1927-1946
In 1927 Royal Mail acquired the shares in White Star Line from the International Marine Co, Ohio and Orca transferred to White Star and were renamed Albertic and Calgaric, Orbita and Orduna reverted back to P.S.N.C. Royal Mail withdrew its services to New York and also its Canada-West Indies service was terminated. The Company struggled financially between 1929-1931 and was forced to reconstruct the Group, P.S.N.C. was separated from the Parent group. Part of the consolidation in 1932 was that a new Company was formed called Royal Mail Lines Ltd taking over the assets of Royal Mail Steam Packet Co Ltd, RMSP Meat Transports Ltd, Nelson Steam Navigation Co Ltd and David MacIver & Co Ltd, Lord Essendon became the new Company's first Chairman. During the Second World War the entire Fleet was requisitioned and its losses were nineteen ships.
ANDES
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Built: 1939 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast.
Tonnage: 26, 689g, 14, 787n.
Engines : Twin Screw, 2 x 3 Steam Turbine, Single Reduction Geared, 5, 599 SHP, 21 Knots.
Passengers: 403 First Class, 204 Second Class, 451 Crew.
Launched on the 7th March 1939, completed September 1939.
Instead of making her maiden voyage to South America celebrating 100 years of Royal Mail history she found herself in Liverpool being converted into a troopship with the ability to carry 4, 096 troops and on the 9th of December made her first voyage to Halifax Nova Scotia. She trooped uneventfully for the remainder of the War in various theatres and carried the exiled Norwegian Government back to Oslo in May of 1945. She underwent refurbishment in Belfast 1946/47 and emerged with a gross weight of 25, 676 and passenger numbers of 324 First Class and 204 Second Class.
She made her first commercial voyage for Royal Mail on the 22nd of January 1948 from Southampton to Buenos Aires. She underwent conversion to a cruise ship at De Schelde in Flushing in 1959 with a passenger capacity of 480 First Class. She commenced cruising on the 10th of June 1960 and remained as such until February of 1971 when she was sold for breaking to Van Heyghen Freres of Ghent, work commenced on the 7th of May.
LOCHAVON: Only launched fourteen months previously she was torpedoed 200 miles West of Bishops Rock whilst on passage Vancouver to Liverpool on the 14th October 1939.
NAVASOTA: Torpedoed and sank on the 5th of December 1939 150 miles West of Bishops Rock en route from Liverpool to Buenos Aires.
SAMBRE
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Built: 1919 by Short Bros, Sunderland.
Tonnage: 5, 260g, 3, 226n.
Engine : Single Screw, Triple Expansion, 3 Cylinders. 517 NHP, 10 Knots.
Launched 29th August 1919, completed in the November.
Laid down as a standard 'B' Ship she was acquired by royal Mail in 1920 and named Sambre. She was torpedoed and sank mid Atlantic on her way to Philadelphia on the 27th of July 1940.
HIGHLAND PATRIOT: Torpedoed on the 1st October 1940 500 miles West of Bishops Rock by U-38 inbound for the Clyde, 3 lost.
NATIA: Sank in the Atlantic on the 8th October 1940.
NALON: Sank by aircraft on the 6th November 1940.
ARABY: Sank in the Atlantic by U-Boat on the 27th of December 1940.
NAGOYA: On the 4th of April 1941 she was sank by torpedo South West of Freetown.
CULEBRA: On the 5th of January 1942 the convoy which Culebra was part of was scattered by a storm, she was sank with all hands by gunfire from a U-Boat on the 17th in all 45 lives were lost.
SOMME: Torpedoed and sank whilst on passage London to Bermuda on the 16th of February 1942.
PAMPAS: Having travelled in convoy to Malta and arriving safely Pampas began unloading her precious cargo. During the discharge she was attacked by German aircraft and was bombed to destruction on the 26th March 1942.
SIRIS: Sank by torpedo and gunfire on the 12th July 1942 outward bound for Rio De Janeiro.
LOCHKATRINE: On the 3rd of August 1942 she was sank by torpedo 300 miles East of Newfoundland with the loss of eight crew and one passenger.
SARTHE: Sank on the 8th October 1942 en route Aden to Rio De Janeiro.
BRITTANY: Sank by torpedo on the 29th of October 1942 en route Liverpool to Freetown.
LOCHGOIL: Bombed and sank on the 27th of March 1943 off Gibraltar.
SABOR: Sank by torpedo in the Indian Ocean en route Mombasa to Rio De Janeiro in 1943.
NEBRASKA: Royal Mail's final loss was torpedoed off Ascension en route Gibraltar to Buenos Aires.
DURANGO
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Built: 1944 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast.
Tonnage: 9, 806g, 5, 786n
Engines : Twin Screw, 2 x 6 Cylinder Direct Acting, 1802 NHP, 15 Knots.
She was built for the North Pacific route and in 1966 transferred to Shaw Savill becoming Ruthenic. A year later she was sold to Embajada Cia De Nav becoming Sussex and in the same year on the 26th December 1967 arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan for breaking.
DERWENT
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Built: 1945 by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead.
Tonnage: 13, 594g, 7, 794n, 14, 447 dwt
Engines : Twin Screw, 2 x 3 Turbines, Single Reduction Geared, 16 Knots.
Built originally for Shaw Savill and Albion she transferred to Royal Mail in 1969. She was operated for Furness Withy the Parent Company by Prince Line in 1971, sold for breaking no determinate date.
After the cessation of hostilities the Company's surviving passenger ships, Atlantis, Almanzora, Austurias, Alcantara and Andes commenced Trooping, Hospital and Repatriation duties. They were assisted by four Highland Class ships.
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