25th County of London Cyclist Battalion
The London Regiment

H.M.T. Castalia

The Castalia was one of the ships which brought the troops home from India.

The CASTALIA was a 6,715 gross ton ship, length 440.5ft x beam 53.2ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw and a speed of 12 knots. Accommodation for 90-cabin class passengers when built. Built by Barclay, Curle & Co, Glasgow, she was launched for Anchor Line's Indian service on 23rd Aug.1906. 

Her maiden voyage from Glasgow to Bombay started on 11th Oct.1906 and in Aug.1914 she was taken over as a troopship to carry the First Indian Expeditionary Force to Europe. She then resumed commercial service to India. In 1917 she was taken over under the Liner Requisition Scheme and undertook several trooping voyages. Went aground at Port Said in Feb.1919 with 73 passengers and 1,157 troops aboard but was successfully refloated and in Oct.1919 returned to Anchor Line. 

Overhauled, converted from coal to oil fuel and her passenger accommodation increased to 102-cabin class, she returned to the Indian service. On 29th Apr.1921 she started her first Glasgow to New York sailing and commenced her second and last voyage on this route on 23rd Jun.1921 before returning to the India service. She continued this service until Nov.1948 when she arrived at Glasgow and was paid off. Sold to Italian owners in Jan.1949, she was renamed MARENGO but broke down on her second voyage from Curacao to Genoa which took a month. Passed to Fratelli Grimaldi in 1950, she was refurbished, renamed URANIA II and used on the Italy - Central America service until 1954 when she was scrapped in Italy.[Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.9, Anchor Line][North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1]

Acknowledgments :-

Bruce Biddulph, George Robinson & Stuart Cameron :- http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=4235
The Ships List :- http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsC.html
 http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Anchor2.html