Built as a cargo- passenger vessel under yard No. 606 by Barclay and Curle & Co., Glasgow for the Castle & Union-Castle Line in London.
04 July 1925 launched under the name LLANDOVERY CASTLE (II), named after Llandovery Castle in Calmarthenshire, South Wales.
Tonnage 10.640grt, 6.457 net, dim. 143.59 x 18.77 x 11.89m.
Powered by two 4-cyl. quadruple expansion steam engine, 1.085 nhp., twin screws, speed 14 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 224 first and 186 third class.
25 September 1925 delivered to owners.
Built special for the round African service. She was a popular vessel by the passengers with her wide and airy accommodation, ideally suited for tropical voyages.
1939 Converted from coal to oil burning.
September 1940 refitted in a hospital ship, but due to an air raid on Southampton where she was converted she was heavily damaged and her delivery was delayed.
May 1941 commissioned as H.M. HOSPITAL SHIP No 39.
Fitted out with 450 berths and a medical team of 89, she was used South East African waters during the Abyssinian and Eritrea operations, suffered minor bomb damage when she was in Suez.
April 1942 took part in the first exchanged of wounded Allied prisoners for wounded Italian, at Smyrna, exchanging 917 Italian for 129 allied.
February 1943 embarked wounded from Tobruk and brought them to Alexandria. Part of that year she was sailing between this two ports, sometimes making a call in Benghazi.
July 1943 was present at the landings in Sicily.
Sailed the 19th June 1944 south from the Clyde to be on stand-by during the landings in Normandy, and after D-Day took wounded aboard from Cherbourg.
From 1945 repatriate Canadian wounded to Halifax.
During her service as hospital ship she steamed more as 250.000 miles, and 38.000 wounded got medical help on board during that time.
September 1946 handed back to owners, and refitted in a passenger- cargo vessel for the round of Africa service from the U.K.
May 1947 resumed her round Africa service.
15 December 1952 she arrived for the last time in London, after discharging sold to British Iron and Steel Corp., sailed to Inverkeithing and was broken up by Thomas W. Ward in 1953.
St Helena 1969 1s9d sg 243, scott 226 and 1998 30p sg 759, scott 709.
Source: Log Book. Merchant Fleets in profile Vol 3 by Duncan Haws. http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/unioncastle3.html http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/v ... sp?id=4067