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M/T James Hawson To James Hawson on the "Ships starting with J" page. Owner: A/S Tank Built in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1930. Previous name Kim until 1935. There's a Captain Haakon Quistgaard commemorated at the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway (external link), and the ship is given as James Hawson. He's listed in "Våre falne" as having died on Apr. 18-1944 as a result of war related actions at sea and is buried in Brooklyn - no ship is given in this source. According to Page 4 of the archive documents, James Hawson was still in New York on that date, having arrived there on July 1 the previous year. It's possible he had served on James Hawson at some point, but joined another ship, since she had such a long stay in New York? Note also that there's a Haakon Quistgaard included among the survivors of Talleyrand on my website, but he was not a captain. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing.
With a cargo of paraffin, James Hawson is listed in station 22 of Convoy SL 59(S), which left Freetown on Dec. 15-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 7-1941; James Hawson stopped at Oban on Jan. 6, according to Page 1. See the external link in the Voyage Record for more on this convoy. In the spring of 1941 she appears, along with Belita, Rena and Vigrid, in Convoy OB 308, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 6 and dispersed on the 13th, James Hawson arriving Aruba on May 3 (she had joined from Loch Ewe). This convoy is also available at the external website that I've linked to within the table above. From Aruba, James Hawson proceeded to Halifax on May 4, with arrival May 16, and with destination Avonmouth, she was scheduled for the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 127, which left that same day, but she did not sail. She was also cancelled from HX 128, HX 129 and HX 130, but finally got away with Convoy HX 131 on June 6, destination is now given as Barry Dock. However, she returned to port; according to the Commodore's notes for HX 131, she developed engine trouble at 07:00 June 7 and stopped. Speed of convoy was reduced to 6 knots. James Hawson regained position in convoy at noon, and convoy speed was increased to 7 knots. She dropped astern again at 18:00 and a corvette was sent over on Commodore's orders to advise her that if she was unable to keep up it was better to return to port, which she did at 18:25, in 43 10N 59 36W. She arrived Halifax on June 8 (Page 1), subsequently joining the next convoy, HX 132, on June 10. In July, we find her, together with Belita, Bello, Geisha, Havprins, Marit, Salamis, Selvik, Solsten, Tanafjord, Vigsnes and Ørnefjell, in Convoy OB 345, which started out in Liverpool on July 11 and arrived Halifax on the 26th (again, see external link in the table above). James Hawson, however, was bound for New York, arriving there on July 29, having sailed from Clyde on July 12. Her voyages in this period are shown on Page 2. She now remained in New York for a month, before proceeding to Halifax on Aug. 29 in order to join Convoy HX 148 on Sept. 4, along with the Norwegian Ørnefjell, Herbrand, Grey County, Stigstad, Idefjord, Egda, Vivi, Gefion and Mirlo, as well as the Panamanian Norvinn (Norwegian managers and, therefore, listed on this website, station 53, between Herbrand and Egda). James Hawson later returned across the Atlantic with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 22*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 2 and dispersed on the 15th, James Hawson arriving New York on Oct. 19, and it'll be noticed, whe going back to the archive document, that she subsequently had another long stay there; departure is given as Jan. 26-1942. (Eglantine is named among the escorts for ON 22 - see ON convoy escorts). From New York, James Hawson proceeded to Halifax, where she arrived Jan. 31 and on Febr. 7, she's listed among the ships in Convoy HX 174, together with Athos, Høegh Giant, Fernwood, Vanja, Thorsholm, Beth and Anderson (ran aground - follow link for details) and the Panamanian Norvinn (Acanthus and Rose are listed among the escorts), but James Hawson returned to port, later joining the next convoy on Febr. 13, HX 175. In March, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 79*, which originated in Liverpool on March 23 and arrived Halifax on Apr. 7. According to Page 2, she arrived New York Apr. 7, having started out from Oban on March 21 (A. Hague gives her departure Oban as March 24). On