M/T Solitaire
Updated Dec. 11-2008

To Solitaire on the "Ships starting with S" page.

Some Convoy Voyages:

Much more convoy information will be added, including details on more westbound North Atlantic voyages, made in between the eastbound voyages mentioned below. For info, she took part in the following westbound convoys, in addition to ON 12, ON 158 and ON 160 noted in my text below:
ON 47 (Dec.-1941)
ON 78 (March-1942)
ON 102 (June-1942)
ON 120 (Aug.-1942)
ON 142 (Oct.-1942)
All of the above will be added to individual pages in my Convoys Section, but in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. By looking at the dates, and comparing with the archive documents, it should be possible to create a picture of her voyages back and forth across the Atlantic, until I get time to list her voyages in chronological order on this page.

Solitaire is listed in Convoy OA 204, which left Methil on Aug. 25-1940 and dispersed on the 29th; ref. external link at the end of this page. Her destination is not given, but Port Arthur is mentioned for this period on Page 1 of the archive documents.

She was scheduled for the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 18 and Convoy SC 19 in Jan.-1941 but did not sail. She also cancelled from Convoy SC 20, but eventually got away with SC 21 on Jan. 31. She subsequently joined Convoy OB 292, departing Liverpool on Febr. 28, dispersed March 6. Her destination is given as Port Arthur, where she arrived on Apr. 3, later heading back to the U.K. on Apr. 19 in Convoy SC 29 from Halifax, cargo of lub. oil for Manchester (escort's report is also available for this convoy). In May we find her in Convoy OB 322, which originated in Liverpool on May 12; this is very strange - Solitaire was bound for Liverpool, where she arrived on May 13, having started out from Holyhead that same day (she had sailed from Milford Haven on May 11). The external website that I've linked to at the end of this page has more on the OB convoys - several Norwegian ships took part. Later that month she joined Convoy OG 63, which departed Liverpool on May 25 and arrived Gibraltar on June 7. Solitaire, however, was bound for New York, where she arrived on June 15 (see Page 2), so probably would have parted company with this convoy at some point in order to proceed to this destination. OG 63 will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section, but for now the ships sailing in it are named on the page listing ships in all OG convoys.

According to Arnold Hague, she returned with Convoy SC 39, departing Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 1-1941. This convoy is not included among the SC convoys listed on my own website, but I've linked directly to Hague's listing at the end of this page. Solitaire later joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 12, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 1-1941 and dispersed on the 14th, Solitaire arriving Port Arthur on Oct. 5 (she had started out from Loch Ewe on Sept. 3). She was scheduled for the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 52 at the end of that month, but instead joined Convoy SC 53 on Nov. 4.

In Febr.-1942 she's listed among the ships in Convoy SC 69 from Halifax, bound for Sunderland, station 32 (having cancelled from the previous convoy SC 68). In May that year she can be found in Convoy SC 83 from Halifax (cancelled from SC 82), sailing in the company of several other Norwegian ships. In the middle of July she shows up in Convoy SC 92 from Sydney, C.B., bound for Manchester, where she arrived on Aug. 1 (see Page 3).

A. Hague also has her in Convoy SC 102, departing New York on Sept. 19-1942, however, she put into Halifax with engine trouble on Sept. 24, subsequently joining SC 103 from there (convoy had originated in New York on Sept. 26). In Dec.-1942, she's listed in Convoy SC 112; departure New York Dec. 4, arrival Liverpool Dec. 25; Solitaire, however, stopped at Belfast Lough on Dec. 24, proceeding to Avonmouth the next day - ref. links at the end of this page.

Again, see the list of ON convoys above, and compare with the voyages found on the archive documents, for details on her westbound convoy voyages in this time period.

Early in Jan.-1943 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 158. Solitaire was bound for New York, but stopped at Halifax on Jan. 23, and from there to New York she later sailed in Convoy ON 160, which had originated in Liverpool (for New York) on Jan. 11. She was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy SC 121 (in which Bonneville and several others were sunk), but did not sail. Again, see Page 3 and the other archive documents for information on the rest of her voyages. Convoy information to match some of them will be added.

POST WAR:

Sold for breaking up in 1950.

Related external links:
Convoy OA 204 - The site also has OB 292, OB 322, SC 39, SC 102, SC 103, and SC 112, all mentioned in the above narrative.

Back to Solitaire on the "Ships starting with S" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Roger W. Jordan - and misc.