Union-Castle Line Passenger Lists 1911-1955
AKA: Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company
The Royal Mail Steamers of the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co., Ltd., Sail from Southampton Every Saturday with Passengers and Cargo for Cape Colony and Natal, Calling at Madeira.
INTERMEDIATE STEAMERS are dispatched from London every Friday and sail from Southampton every Saturday for Cape Colony, Natal, and Delagoa Bay calling alternately at Las Palmas and Tenerife. These Steamers call at St Helena every four weeks.
EXTRA STEAMERS are dispatched at frequent and regular Intervals for Cape Colony Natal, Delagoa Bay, and Beira and Mauritius alternately. These Steamers call at Las Palmas or Tenerife.
Visit our Union-Castle Line Archival Collection for Passenger Lists, Passage Contracts, Menus, Route Maps, Fleet List, Officers Insignia, and more.
1911-07-15 RMS Walmer Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 15 July 1911
Route: Southampton for Capetown via Madeira, Algoa Bay, East London, and Natal
Commander: Captain F. Whitehead, R.N.R.
1920-11-19 RMS Armadale Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Second Class
Date of Departure: 12 November 1920
Route: Southampton to Natal via Madeira, Cape Town, Algoa Bay and East London
Commander: Captain J. W. Hague, R.N.R.
1927-11-04 R.M.M.V. Carnarvon Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Second Class
Date of Departure: 4 November 1927
Route: Southampton for Capetown via Madeira, Algoa Bay, East London, and Natal
Commander: Captain W. F. Stanley
1929-05-23 SS Llandaff Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 23 May 1929
Route: London to South Africa via the Mediterranean
Ports of Call: London to Natal via Marseilles, Genoa, Port Said, Port Sudan, Aden, Mombasa, Tanga, Zanzibar, DarEs-Salaam, Port Amelia, Beira and Lourenço Marques (Maputo)
Commander: Captain E. F. Gilbert
1929-11-29 RMS Walmer Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Second Saloon
Date of Departure: 29 November 1929
Route: Capetown to Southampton via Madeira
Commander: Captain W. Morton Betts
1935-09-24 SS Llandaff Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 24 September 1935
Route: Capetown to Southampton via St. Helena, Ascension, and Teneriffe
Commander: Captain H. L. Scholefield
1935-10-18 SS Kenilworth Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 18 October 1935
Route: Natal to Southampton via East London, Port Elizabeth, Capetown, and Madeira
Commander: Captain E. S. Vincent, R.D., R.N.R.
1939-07-13 RMMV Stirling Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 13 July 1939
Route: Southampton to Durban via Madeira, Capetown, Port Elizabeth, and East London,
Commander: Captain H. R. Northwood
1939-07-14 RMS Windsor Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 14 July 1939
Route: Cape Town to London via Madeira
Commander: Captain R. W. Goodacre, R.D., R.N.R
1949-04-21 R.M.M.V. Capetown Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 21 April 1949
Route: Southampton for Capetown, Port Elizabeth, East London, and Durban via Madeira
Commander: Captain W. D. Roach
1949-12-15 RMS Warwick Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First Class and Tourist
Date of Departure: 15 December 1949
Route: Southampton to Durban via Madeira, Capetown, Port Elizabeth, and East London
Commander: Captain J. Trayner
1950-03-31 RMS Edinburgh Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 31 March 1950
Route: Capetown to Southampton via Madeira
Commander: Captain T. W. McAllen
1954-12-09 R.M.M.V. Winchester Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 9 December 1954
Route: Southampton to Durban via Madeira, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and East London
Commander: Captain G. W. B. Lloyd
1955-06-17 RMS Edinburgh Castle Passenger List
Steamship Line: Union-Castle Line
Class of Passengers: First and Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 17 June 1955
Route: Cape Town to London via Madeira
Commander: Captain H. A. Deller
⚠️ About Accuracy in Historical Records Research Tip
Context. The GG Archives presents passenger lists as faithfully as possible to the original documents. While OCR is generally accurate, portions of these collections—especially image captions and some transcriptions—are typed by hand and may include typographical or spelling variations. The original manifests themselves also contained clerical inconsistencies (names recorded phonetically, mid-voyage corrections, etc.).
What this means for your research:
- Search variant spellings of names (e.g., “Schmidt/Schmitt/Smith,” “Giuseppe/Joseph”).
- Cross-reference with immigration cards, passport applications, naturalization files, city directories, and newspapers.
- Treat manifests as primary sources with historical quirks—use them alongside corroborating records.
- For place names, consider historical borders and language variants (e.g., Danzig/Gdańsk, Trieste/Trst).
How to cite. When quoting a name from a manifest, consider adding [sic] for obvious misspellings and include a note such as “spelling as printed in original passenger list.”
Need help? If you spot a likely transcription error in captions, feel free to contact us with the page URL and a brief note—we love community input. 🙏
Curator’s Note
For over 25 years, I've been dedicated to a unique mission: tracking down, curating, preserving, scanning, and transcribing historical materials. These materials, carefully researched, organized, and enriched with context, live on here at the GG Archives. Each passenger list isn't just posted — it's a testament to our commitment to helping you see the people and stories behind the names.
It hasn't always been easy. In the early years, I wasn't sure the site would survive, and I often paid the hosting bills out of my own pocket. But I never built this site for the money — I built it because I love history and believe it's worth preserving. It's a labor of love that I've dedicated myself to, and I'm committed to keeping it going.
If you've found something here that helped your research, sparked a family story, or just made you smile, I'd love to hear about it. Your experiences and stories are the real reward for me. And if you'd like to help keep this labor of love going, there's a "Contribute to the Website" link tucked away on our About page.
📜 History is worth keeping. Thanks for visiting and keeping it alive with me.
