Dad remembers his two older Swanepoel sisters Janie and Lizzie going on a trip from Durban to Lourenco Marques in Moçambique, then on to Moçambique Island on a ship (the Julio or Giulio or Duilio or the Giulio Cesar, he said).
This was in 1934. They probably took the train from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Oupa would have organised that, being a railway man!
He remembers the trip costing them seven pounds each, all in.
I went looking and found – as so often – that Dad’s memory was good. Maybe the Grundlinghs and Solomons know more about this trip?
Service history
The SS Giulio Cesare was used on Genoa and Naples to South America voyages but also served North American ports. Until 1925 the SS Giulio Cesare and the SS Duilio were the two largest ships in the Italian merchant fleet.
In November 1933, the Giulio Cesare was reconditioned and made ready to serve on the Mediterranean – South Africa Service.
Features
A feature of this ship was the Club situated on the boat-deck, with a bar. The ship also featured a saloon dining room, galleries and a ballroom. Second class was situated amidships. Talkie apparatus were also fitted to the ship and a long-distance wireless telephone was also available.
Tourist class accommodation was situated astern and also had several public rooms. The tourist passengers shared an open air swimming pool with the 2nd class passengers.
SS Giulio Cesare
 | |
|---|---|
|
Name: |
SS Giulio Cesare |
|
Namesake: |
Julius Caesar |
|
Owner: |
Italia Line (Navigazione Generale Italiana) |
|
Port of registry: |
Italy |
|
Route: |
Italy-South America & Cruising |
|
Builder: |
Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Ltd, Newcastle-on-Tyne, United Kingdom. |
|
Launched: |
7 February 1920 |
|
Completed: |
March 1922 |
|
Maiden voyage: |
1923 |
|
Homeport: |
Genoa |
|
General characteristics | |
|
Class: |
Ocean liner |
|
Tonnage: |
22,576 grt |
|
Length: |
636 feet |
|
Beam: |
76.15 feet |
|
Depth: |
66.3 feet |
|
Decks: |
4 |
|
Installed power: |
|
|
Propulsion: |
Quadruple screw |
|
Speed: |
20 knots |
|
Capacity: |
Total passengers: First Class: 244 Second Class: 306 Tourist Class:1800 |
|
Notes: |
Paintwork: White hull and upper works ; Boot-topping green
|
Her fate:
During WW2, SS Giulio Cesare was chartered to the International Red Cross for a time before being laid-up in the port of Trieste. She was sunk there by Allied aircraft on 10 July 1944, along with the SS Duilio.
This Swanepoel Family 