Convoy SC 159 - warsailors.com

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CONVOY SC 159
Departed Halifax on Oct. 18-1944 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 2.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 63 ships in this convoy.

Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. ~~Crossed out~~ ships did not sail, underlined returned.
Ship	Nationality	Cargo	Destination	Remarks
Pacific Shipper	British	grain - aluminum - general	Manchester	–
Leonidas	Greek	pit props	W. Hartlepool	–
Euthalia	"	grain - mail	Leith Dock	–
Empire Falstaff	British	lumber	Manchester	From SC 158
British Valour	"	Adm. tanker B	Scapa	–
Empire Mortimer	"	flour - general	Tyne	From HX 312
Empire Pibroch	"	general - refrig.	London	–
Empire Grey	"	steel - lumber	Ipswich	–
Hartlepool	"	steel - lumber	Hull	–
Fort St. James	"	general	Liverpool	–
Oregon I	Danish / MOWT 1940	lumber	Cardiff	–
Empire Call	British	flour	Cardiff	–
Skeldergate	"	lumber	London	From SC 158
Princ Andrej	Yugoslavian	lumber	Immingham	–
Empire Torridge	British	grain	London	–
Empire MacColl	"	Tanker B	Clyde	–
Athelprince	"	molasses	Liverpool	–
Baron Stranraer	"	sugar	Liverpool	–
Bradburn	"	lumber	Barry Dock	Collided - See Notes
Filleigh	"	sugar - general	London	–
Geisha	Norwegian	general	Glasgow	–
Imperial Valley	British	lumber	London	–
Maja	"	Tanker W	Mersey / Stanlow	–
Morska Wola	Polish	general	Tyne	–
Moorby	British	zinc - concentrates - flint	Liverpool	–
Maliakos	Greek	steel - lumber	London	–
Ocean Strength	British	general	London	–
~~Riley~~	"	sugar	Liverpool	Listed in SC 160
~~Redgate~~	"	steel - lumber	Newport	Listed in SC 160
Sommerstad	Norwegian	Tanker B	Stanlow	–
Sälen	Swedish	general	Belfast Dock	–
Samlossie	British	general	Swansea	–
Sun	American	Tanker W	Thameshaven	–
Vinga	Norwegian	Adm. tanker B	Londonderry	–
Katla	Icelandic	general - lumber	Loch Ewe for Iceland	Returned to Halifax (w/engine defects) Listed in SC 160
Cap Cantin	French	lumber	Bristol	From HX 314
Additionally, the Rescue Vessel Aboyne, not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram. See Notes below.
Joining from Sydney, C. B. - Sailed Oct. 19
Franka	Yugoslavian	timber	Hull	–
Glaisdale	British	lumber	W. Hartlepool	From SC 158
Pieter de Hoogh	Dutch	flour	London	–
Bernhard	Norwegian	pulp	London	From SC 158
Empire Tees	British	paper	Bromborough	From SC 158
Baxtergate	"	lumber	Tyne	–
Auretta	"	grain	Hull	–
Winsum	Dutch	lumber	Sharpness	–
Crescent Park	British	pulp	Rochester	–
Yearby	"	grain	Avonmouth	–
Anna N. Goulandris	Greek	grain	Sharpness	–
Panaghis	"	grain	Avonmouth	–
Nurtureton	British	grain	Glasgow	–
Scorton	"	grain	London	–
Empire Derwent	"	grain	Manchester	–
Empire Path	"	lumber	London	–
Wearwood	"	newsprint	Glasgow	–
Empire Lankester	"	lumber	Liverpool	–
Lord Byron	"	grain	Tyne	–
Empire Rain	"	flour	London	–
Frumenton	"	grain	London	–
Anglo Indian	"	grain - general	London	–
Odysseus	Greek	grain	Tyne	–
Jersey City	British	grain	London	–
Fort de Troyon	French / MOWT 1940	timber	Preston	–
Chateauroux	French	wood pulp	Garston	–
Lyras	Greek	lumber	London	–
Baron Douglas	British	paper pulp	Liverpool	–
Norse Lady	Norwegian	lumber	Leith Dock	–
Joining from St. John's, N.F. - Sailed Oct. 21
Radport	British	pit props	Garston	–
~~Caxton~~	"	newsprint	Manchester	Listed in HX 315

Notes:
The Rescue Vessel Aboyne was on her 7th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Sept. 29-1944 with the westbound Convoy ONS 33, to Halifax Oct. 13, then returned to Clyde with Convoy SC 159, Oct. 18-Nov. 1. Her next eastbound voyage was with Convoy HX 324. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague).

I don't have the Commodore's notes, or the names of escorts for this convoy, but Arnold Hague mentions the following in connection with Aboyne's voyage with SC 159:
"During the seventh voyage, on the return passage with convoy SC 159 on 1 Nov 1944, Aboyne heard heavy explosions shortly before entering the Clyde. Closing the scene, she discovered the Captain class frigate HMS Whittaker without her bow, having been torpedoed by U-483. Another escort, HMS Gore, also closed and, being inexperienced in Atlantic duty, did not appreciate the nature of Aboyne and ordered her away from the danger zone. Eventually Captain Harris prevailed and was permitted to send his medical staff to assist Whittaker's injured".

Bradburn was involved in a collision with a Greek ship, name not known, date and time not known. This ship had a sudden engine problem, stopped, fell out of line, and Bradburn was unable to avoid her in time. From Phil Morgan, England I've received the following:

"I spoke to Olly Lindsay today to say there were 4 of Smith's ships in SC159.

He tells me that he joined Bradburn at Barry in November 1944, she was discharging grain. During SC159 she was in collision with the next ahead, a Greek ship, sustaining a bent stem bar, which she carried forever more. They departed for Sydney, Cape Breton and Port aux Basques, where they loaded newsprint for Manchester. Then followed a trip to St. John's NF, Digby, St. John NB, loading general cargo for Manchester. He was stricken with appendicitis, and left the ship in June 1945".

Related external links:
Eastbound convoys 1944 - This shows all the other eastbound convoys sailing in 1944 in chronological order.

Empire Ships - In alphabetical order.

Fort (Ocean & Park) ships

Back to Convoy Index

To the next SC convoy in my list SC 160

Aa–Al	An–Ar	As–Av	Ba	Be	Bi–Bl	Bo	Br–Bu	C	D
E	F	G	Ha	He	Hi–Hy	Hø	I	J	K
L	M	N	O	PQ	R	Sa–Sc	Se–Sj	Sk–Sn	So
Sp–St	Su–Sø	Ta–Te	Th–Ti	To	Tr–Tø	U	V	W	Ø

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