Royal Mail Lines, Ltd

The financial affairs of the RMSP group were so large and complex that they took four years to unravel before RMSP could be liquidated. So much of Britain's shipping industry was involved, though, that the High Court authorised the creation of a Scheme of Arrangement which would guarantee the continuation of ship operations.

Out of this, Royal Mail Lines, Ltd (RML) was born in 1932. It took over not only the RMSP ships but also those of other group companies trading to South America - Nelson Line and David MacIver & Co. Thus RML initially owned more than 50 ships, including the 22,000-ton Alcantara and Asturias, Nelson Line's 14,000-ton Highland ships and many cargo liners.

The Company's operations were now concentrated on the Americas - the east coast of South America, West Indies, Caribbean rim and the Pacific coast of North America. The one exception to that was cruising - the 1930s was the decade of the Atlantis and this popular cruise liner consolidated the position Royal Mail had already established as a leading cruise ship operator.

A highlight of the 1930s was the construction of the Company's largest liner, the 26,000-ton Andes. Completed late in 1939, she was intended to operate the South America mail service, but instead was taken up for trooping duties in World War II.

As with the previous war, World War II accounted for many lives and many ships. Most of the losses were cargo liners. The only passenger ship not to survive was Highland Patriot, though Asturias was torpedoed and became a constructive total loss. She was later repaired under Government ownership and was managed by Royal Mail until the late 1950s.

 

 

Superb Tudor-style first class dining saloon in the 14,000-ton Highland Chieftain.

 

Highland Monarch, on the right, in a convoy to the Middle East 1941.

The first class Grand Hall in Andes (II). The photo was taken in the early 1950s.

An unusual view of Andes in a Norwegian fjord during one of her early cruises in the 1950s.

Highland Brigade passing a Thames barge on her approach to Tilbury Landing Stage.