Highland Chieftain
As you come up the River Plate to Montevideo you can see the mast of the Highland Chieftain sticking out of the water from miles away. The un-initiated on the ship thought that this was the remains of the Graff Spee. No such luck as she lies broken up underwater some 3 miles away.
The Highland Chieftain was built in 1929 by Harland and Wolf of Belfast, and made her maiden voyage on the London toRiver Plate service, on the 21st of February and later transferred to Royal Mail in 1932. She commenced wartime trooping duties in 1939, but was damaged on the 11th of October, 1940, during a bombing raid on Liverpool.
The mast of the Highland Chieftain
After the war she did not resume her commercial operations until 1948 on the River Plate service, and was sold out of the fleet in January of 1959 to the Calpe Shipping Company of Gibraltar and converted for use in the whaling industry,and renamed Calpean Star.
The Highland Chieftain
In March of 1960 she suffered rudder damage when off Montevideo, and after leaving under tow she suffered a boiler room explosion which resulted in her being abandoned.The wreck wasn't cut up for scrap until 1965.
I am very grateful To Andy Jones for the following information and photos. He took the silhouette photo whilst serving on H.M.S.Protector in December 1967
Andy Jones
I believe I photographed the Highland Chieftain (Calpean Star) in 1967.
At the time I was serving in the Royal Navy on board HMS Protector the navy’s antarctic patrol ship. We were entering Montivideo for the christmas period. I was on the upper deck with my camera and took a sunlite silhouette photograph which later won a photographic competition.
Oddly you say the ship was cut up for scrap in 1965, if the ship I photographed is the same ship then it was far from being cut up by late 1967.
The photograph I have shows the two funnels, bridge and one deck below the funnels. Apart from the foremast, two derricks on the foredeck and two on the afterdeck the rest is sunken.
I have viewed the photograph you have and cross matched it with my photograph and I am about 90% sure it is the same ship. Other photographs I have seen only show the foremast and the top of the front derricks. I may have the only photograph of the Highland Chieftain as it was in the 1960’s.
Article translated from Spanish.
This vessel has known better times, of course. Was launched in 1928, Known as “Highland Chieftain” Part of a fleet of several cruise ships (passenger ships and cargo) identical.
After passing the usual tests, entered service in 1929, A maiden voyage between London and Buenos Aires. It continued for years doing transatlantic voyages carrying cargo and passengers between Europe and South America.
Displacing 14,000 tons and measured 163 meters long. Accommodate 150 passengers in the luxurious first class, 70 passengers in second class and to 500 in third class (something tells me that the latter were crowded, no?)
At the outbreak of World War II, the British seized it for use as troop transports. In that role the ship suffered bombing that severely damage it and put it out of service until 1948.
In 1959 was acquired by the company “Calpe Shipping Co., and entirely refurbished and renamed Calpan Star.
In early summer of 1959The ship carrying a cargo of birds and other animals to a zoo in Germany. Among them was an albatross, Large-sized seabird.
Prior to arriving in port, one of the sailors gave the albatross improper food and he died. This situation is unfortunate, in the beliefs of the seamen, who identified the bird as a “symbol of friendship” and avoid disturbing them or hurting them.
So it was no surprise that on reaching the next port, Liverpool, several of the crew demanded their pay and chose to stay there, knowing that the vessel had been “cursed.”
With some replacement crew, Calpean Star completed its journey, being allocated to the Norwegian fleet after the Antarctic. And there the trouble began.
The ship suffered first several faults in the generators. Repaired them, then detected a leak of oil into the water supply. Then a break in the main engine compressor would leave it adrift for several days. When the repairs were completed, the rudder of the ship suffered a fracture, such that it had to be towed to Montevideo to solve the problem.
I am gratefull to Craig Pearson for sending the photos below of his Uncle and two friends around 1950. If anyone knows who the crew are, please get in touch.
This was done and the necessary repairs were completed. But just as “Calpean Star”Left Montevideo, a huge explosion destroyed the engine room and started a fire. Crew members drowned during abandoning ship, which many identify with the sailor who killed the albatross. And the ship would founder hopelessly damned.
The curious fact: the ship’s remaining crew were repatriated by air. And in the first leg of the trip had a problem: the landing gear of the plane broke down when it landed in Rio de Janeiro.
The seamen declared that only by coming back to their land felt that the curse was over. Believe it or not.
this is a bit confusing! as a raf serviceman, i embarked on the highland chieftain (as part of a convoy) in april 1941. we were in collision with another ship in the convooy, and had to limp alone to capetown. i still have fond memories of the highland chieftain, as with the other ships in the convoy, namely the dominion monarch, as well as other ships.
At the outbreak of World War II, the British seized it for use as troop transports.
We sailed to Santos on the Highland Chieftan, leaving from Tilbury on 10th December 1955. I was 7 years old and remember the voyage vividly. The Bay of Biscay was horrible but stopping at Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Las Palmas and Rio was very exciting for a small kid from post war Leeds. Our stay in Brazil didn’t work out and we returned to the UK, leaving from Santos in mid April 1956.
