Transcribed from several original documents received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
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 83 at ships in all SC convoys.

Additional details have been added with the help of:
"Convoys to Russia 1941-1945", Bob Ruegg & Arnold Hague.
"Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague.

Crossed out ships did not sail.

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

According to A. Hague, the American Algic became a straggler and arrived Iceland (again, see his listing for SC 83 at ships in all SC convoys).

Perth (requisitioned Oct. 14-1940) was also with this convoy, sailing in station 66. She was on her 14th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Apr. 14 with the westbound Convoy ON 86 (to Halifax Apr. 29), returning with SC 83 from Halifax May 7, to Clyde May 22-1942.

The stations given are the initial convoy stations on departure Halifax; these may have changed as the voyage progressed.
Some ships have been given the same station numbers.

Lafayette?**

PLM 13 and PLM 17 are not included in the diary, since they joined from Newfoundland.

* Note that Sarnolite is not included in the Advance Sailing Telegram, which indicates she was not part of the convoy and went out that day for other reasons than to join SC 83 (A. Hague has her in Convoy LC 12 to St. John's, external link).

According to the diary, the Panamanian El Lago also cancelled, but as can be seen, she's not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram. This ship is listed in Convoy SC 87 (for info, she had a Norwegian captain - see this external link).

The ships went out in the following order (according to the diary):
The first to leave at 10:22 was Empire Norse (whale oil factory), followed at 10:28 by Wacosta, and with a few minutes between each ship, Kentucky, Empire Mariner, Nolisement, Inger Elisabeth, Ilissos, War Admiral (trucks on deck), Ashworth, Baron Kinnaird, Empire Gannet, Mirlo, Kelso, Cap Cantin, Saturnus, El Oceano (2 bombers), Empire Cormorant, Solitaire, Hampton Lodge, Fairfield City, Aruba, William Hooper (8 tanks on foredeck), Vest, Silver Sword (4 bombers, crated planes), Pan Atlantic ("B" flag - which I believe means she carried explosives), Evita ("U" on stack), Eastern Guide, Scorton, Samuel Chase, San Amado, Wanstead, Askeladden, Sithonia, Katingo Hadjipatera, Parthenon, Peter Kerr (3 bombers on deck), Anna N. Goulandris, Norlago, Agwidale, Quest, Empire Snow, Cherokee, Sommerstad, El Almirante, Empire Reindeer, Lista, Michael Jebsen, Gateway City (bombers), White Clover (listed as Panamanian Wild Plover in the diary), Hoosier, Honomu, Winston Salem, Sarnolite, Dekabrist, Wind Rush, Dynastic, English Monarch, Telesfora de Larrinaga, Algic, Lafayette, Perth (Admiralty flag, small passenger ship flying a green flag with a white diagonal stripe), and at 15:25 Vermont went out as the last ship ("B" flag).

As mentioned, some of the ships in this convoy joined PQ 17 which departed Reykjavik on June 27 - they have been denoted *. Others joined Convoy PQ 18, denoted **. See also SC 81 for the names of some of the other ships in PQ 17, as well as this posting to my ship Forum and the external link at the end of this page. (Since these convoys had no Norwegian ships in them, they are not included in my own Arctic Convoys section).

The convoy arrived Clyde on May 23.

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):
Acanthus - From 12/05/42 to 22/05/42
Cowichan - From 10/05/42 to 11/05/42
Eglantine - From 12/05/42 to 22/05/42
Halifax - From 07/05/42 to 12/05/42
Potentilla - From 12/05/42 to 22/05/42
Regina - From 07/05/42 to 12/05/42
Rose - From 12/05/42 to 22/05/42
USCGC Duane - 17/05/42
USS Badger - 17/05/42
Verity - From 07/05/42 to 12/05/42
Viscount - From 12/05/42 to 23/05/42
Witherington - From 07/05/42 to 12/05/42

Related external links:
Russian Convoys - All the convoys mentioned in my tables above are included. Arnold Hague's listings for the same convoys can be found via this page.

Empire Ships

Back to Convoy Index