Paquebot de l'Union Castle à Cape Town (Afrique du Sud) dans les années cinquante
L’Union-Castle Line est une ligne maritime qui exploitait une flotte de paquebots et de cargos entre l'Europe (Southampton) et l'Afrique (Le Cap) de 1900 à 1977. L'entreprise était à l'origine la Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, Ltd, suite à la fusion le 8 mars 1900 de l'Union Line et de la Castle Shipping Line. Il s'agit là sans doute de l'un des trois sister-ships lancés en 1951-1952, Braemar Castle, Rhodesia Castle ou Kenya Castle. The Union-Castle Line was a prominent shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and freighters between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line. It merged with Bullard King and Clan Line in 1956 to form British & Commonwealth Shipping, and then with South African Marine Corporation in 1973 to create International Liner Services, but maintained its separate identity throughout. Its shipping operations ceased in 1977.
Braemar Castle was completed in 1952 for the Union-Castle Line round Africa service. The third of three sisters built 1951-52, the others being Rhodesia Castle and Kenya Castle. |