Transcribed from several original documents received from Tony Cooper (Avance Sailing Telegram) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
The station numbers, cargoes for the tankers and names of escorts have been extracted from documents recived from Don Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database - see his listing for SC 63 at ships in all SC convoys.

Further details have been added with the help of:
"Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer
"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan
"Lloyd's War Losses", Vol. I & Vol. II.

Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned, except those that are linked, which will automatically be underlined. The Norwegian Marie Bakke, however, did return.

See also ON 37 and other ON convoys from the same time period.

Notes:
Commodore was in Manchester Spinner.

The Rescue Vessel Dewsbury was also with this convoy for a while. She was on her 2nd voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Jan. 6-1942 with the westbound Convoy ON 54, detached Jan. 12, then joined SC 63, remaining until dispersed the next day, returning independently to Clyde with arrival there on Jan. 17.

Dimitrios G. Thermiotis, on a voyage from Demerara and Sydney (C.B.) for London with 6146 tons of general cargo, was torpedoed and sunk on Jan. 18-1942 by U-86. She had a crew of 33 - there were no survivors.

Caledonian Monarch, on a voyage from Rosario (Nov. 24-1941) for Loch Ewe and London with 8075 tons of wheat, and last reported on Jan. 7-1942, is believed to have been torpedoed and sunk on Jan. 22 by U-588. She had a crew of 48 - there were no survivors.

See also the external links provided below.

The convoy arrived rendezvous on Jan. 14.

A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of SC convoy escorts, received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Amherst - From 05/01/42 to 13/01/42
Celandine - From 05/01/42 to 13/01/42
Georgian - From 03/01/42 to 05/01/42
Kamsack - From 03/01/42 to 05/01/42
Louisburg - From 03/01/42 to 05/01/42
Malpeque - From 03/01/42 to 05/01/42
Polyanthus - From 05/01/42 to 14/01/42
Prescott - From 05/01/42 to 10/01/42
Primrose - From 05/01/42 to 13/01/42
Shawnigan - From 03/01/42 to 05/01/42
Skeena - From 05/01/42 to 10/01/42

Related external links:
The attack on Dimitrios G. Thermiotis
The attack on Caledonian Monarch (41 are said to have died here).

The Empire Ships - Provides more information on the Empire Ships mentioned for this convoy

Back to Convoy Index