RMS Pretoria Castle (1947)

Pretoria Castle (later S.A. Oranje) was an ocean liner operated by the Union-Castle Line in service between Britain and South Africa during the mid 20th century.

She was built by Harland & Wolff of Belfast at a cost of £2.5 million, and was launched on 19 August 1947, with her christening performed by the wife of South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts.

[1] She was refit twice in the mid-1960s, with modifications externally to her masts and internally with the addition of air conditioning and added private bathrooms.

[3] She made her last revenue run in September 1975 after fuel oil prices rose sharply in the preceding years, and sailed for scrapping in Taiwan in November.

[1] She was powered by steam turbines, which drove twin propellers that gave her a service speed of 22 knots (25 mph).

Pretoria Castle, Southampton 1958