Highland Chieftain
Ship Number
806
Vessel Type
Passenger: Cargo Ship
Built
Belfast
Yard
East Yard
Slip Number
12
Launch Date
June 21, 1928
Delivered
January 26, 1929
Owner
H.& W. Nelson Ltd
Weight
14130 grt
BP Length
520 feet
Breadth
69 feet
No. of Screws
Twin
Speed (approx)
15.9 knots
Propulsion
Direct Acting (D.A.) Diesel
Official No.
148161
Registered
Belfast
Fate
Scrapped
 Highland Chieftain

[Harland and Wolff Collection]

Two funnels, accommodation for 150-1st, 70-2nd and 500-3rd class passengers. she was launched for the Nelson Line on 21st June1928 and started her maiden voyage on 21st February 1929 when she left London for Buenos Aires and intermediate ports.
 
1932 transferred to Royal Mail Lines.
 
1939 converted to a troopship. October11th 1940 damaged in an air raid on Liverpool. In 1948 she resumed commercial service to the River Plate and continued on this route until she was sold to Calpe Shipping Co, Gibraltar in January 1959. Renamed Calpean Star, for use in the whaling industry as a store, accommodation and frozen whale meat transporter.
 
In March 1960 she suffered grounding damage off South Georgia and was towed to Montevideo for repairs. After repair, when homeward bound, she was grounded after a boiler room fire, was abandoned and slowly disintegrated until 1965 when the wreck was cut up for scrap.
 
[Merchant Fleets, vol.5 by Duncan Haws]