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CONVOY HX 63
Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram
(Will be updated - please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all HX convoys. See also HX escorts).
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Departed Halifax on Aug. 4-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 19th (Arnold Hague says 53 ships). |
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| Transcribed from A 1 form received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).
Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Sw=Swedish, Gr=Greek, Du=Dutch, Rom=Romanian. Note that some ships appear to be missing from this form - see Advance Sailing Telegram. |
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11
Andalusian general Methil (Br) |
21
Cairnglen * general Newcastle (Br) |
31
Cairnvalona * general Newcastle (Br) |
41
Darina gasoline Methil (Br) |
51
Edwy R. Brown gas kerosene Clyde (Br) |
61
Baltrover general Liverpool (Br) |
71
Incemore general - lumber Manchester (Br) |
81
Ashworth steel scrap Milford (Br) |
91
Pomella diesel fuel Belfast (Br) |
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12
Stad Arnhem lumber Dundee (Du) |
22
Blairspey * pit props Methil (Br) |
32
Somersby * grain Methil (Br) |
42
Arletta gasoline Methil (Br) |
52
Corrientes * general Glasgow (Br) |
A 61
Manchester Commerce general Manchester (Br) |
72
Eurylochus general Liverpool (Br) |
A 81
Dakotian general Avonmouth (Br) |
A 91
Melmore Head general Belfast (Br) |
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A 11
Harpenden grain Methil (Br) |
23
Kyleglen * iron ore Middlesbrough (Br) |
A 34 Diala gasoline Methil (Br) |
B 41 Rapana southern fuel Methil (Br) |
53 Garonne gasoline Clyde (Norw) |
A 62 Rothermere newsprint Manchester (Br) |
A 71 Inventor general Liverpool (Br) |
82 Sir Ernest Cassel iron ore Cardiff (Sw) |
B 91 Oporto bauxite Belfast for Larne (Br) |
| A 13 Inginer N. Vlassopol pit props London (Rom) |
24 Lunula gasoline Methil (Br) |
B 31 Helder sugar Methil (Du) |
B 42 Surrey refrig. general Methil (Br) |
B 51 Megara diesel oil Clyde (Br) |
B 61 Egba timber - cotton Liverpool (Br) |
A 72 Katendrecht gasoline Manchester (Du) |
B 82 Sithonia scrap iron Milford (Br) |
B 92 Tasso bauxite Belfast for Larne (Br) |
| B 11 Graiglas grain - lumber Methil (Br) |
A 25 Scottish Standard gasoline Scapa (Br) |
B 32 Baron Carnegie pit props Methil (Br) |
B 43 Baron Ruthven pit props Methil (Br) |
B 52 Nicolaou Virginia diesel oil - scrap iron Clyde (Gr) |
B 62 Elax southern fuel Manchester (Br) |
A 73 San Roberto crude oil Manchester (Br) |
83 Thistleglen * steel Newport (Br) |
B 93 Standella benzine Dublin (Br) |
| 16 | B 21 Mirza * gas oil Milford (Du) |
B 33 Ferncastle * diesel Milford (Norw) |
B 45 Conch Admiralty fuel Milford (Br) |
B 53 Thistleglen steel Newport (Br) |
B 63 Loreto general Liverpool (Br) |
B 72 Llanover pig iron Milford Haven (Br) |
B 84 Ferncastle * diesel oil Milford (Norw) |
B 94 Marstenen wood pulp Belfast (Norw) |
| 17 | 27 Barrwhin dropped astern date illegible (Aug 10?) (Br) |
37 | 47 | 57 | 67 | 77 | B 85 Mirza * gas oil Milford (Du) |
97 British Progress timber Falmouth (Br) |
| * Cairnglen, Blairspey, Corrientes, Kyleglen, Cairnvalona, and Somersby, are listed in the Advance Sailing Telegram for the Sydney, C.B. portion, as are Rothermere, Harpenden, Manchester Commerce, Dakotian and Melmore Head, which have already been given A numbers in this form. I'm not entirely sure that all the A numbers denotes ships in the Sydney portion in this case - see Notes further down on this page.
* I'm not sure why Mirza, Ferncastle and Thistleglen are listed twice, it might simply mean that they were moved to different stations at some point. Note that Ferncastle is not included in the A 1 form for the Bermuda portion, and is also crossed out from the Advance Sailing Telegram for this portion. I believe she joined from Halifax (having straggled from the previous convoy, HX 62). |
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Escorted by HMS Alaunia, also Commodore for this convoy Sailed on Aug. 3 - Cruising speed to be 9 knots |
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| Transcribed from A 1 form received from Tony Cooper (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).