Crossing the line was great fun. A member of the crew dressed up as King Neptune and all the kids got a ducking in a make-shift pool.
Strangely enough my Dad also sailed on the HC when it was a troop ship during the war
Hi there. My Gradndfather ? Cables was serving on the HC when he died, apparantly he fell into the Hold around 1939. I think it was in Las Palmas where he is buried. Would love any info. Thanks Pete
I saw & filmed this vessel in Montivideo in April 1976 on the way back from Australia on the liner Shota Rustavelli.
I have a slide of her.
My late Father was on the Highland Princess at the out break of war.
D. Menzies Secretary Bedford Branch.
World ShipSociety.
My father was chief engineer on this vessel at teh time of her last voyage. Having struck rocks entering Grytiviken harbour attempts were made to repair her by jury rigging a rudder, these were unsucessful and teh ship was towed to montevideo where repairs were successfully carried out. On leaving the shipyard, the boat ran aground and during attempts to get her off suffered an engine room explosion. The ship was subsequently sold to a uruguayan salvage company who cut holes in her side to allow water in with a view to balancing the ship to float her off . The boat settled in the mud and gradually sank into it leaving only the masts showing. I remember much of the antarctic phase of the trip since I was actually on board (at teh age of 5) unlikely as it sounds!!
Tomorrow i will post links to two photos of my uncle and his two friends painting the Highland Chieftain. This must have been around the mid to early 50′s. But I’ll check that date.
Sorry that I did not know how to write English correctly. I am Brazilian.
Gentlemen,
I would like to inform you that my mother Maria Ivonne R Fernandez left the port of Vigo in Spain on 18/11/1947 aboard the Highland Chieftains and arrived at Santos, Brazil on 5/12/1947, so
repairs after the attack suffered during World War II he returned to active in 1947 and not 1948.
If necessary I can send the scan of her passport for verification of data.
I think we all have to help make the most accurate possible data on the Web, even if they are small changes.
Grateful for the attention
Maria Palmira Rodriguez Fernandez
Ribeirao Pires, São Paulo, Brazil
mprfernandez@uol.com.br
My Great Uncle served in the RAF was on board the Dominion Monarch when it collided with the Highland Chieftain, his diary dates this as ‘Thursday 8th May 1941′ when they were woken by four crashing noises,and thought they had been torpedoed. After parading quickly to find they had collided they were back in bed for 5am.
Hi from Spain, I found this page looking for photos from the vessel “Highland Chieftain” my mother left the Vigo harbour in this ship in the year 1954 and her destiny was Montevideo.
I spent eight years on Highland Monarch (one of Chieftains sister ships)and remember passing the wreck of Highland Chieftain soon after the event of her wrecking.What annoyed all aboard the Highland Monarch at the time of passing the wreck, was,that after many years of being manned by British crews,surviving the second world war and completing many more years in the ownership of Royal Mail Lines Limited, she was destroyed by (apparently), an incompetent crew.Due to her wrecking having just occured prior to us passing her outside of Montevideo harbour,she hadn’t had time to settle very much on the bottom and had the appearance of being very overloaded, with her main decks only just above the water line. She made a sorry sight as we passed her.
My grandfather was one of the replacement crew that boarded in Liverpool after the albatross. I have some cuttings from the Liverpool Echo telling of the ship being abandoned in Liverpool and their struggle to find replacement crew on the “jinx ship”. My grandfather died whilst the ship was being repaired in Montevideo. He tripped over a rope on his way home when he was a little worse for wear and fell into the dock and drowned after knocking himself out. He is buried in the british embassy in Montevideo. His name was William Rogan and he came out of retirement to join the ship. He was the oldest guy on board. I have seached before for stuff about the ship and there seems to be a lot more than there was a couple of years ago. Thank you for the information.
My father served on the Highland Chieftain during the war and he was discharged in 1944. Would like to know more about the ship’s years and voyages as troop carrier.
Brings back memories. I travelled on her on return to Buenos Aires in 1950 as a 10 year old kid. Remember seeing her remains years later as I again returned to BA onboard the Argentine Dodero liner ‘Libertad’.
My Father sail on H C from 24.05.47 to 31.07.47
His name was Ernist Cook now known as Robert Ernist Cook if any one knows any more info I would apreicate it.
Regards Greg
My father Patrick G (Ger) Crowley served on the Highland Chieftain in the 1930′s I have a Photo of him in Buenos Aires in May 1938.
How would I access crew manifests etc for that time
I would like to invite you to visit the facebook site where I’m gathering, testimonials, photos and documents about the history of Highland Chieftain.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126987297322534&v=wall
Regards
My e-mail for contact or send photos and documents about Highland Chieftain.
arieleme@gmail.com
Highland Chieftain
For some time now I have been trying to piece together information about my step-brother Geoffrey Clarke, born in 1910, now deceased but who spent the war years in the British Embassy in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the staff of the Naval Attaché. He may even have been the Naval Attaché, as he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander during his posting there, as is evidenced by a letter of congratulations in Spanish, of which I have a copy, that he received at the time from the Uruguayan authorities.
