Happy days, the Noon Pint, Pete Carter, a 4th R.O & deck Steward, "Winchester Castle" 1958

This web site is the work of Owen G. Keen

October 2006

After a life time spent working with and on ships and the men who sail them I look back and think what a privileged life it has been.   From cadet to master, tug mate to pilot I have met and worked with those my father always called ‘the salt of the earth’.   There are countless books devoted to ships, from detailed ‘one ship’ books, company histories to weighty reference books, the very sad omission, I have never come across one, is any attempt to record the lives of those who sailed them and those who ran them from ashore.

E.F. Knight who wrote The Union-Castle and the War, 1914-1919 and Marischal Murray and his Union-Castle Chronicle have achieved the near impossible feat of hardly a mention of anyone's (other than Company directors) name.
Every ship had a master, mate, bos'un, peggy, in the offices there were cargo, staff, accounts and other departments, there was the shore bosun’s yard and every office had a doorman who knew all who entered.
Walking down Leadenhall and Fenchurch streets in London was like walking through the British Empire, standing almost between them was Bleak House, Number 3, Fenchurch Street the home of the Union-Castle Line.   It is incredible to think that in 1953 it celebrated its centenary and by the year 2000 had all but vanished along with almost all those other companies that lived in those two famous streets. 
These were the people who made the Union-Castle Line the company it was, its character with its record of reliability and service.    The public were very familiar with the handsome Mail Ships, I expect most of us can remember the huge model of the “Edinburgh Castle” so prominently displayed at Waterloo Station, but those same people who made sure that the Mail sailed promptly at four every Thursday afternoon also cared for much humbler vessels.   At one time Union-Castle ran ships such as the “Eider”, “Hansa” and “Ipu” that would have compared unfavourably with tonnage operated by the hardest tramp-ship company.
Many of these otherwise apparently unexceptional people in times of war showed quite exceptional courage and initiative, those who survived returning to their ‘day job’ at wars end with only medal ribbons to tell their story.
I am now seventy, I was one of the last officers to be employed under a Union-Castle Line contract, time and tide waits for no man and it occurred to me that very soon if something is not done about it all this will be gone.   In an attempt to do something about it before that sad day comes I have set up this web site, I can only ask you to make your contribution so our story is not lost forever.   Very possibly, no almost certainly I am asking those whose parents worked for the Company ashore or afloat to add their story as a memorial for something that was incomparable and very special.

October 2008

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge in the past two years.   It became obvious that to fit into current times the site has become ever more British & Commonwealth, I know this may cause a lot of humphing and pursed lips amongst those who Chris Isaac's calls the Lavender Hull mob.   Well I am one of those myself but I face facts, after the amalgamation with Clan Line there followed the cross over of people from many diverse companies.   The changes being made to the site reflect this reality.

Because so many people who go to this web site are searching for information to fill gaps in their family history the site will be expanding where possible to cater for this.   The number of descendants of past crew, mostly Union-Castle I hasten to add, who want to know more about their great grandfather (yes and grandmother!) has given me encouragement to continue as I see the need for such a site.  

All information published is already available in published sources or has been supplied to me by family members.   Great care is taken to ensure privacy.  I did if requested post a contact e-mail address but did so reluctantly and, now that a flourishing Gougle Group under the stern eye of Chris Isaac is well established all who want more direct contact with old friends should make use of this facility.

O.G.K.