Br=British, Du=Dutch, Gr=Greek. |
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B 11
Graiglas grain - lumber Methil for Ipswich (Br) |
B 21
Mirza gas oil Methil (Du) |
B 31
Helder sugar Methil for London (Du) |
B 41
Surrey refrig. - general Methil (Br) |
B 51
see 53 San Roberto |
B 61
see below Egba |
B 71
Standella benzine Dublin (Br) |
B 81
Tasso bauxite Belfast for Larne (Br) |
B 91
Oporto bauxite - Trinidad asphalt Belfast for Larne (Br) |
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B 12
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B 22
Rapana* southern fuel Methil (Br) |
B 32
Scottish Standard Admiralty fuel Clyde (Br) |
B 42
Conch Admiralty fuel Clyde (Br) |
B 52
see above Megara |
B 62
see above Elax |
B 72
Llanover pig iron Milford Haven f. o. (Br) |
B 82
Sithonia scrap iron Milford Haven (Br) |
B 92
Inventor general Liverpool (Br) |
| B 13 | B 23 | B 33 | B 43 Nicolaou Virginia scrap iron Glasgow (Gr) |
B 53 see above Katendrecht |
B 63 Loreto general Liverpool (Br) |
B 73 | B 83 | B 93 |
| *Rapana is listed as Dutch on the A 1 form, but this ship was British.
As can be seen from this, some of the ships that have been given B numbers in the form above are not included in this A 1 form for the Bermuda portion, and some of the ships listed here have been given A numbers in the form above. Note also that the Norwegian Charles Racine and Stiklestad are mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram below, with a note saying "To proceed to Halifax to await orders". |
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Advance Sailing Telegram Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. |
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Ship
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Nationality
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Cargo
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Destination
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Remarks
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Halifax section
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Ashworth
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British
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scrap
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Swansea
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From HX 62
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American / MOWT 1940
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pig iron
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Glasgow
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Andalusian
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British
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general - lumber - special
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Hull
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From HX 62
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Sveve
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Norwegian
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Tanker B
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Clyde
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Swedish
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grain - steel
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Glasgow
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From HX 62
(Does not show again on this site until HX 74 - cancelled) |
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Stad Arnhem
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Dutch
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lumber
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Dundee
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–
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Norwegian
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iron - steel
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Mersey
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British
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pig iron
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Liverpool
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Listed in HX 64
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Barrwhin
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"
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iron - steel
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Hull
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–
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"
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steel - general
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Hull
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Listed in HX 64
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Eurylochus
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"
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general
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Liverpool
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–
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Panamanian
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paper
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Avonmouth
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Listed in HX 64
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Incemore
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British
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general
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Manchester
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–
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Swedish
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general
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Liverpool
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Listed in HX 64
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British
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steel - scrap iron
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Newport
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Listed in HX 64
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| *Rajahstan is crossed out in the AST, but it appears she did join and returned to port, according to a note in the AST for the next convoy, HX 64. | ||||
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" (Ex Da)
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timber
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Belfast / Sunderland
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Listed in SC 1
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Greek
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scrap iron
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Swansea
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Listed in HX 64
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British
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deals.
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Bristol
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Swedish
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general
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Liverpool
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Listed in HX 64
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Greek
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not given
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Dublin
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Listed in HX 64
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| Note that the Halifax section probably had more ships than those listed above. | ||||
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Joining from Sydney, C.B. - Sailed Aug. 4
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Blairspey
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British
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pit props
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West Hartlepool
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–
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Corrientes
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"
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general - explosives - trucks
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Glasgow
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From HX 62
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Kyleglen
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"
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iron ore
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Middlesbrough
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–
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Rothermere
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"
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newsprint
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Manchester
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–
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"
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pit props
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Tyne
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Listed in HX 64
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Cairnvalona
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"
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general
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Newcastle
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Vice Commodore
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Dakotian
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"
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general
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Avonmouth
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–
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Estonian
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lumber
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Glasgow
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Listed in SC 1
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Melmore Head
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British
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general
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Belfast
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–
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Somersby
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"
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grain
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Hull
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–
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"
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steel - lumber
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Manchester
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Listed in HX 64
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Cairnglen
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"
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general
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Newcastle
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–
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Harpenden
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"
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grain
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Hull
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–
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Manchester Commerce
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"
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general
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Manchester
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–
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"
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steel - lumber
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London
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Listed in HX 64
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Greek
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pit props
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Garston
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Listed in SC 1
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| There's a note at the end of the document for the Sydney portion, saying "Bromley (Br) Unknown U.K. Cannot trace".
