Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home 

Available Discussion Forums

CONVOY MKS 31

The Advance Sailing Telegram for the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy gives departure Gibraltar on Nov. 22-1943, arrival Clyde Dec. 4.

Arnold Hague gives departure Gibraltar on Nov. 23, MKS 31 joining up with Convoy SL 140 from Freetown on Nov. 24, arrival Liverpool on Dec. 7, adding that MKS 31 had left Port Said on Nov. 13-1943, arriving Gibraltar on the 23rd.

Transcribed from documents (Advance Sailing Telegram) received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Ships in the combined convoy SL 140 / MKS 31 are named at this external website. (See also the OS / KMS convoys from the same time period).

This first table shows the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy. As can be seen in the second table on this page, some of these ships had previously arrived with the Port Said convoy.

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
City of Bristol
British
general - mail
Liverpool
Listed in MKF 26
City of Kimberley
"
general
Dundee
Slesvig
"
(Ex Danish 1940)
phosphates - copper ore
London
Empire Usk
British
pyrites
Garston
Empire Ortolan
"
potash
London
Cydonia
"
iron ore
Middlesbrough
Grodno
"
general
Preston
Samhain
"
cotton
Manchester
Starstone
"
cotton - general
Manchester
City of Cape Town
"
general - mail 10
Glasgow
Listed in MKF 26
Greathope
"
pyrites
Garston
From MKS 30
Kingsland
"
pyrites
Glasgow
From MKS 30
Angelo
"
general
Hull
Nordeflinge
"
pyrites
Garston
Buteshire
"
tea - jute
Manchester
Samshire
"
military stores
Not for U.K.
Magician
"
general
Avonmouth
Coulgorm
"
general
Hull
Empire Voice
"
copper - general
Liverpool
City of Derby
"
general
Liverpool
Jean L-D
French
general
Liverpool
San Ubaldo
British
none given
Clyde
Joined from the Azores
Lord Cochrane
"
none given
London
From MKS 30
Joined from the Azores
Empire Cormorant
"
phosphates
Birkenhead
Lynghaug
Norwegian
phosphates
Preston
Danio
"
none given
Barrow-in-Furness
Empire Snipe
British
none given
Swansea
Pilar de Larrinaga
"
none given
Liverpool
Kelbergen
Dutch
none given
Barrow-in-Furness
Slemmestad
Norwegian
none given
Birkenhead
Pendeen
British
none given
Middlesbrough
Eskdalegate
"
none given
Middlesbrough
LST ?
American
LST 308
"
LST 311
"
LST 312
"
LST 344
"
LST 345
"
LST 346
"
LST 370
"
LST 371
"
LST 380
"
LST 382
"
LST 400
"
LST 338
"

Comparing the above with a list of ships in Convoy MKS 31 received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research, I find that A. Hague has not included Samshire, San Ubaldo, Lord Cochrane and LST 338 (nor the unknown LST) in this convoy; he does, however, have Samshire in the Port Said convoy, voyage Port Said to Augusta. A. Hague has given Jean L-D the nationality British.

Escorts (received from Don Kindell, whose own work, covering "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website):
Nov. 23-Nov. 24:
Borage, Dahlia, Glenarm, Honeysuckle, Hurricane, Meadowsweet, Oxlip.


Augusta, Nov. 17-1943

As mentioned, A. Hague says in his "The Allied Convoy System" that MKS 31 left Port Said on Nov. 13-1943 and arrived Gibraltar on the 23rd.

Transcribed from the list of ships in MKS 31 received from Don Kindell - Source: A. Hague's own research.

As can be seen in the first table on this page, some of these ships subsequently proceeded to the U.K. with the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy.

Note also that some of these sips show up again in the 2nd table on my page for the next convoy.

