekeeper

K Le Gallais

Purser/Catering Officer

R Rex

Second Purser Catering

W Black

Clansman - June 1974

As Paolo C

Deck cranes fitted

Not as much care taken over her appearance

Good Hope Castle before conversion

Good Hope Castle after conversion

Addition of Passenger Accommodation - 1967

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