Either because of his natural reticence or possibly for reasons of security, he never spoke much about his time in South America, limiting himself mainly to the story of the scuttling of the Graf Spee, which occurred while he was there and of which he had several black-and-white photographs, now unfortunately lost, taken from the shore.
I knew that he had travelled to Montevideo in a ship called the Highland Chieftain, which I now find is the subject of a number of recollections on websites. The account that circulated in the family was that as a young RNVR officer he was at the outbreak of war told to report to the Highland Chieftain, presumably at dock in some port such as Liverpool. On board he found himself in the company of several young men in plain clothes who all turned out to be British Naval officers. One was dropped off at each of various ports as the Chieftain made its way to South America, my step-brother being the last but one to disembark, at Montevideo, the last passenger presumably leaving the ship at Buenos Aires.
Though these events date back some seventy years, I would be interested in obtaining: (a) any details or memories anyone may have of this particular voyage, passenger manifest, route, dates, etc., and (b) information concerning the activities and staff of the Naval Attaché in Montevideo at the time. In particular, I have always been intrigued why my step-brother, whose many qualities did not to my knowledge include any acquaintance with or interest in Latin America and who did not speak Spanish or any other foreign language, should have been chosen for this posting. This latter part of my search would probably best be conducted via the War Museum, but not being very computer-literate, I wouldn’t know how to go about it and, of course, there may well be, even now, security-related objections to releasing such information.
My heartfelt thanks in advance to anyone who can help.
Andrew Clarke, Brussels, Belgium, February 2012
Hi I have just found what looks like an immagration document dated 1937. It is from a crew member of the M.V. Highland Chieftain.
The name in the document is Johm Ivan Blair. I found this document in my Dads files. He was a customs officer , so he must have found it while on duty. I am looking forward to hearing from you
Lesley Russell.
I am the nephew of Geoffrey Clarke (mentioned in the comment by Andrew Clarke) and have in my possession his wartime letters to his sister, my mother.
Geoff writes on 25 August 1939:
”Well, old dear, I sail for Buenos Aires, Argentina in the morning (Sat.) at 12 o’clock and am going out there as the Consular Shipping Adviser (whatever that may mean!). Attached to the British Consul or that’s the bloke I have to report to. I’m the only one appointed to that city but there are a number of us appointed to travel in the same
ship which is the “Highland Chieftain”, Royal Mail Line, sailing from Tilbury. I have very few other instructions except that I’m travelling as a private individual – no uniform required at all, so I’ve shipped them home.” He then recounts rushing back to Wolverhampton & then back
to the Admiralty …”there is no easing up at H.Q. More activity if anything.”
In the bundle there are numerous letters on HChieftain stationery (as yet unread by me) and also postcards of both The HC & HMS Newcastle.
Milo
My grandfather, Charles Musgrove, 1875 – 1942 was a “First Baker” on Highland Chieftain. His log books show he did 20 voyages from Victoria Docks to the River Plate between Feb 1929 and Nov 1932. He then moved on to Highland Princess. Fascinating to learn of his old ship’s ultimate fate.
I hsve just recieved my grand fathers service book from the National Archives and it indicates that he was 2nd Cook on this vessel in 1940. His name was William Joseph Hitchcock. If anyone has any more information on this ship, viseos, photos etc please contact me – nicholsonjw@hotmail.com.
Kindest Regards,
John
Like J Nicholson my father William “Bill” Sloan served as 2nd butcher on the Highland Chieftain during the 2nd world war, any photos etc Would be of interest.
Whilst “Googling” one of my previous ships the
“Highland Princess” I came across the “Submerged” website and may offer some assistance. I would suggest trying another website called http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz for detailed info on the Highland Chieftain. This website will give ships history from launch to end of service.
As a 17 year old 1st tripper I sailed as 3rd Radio Officer on the Highland Princess in 1958. Both my senior R/O’s sailed on her before,during and after WW11. As all 4 Highland Ships were identical in design, I do have photographs of the Highland ships and their luxurious 1st class passenger accommodation if anyone is interested.
Other maritime sites worth visiting are Ships Nostalgia and Merchant Navy websites (via google). Hope this helps.
Regards, joeduffy65@hotmail.co.uk
Hey Joseph,
Thanks for the information! My grandmother sailed with my infant father and aunt on the last voyage of the Highland Princess before she was retired in 1959. She was in second class but would regularly be invited to play the piano in one of the 1st class lounges for passengers (she was a piano teacher). Off the coast of Portugal, the Highland Princess was caught in a fierce storm, and was unable to dock for several days, being at the mercy of the sea. My grandmother describes the ship rolling, and how most on board thought she would be sunk by the great waves. A rope was installed on her stern deck between deck houses so passengers could hold on and not be swept to sea when crossing the deck. After days, the ship did weather the storm and sailed safely to London.
I would love to see your pictures of the Highland class ships Joseph. I have been researching the Highland Princess for quite some time, and coming across pictures is often very difficult. I would really appreciate the chance to see your photographs!
Cheers,
Rene – rene.moortgat@gmail.com