Apr. 23, we find her in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 81 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 80). James Hawson arrived Avonmouth, via Belfast Lough, on May 13, and later that month she made a voyage to Aruba, having joined Convoy OS 29, which originated in Liverpool on May 22 and also included Arosa, Fernbank, G. C. Brøvig, Hallanger, Havsten, Meline and Tanafjord (link in Voyage Record). James Hawson started out from Milford Haven on May 21 and arrived Trinidad June 16, having detached from the convoy on June 8 - she later continued to Aruba with arrival there on June 24. On Aug. 4, she shows up in the slow Convoy SC 95 from Halifax. Her destination is given as Stanlow, and she arrived there on Aug. 19/20, according to Page 3. She returned the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 130*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 12, arriving New York on Sept. 30. Having made a voyage to Curacao and back to New York, she headed to the U.K. again in Convoy SC 109* on Nov. 9-1942, arriving Liverpool on the 30th. Several Norwegian ships are listed, namely Astrid, Atlantic, Grado, Hjalmar Wessel, Iron Baron, Mathilda, Norse Lady, Ragnhild, Ravnefjell, Thalatta and Veni. The book "Ravnefjell", written by Peder Kr. Nilsen, indicates that James Hawson was in Convoy ON 154, which departed Liverpool on Dec. 18-1942 and arrived New York on Jan. 12-1943, having lost several ships, including Norse King. I now have confirmation that she was indeed in this convoy - please scroll down to the list of ships in ON 154 posted on this page. See also the external links at the end of this page, as well as Ravnefjell and Fana. According to the archive document, James Hawson arrived Beaumont on Jan. 19, Port Arthur that same day - A. Hague says she had detached from the convoy around Jan. 1. A. Hague now has her in Convoy SC 119*, leaving New York on Febr. 3-1943, arriving Liverpool on the 22nd. This convoy also had several other Norwegian ships, namely Askot (to St. John's only), Boreas, Iris (also to St. John's), Iron Baron, Kirsten B and Primo. The following month, James Hawson is listed in the westbound Convoy ON 171*, departing Liverpool on March 4, arriving Halifax on the 23rd. James Hawson proceeded to New York on March 25, with arrival March 28. In May she sailed in Convoy SC 129 from Halifax, together with Vanja, Grey County, Grado (sunk; follow link for details) and Norfalk, and in June we find her in the westbound Convoy ONS 10*, which left Liverpool on June 8 and arrived Halifax on the 27th; James Hawson was again bound for New York, where she arrived July 1 - see Page 4. There's now a long gap in her voyages; according to the archive document referred to above, she did not leave New York again until June 24-1944, joining Convoy HX 297, bound for Jarrow-on-Tyne (Commodore was in Brimanger), subsequently returning with Convoy ON 246*, which originated in Liverpool on July 25 and arrived New York on Aug. 9 (Commodore was again in Brimanger); no voyage information is given for James Hawson on that occasion, but going back to the archive document, we learn that she arrived Delaware Capes on Aug. 9, proceeding to New York a few days later. She headed back to the U.K. on Aug. 17 with Convoy HX 304 from New York (Vice Commodore in Emma Bakke). Her destination is given as Stanlow and she arrived there, via Liverpool and Manchester, on Sept. 4. She later joined the westbound Convoy ON 254*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 16 and arrived New York on Oct. 5 (this time, Emma Bakke served as Commodore Vessel). Page 4 and Page 5 show the rest of her voyages (to Apr.-1946).
Sold to Yugoslavia in 1946 and renamed Jajce. Related external links: ONS-154, 26-30 Dec 1942 - Uboat.net's description of the battle, with a list of ships sunk. Stavern Memorial commemoration - Captain Haakon Quistgaard is commemorated, and the ship is given as James Hawson. He's listed in "Våre falne" as having died on Apr. 18-1944 as a result of war related actions at sea and is buried in Brooklyn - no ship is given in this source. According to Page 4 of the archive documents, James Hawson was still in New York on that date. Perhaps he had served on James Hawson at some point, then joined another ship, since she had such a long stay in New York? Note also that there's a Haakon Quistgaard included among the survivors of Talleyrand on my website, but he was not a captain. Back to James Hawson on the "Ships starting with J" page.
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