Ship
Nationality
Voyage
Amos Kendall
American
Augusta to Bizerta
Andrea Gritti
Italian
Augusta to Algiers
Atlantic Coast
British
Bizerta to Philippeville (straggled)
Atle Jarl
Norwegian
Via Philippeville
(see also second table in previous convoy)
Benjamin Tay
British
Bizerta to Oran
Buteshire
"
Port Said to U.K.
Cap Padaran
"
Augusta to Malta
Chloris
"
Bizerta to Philippeville
City of Derby
"
Port Said to U.K.
Cochrane
"
Algiers to Gibraltar
(Listed in MKS 32 to U.K.)
Comedian
"
Port Said to Augusta
Coulgorm
"
Port Said to U.K.
Danio
Norwegian
Bone to Gibraltar
Defender
British
Put back w/defects
Director
"
Alexandria to Augusta
Empire Darwin
"
Augusta to Gibraltar
Empire Falstaff
"
Alexandria to Augusta for Bari
Empire Farmer
"
Alexandria to Augusta for Bari
Empire Gareth
"
Bizerta to Bougie
(Listed in MKS 33 to U.K.)
Empire Newton
"
Bizerta to Bougie
(see also second table in previous convoy)
Empire Scout
"
Put back
(Listed in MKS 32 to U.K.)
Empire Snipe
"
Algiers to Gibraltar
Empire Voice
"
Port Said to U.K.
Empire Zephyr
"
Arr. Malta w/defects - ex Augusta
Later Malta to Bizerta
Eskdalegate
"
Oran to U.K.
Fort Ash
"
Augusta to Bone
Fort Carillon
"
Augusta to Bizerta
Fort Gibraltar
"
Augusta to Algiers
Fort Gloucester
"
Augusta to Algiers
Fort Grahame
"
Augusta to Gibraltar
Fort Grant
"
Bone to Philippeville
Fort Souris
"
Augusta to Bizerta
Fort Wellington
"
Augusta to Gibraltar
Fort Yale
"
Alexandria to Augusta for Bari
Francis Marion
American
Augusta to Bizerta
George C. Childress
"
Philippeville to Algiers
Glaisdale
British
Augusta to Bougie
Ile de Brehat
French
Augusta to Oran
Indiana
Panamanian
Augusta to Algiers as straggler
James G. Birney
American
Augusta to Bizerta
James J. Hill
"
Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A.
(probably with a GUS convoy)
James J. Pettigrew
"
Augusta to Oran
James Whitcomb Riley
"
Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A.
Jean L-D
French (taken over by Br.?)
Port Said to U.K.
John Rutledge
American
Augusta to Bizerta
John W. Brown
"
Augusta to Oran
Kelbergen
Dutch
Bone to Gibraltar
Lochee
British
Bizerta to Algiers
LST 308
Oran to U.K.
LST 311
Oran to U.K.
LST 312
Oran to U.K.
LST 344
Oran to U.K.
LST 345
Oran to U.K.
LST 346
Oran to U.K.
LST 370
Oran to U.K.
LST 371
Oran to U.K.
LST 380
Oran to U.K.
LST 382
Oran to U.K.
LST 400
Oran to U.K.
M. M. Guhin
American
Augusta to Oran
Magdala
Dutch
Alexandria to Algiers
Magician
British
Port Said to U.K.
Marigot
French
Augusta to Algiers
Ninella
British
Algiers to Gibraltar
Ocean Faith
"
Augusta to Bougie
Ocean Fame
"
Bone to Philippeville
Ocean Vengeance
"
Bizerta to Bougie
(see also second table in previous convoy)
Pendeen
"
Oran to U.K.
(see also second table in previous convoy)
Pilar de Larrinaga
"
Bizerta to Gibraltar
(see also second table in previous convoy)
Pocahontas
American
Augusta to Oran
Rodsley
British
Port Said to Malta
Samarina
"
Alexandria to Augusta for Bari
Sampa
"
Port Said to Augusta
Samphire
"
Alexandria to Augusta for Bari
Samshire
"
Ex Samara
Port Said to Augusta
Shickshinny
American
Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A.
Slemmestad
Norwegian
Oran to U.K.
(see also second table in previous convoy)
Thaddeus Kosciuszko
American
Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A.
Thorshov
Norwegian
Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A.
Thraki
Greek
Algiers to Gibraltar
(see also second table in previous convoy)
Toltec
Honduran
Augusta to Bizerta
Topdalsfjord
Norwegian
Algiers to Gibraltar
USS Andromeda
American
Bizerta to Oran

Escorts:
Nov. 13-Nov. 15: Anemone.
Nov. 13-Nov. 23: Aire, Alisma, Spiraea.
Nov. 14-Nov. 23: Miaoulis.
Nov. 19-Nov. 23: Honeysuckle, Oxlip.


Related external links:
SL, HG and MKS and MKF convoys - In Chronological order. The MKS and MKF convoys start on this page for 1942, while the 1943 convoys are listed on this page.

SL & SL / MKS convoys - SL 140 / MKS 31 is included.

Liberty Ships - Alphabetical list.
This site has more details on the "Fort" and "Ocean" ships sailing this convoy.
Empire Ships - Listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section covering the Liberty ships, including the Sam ships.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next MKS convoy in my list MKS 32


   Be   
C
   D   
E
F
G
   He   
I
J
   K   
L
M
N
O
   PQ   
R
   So   
   To   
U
V
W
   Ø   

 Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home