The following ships appear on a separate document, with no mention of which section they belong to - note, however, that some of these have been given A numbers in the A 1 form (this usually denotes Sydney ships), while others have been given a B number in the form (though some are not included on the form for the Bermuda portion). I'm assuming the rest of them belong in the Halifax portion. See also Notes below. |
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Inginer N. Vlassopol
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Romanian
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wood pulp
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London
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A number in A 1 form
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Marstenen
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Norwegian
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pulp wood
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Belfast / Medway
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B number in A 1 form,
but not included in form for Bermuda portion. Joined from Sydney, C.B.? See Marstenen - (sunk Aug. 30) |
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Arletta
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British
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Tanker W
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London
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See also HX 60
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Baron Ruthven
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"
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pit props - iron ore
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Middlesbrough
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–
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Lunula
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"
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Tanker W
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London
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See also HX 60
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Diala
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"
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Tanker W
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Methil for d. g. / London
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A number in A 1 form
See also HX 58 |
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Garonne
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Norwegian
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Tanker W
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Clyde
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See also HX 57
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Darina
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British
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Tanker W
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Hull
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See also HX 56
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Edwy. R. Brown
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"
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Tanker W
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Clyde to lay up
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See also HX 54
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Ferncastle
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Norwegian
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Tanker B
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Avonmouth
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From HX 62
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Pomella
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British
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Tanker B
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Belfast
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From HX 62
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Baltrover
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"
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general
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Liverpool
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Commodore Vessel
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Sir Ernest Cassel
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Swedish
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iron ore
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Cardiff
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–
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Thistleglen
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British
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steel
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Newport
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B number in A 1 form,
but not included in form for Bermuda portion |
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Baron Carnegie
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"
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lumber
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London
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B number in A 1 form,
but not included in form for Bermuda portion |
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Joining from Bermuda - Sailed Aug. 3
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British
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Adm. tanker B
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Scapa
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Charles Racine
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Norwegian
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Tanker B
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–
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"To proceed to Halifax to await orders"
(Not on A 1 form for BHX 63) Does not show up again on this site until HX 86 |
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Conch
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British
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Adm. tanker B
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Clyde
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–
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Graiglas
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"
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grain - lumber
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Ipswich
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–
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Egba
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"
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steel - rosin
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Manchester
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–
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Elax
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"
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Tanker B
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Manchester
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–
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Norwegian
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Tanker B
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Avonmouth |
From HX 62
Crossed out in AST, but did join HX 63 |
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Helder
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Dutch
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sugar
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London
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–
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Llanover
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British
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pig iron
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Swansea
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From HX 62
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Inventor
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"
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copper - general
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Manchester
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–
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Katendrecht
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Dutch
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Tanker W
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Manchester
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–
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British
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Tanker B
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Belfast / Dundee
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To HX 64 - did not sail
Joined HX 65 (sunk) |
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Loreto
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"
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general
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Liverpool
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–
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Norwegian
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scrap iron
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Belfast / Hull
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Listed in HX 64
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Megara
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British
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Tanker B
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Clyde
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d.g. defective
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"
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scrap iron
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Port Talbot
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Mirza
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Dutch
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Tanker B
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Avonmouth
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–
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Nicolaou Virginia
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Greek
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scrap iron
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Glasgow
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From HX 62
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Oporto
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British
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bauxite
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Larne
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–
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"
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Adm. tanker B
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Clyde
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To HX 64 - "To remain at Bermuda"
Joined HX 65 (sunk) |
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Rapana
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"
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Tanker B
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London
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–
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San Roberto
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"
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Tanker B
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Manchester
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–
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Scottish Standard
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"
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Adm. tanker B
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Scapa
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From HX 62
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Sithonia
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"
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scrap iron
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Swansea
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–
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Norwegian
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Tanker B
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Mersey
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Dutch
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sugar
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Belfast / London
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Listed in HX 64
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Standella
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British
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Tanker W
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Dublin
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From HX 62
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Stiklestad
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Norwegian
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Tanker B
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Clyde
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"To be sent to Halifax to await orders"
(Not on A 1 form for BHX 63) Does not show up again on this site until HX 83 |
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Surrey
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British
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meat - dairy products
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Methil / London
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–
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Tasso
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"
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bauxite
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Larne
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From HX 62
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Notes: The ships have been given numbers as in the first form above. "A" numbers usually mean the ships joined from Sydney, C.B., while "B" numbers usually denote ships joining from Bermuda. There's an attachment to this form, which says "Part of Convoy HX 63 (A ?)", and I'm not sure if some of these numbers in this case have something to do with the pendants given to the vessels after the "splitting point" at 21:00 on Aug. 16 in 58 04N 16? 42W? For instance, some ships (incl. San Roberto and Scottish Standard) that are listed in the form for the Bermuda portion, have been given an A number in the first form, and this leads me to believe that the "A" numbers mean something else in this case. Arrival rendezvous: Aug. 16. The Commodore says there were 20 ships in the A part of the convoy, 18 of which remained at "rendezvous or point of dispersal". Scottish Standard detached for Scapa off Duncansay(?) Head at 11:00 on the 18th. Stad Arnhem was detached and routed to Dundee early in the morning of the 19th off May Island. Other ships mentioned in this portion are: Arletta, Blairspey, Cairnglen, Somersby and Darina. Commodore Rear Admiral T. J. G. Macainnon was in Cairnvalona. I believe this pertains to the above mentioned section of 20 ships (after splitting on Aug. 16), because Commodore Vessel for Convoy HX 63 is given as Baltrover, while Vice Commodore was in Cairnvalona. Escorts (for section of 20 ships, from Aug. 16): HMS Leith and HMS Hibiscus. More details on the Norwegian ships named in this convoy can be found in the alphabetical ship lists of this website. To the next HX convoy in my list HX 64 |
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