Built by Barclay Curle & Co. of Whiteinch near Glasgow under yard No 478 for the Union-Castle Mail SS Co., Ltd. London.
13 January 1910 launched as GARTH CASTLE (2) she was the second ship of that name. Named after the estate of Sir Donald Currie, president of the Union Castle Line.
Tonnage 7,616 gross, 4,795 net, 9,200 dwt., .dim. 137.95 x 16.56 x 9.35m.
Powered by quadruple expansion steam engines, 647 nhp, twin shafts, speed 13 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 75 first, 110 second and 200 third class.
March 1910 completed.
Built for the intermediate service between the U.K. and South Africa in which she made calls at Ascension and St Helena.
She was requisitioned by the Admiralty on 4th November 1914 and converted to a hospital ship based at Scapa Flow, Cromarty Firth and Firth of Ford.
24 October 1919 she resumed her duties on the intermediate route.
On 25th March 1926 ran she aground off the island of Ascension and her passengers had to be transferred to KENILWORTH CASTLE whilst she proceeded to Cape Town (with a flooded No 1 hold and with a forward draught of 2.5m more as her stern-draught) for repairs.
She was sold for breaking up and arrived on 14 June 1939 at the scrapyard of Hughes Bolskow Ltd. at Blyth for scrapping.
Ascension 1980 15p sg266, scott259. 1990 9p sg531, scott493. 1999 50p sg768, scott723
Source: Lloyds Register.
http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz Log Book.
