Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegram and A 1 form) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

The ships are listed in the order in which they appear on the various documents.
Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined ships returned to port.
(One of the documents is difficult to decipher - hence my question marks).

The ships listed in the table above were taken from the Advance Sailing Telegram. The A 1 form also includes the following 2 ships:
Cyrus W. Field (ballast, station 11). This ship parted company for Halifax at 13:30Z on May 10 in 43 09N 61 15W as per sailing orders (time is given as 09:50 in Commodore's narrative - see notes below). According to the Liberty Ships website that I've linked to at the end of this page, this ship had just been delivered the day before the convoy sailed from New York.
Also, George H. Williams (explosives, general), has been crossed out from station 22 - listed in SC 131, May 18.

Notes:
Commodore A. M. Hekking R.N.R. was in Glenogle, Vice Commodore was Captain E. Jones of Basil.

Note that Mike Holdoway has plotted the convoy's course, his chart can be reached through this page of his website (external link).

As mentioned, George H. Williams did not sail. Consequently, Edwin M. Stanton was moved up from station 23 to take her place in station 22, while William J. Worth (from station 13) replaced Edwin M. Stanton in 23.

Ocean Vagrant (original Rear Commodore ship) was cancelled from station 31, and the ships behind her moved up as follows:
Southern Sun from station 32 to 31
Miralda from station 33 to 32
Egerø from station 44 to 33.

Average speed: 9.6 knots.

The Commodore says:
The convoy sailed from New York at 08:15 on May 7 with 34 ships. Last ship passed Gate at 12:34. The convoy had been formed up by 19:00 in 40 06N 73 00W, proceeded at 10 knots. Could not make speed earlier, because Edward N. Hurley and Bernard N. Baker wanted to stream(?) their anti torpedo device (paravanes etc.).
Clocks were advanced 1 hour at 19:45.
No snowflakes.

May 8:
11:00 - Exercised emergency turns.
15:40 - Message 13:01Z from C in C N.W.A.: Western Local Escort North TU 24198 Chelsea (S.O.), Sudbury, Milltown escorting HX 238; 14 ships depart 19:00Z/9 arriving 348° HOMP 10 miles at 13:00Z/10. On relief TU 24187 proceed to Hx escorting Halifax portion.
Snowflakes loaded.

May 9:
Daylight - Convoy well spread out owing two knots between 09:15 and 10:44.

May 10:
09:15 - Sighted Halifax portion ahead, 12 ships.
09:50 - Cyrus W. Field left for Halifax.
10:15 - Escort relieved by Chelsea (S.O.), Sudbury, Milltown, Shawinigan.
18:46Z from FONF: - Mid ocean group Burnham (S.O.), Skeena, La Malbaie, Eyebright, Mayflower, Bittersweet, Pictou and support escort Galt will relieve you in posn. 45 58N 45 30W at 16:00Z May 13. WHX 238, two ships Wendell Phillips and Stephen A. Douglas escorted by trawler Northern Sun and tug Samsonia join in posn. 44 50N 50 39W at 15:00Z May 12. CHOP 16:00Z/14.
Snowflakes loaded

May 11:
11:00 - Exercised convoy at A/C by sound signalling.
19:36Z from FONF: Amend WESTOMP to read 48 17N 48 10W at 12:00 Z/13. WHX 238 (St. John's ships) escorted by Algoma and Northern Sun joins in WESTOMP. CHOP 18:00Z/14.
15:30Z C in C. N.A. - New route and new stragglers' route.

May 12:
12:25Z - Signal made to C. in C. N.A.
Anticipate being 4 hours late at WESTOMP.
20:42Z from C. in C. N.A.: HX 238 from Posn. 46 05N 49 00W alter course for WESTOMP omitting posn. BG.
19:30 - A/C to 027.

May 13:
07:07 & 07:12 - Depth charges (fish?)
09:15 - Ice bergs sighted ahead.
07:15 - Edward N. Hurley engine trouble. Milltown standing by. (As mentioned, Edward N. Hurley proceeded to St. John's - listed as sailing in HX 243).

(the rest of Commodore's daily narrative appears to be missing)

Station keeping, visual and W.T. signalling: Good.

Received alteration of route on May 11, May 14 and May 15. Nothing of any importance to be reported. On May 15 at 00:00Z when in area 2A app. 49°W Rugby (G.B.R.) made new stragglers' route. According to ? routine schedule this message should have been made by Washington (N.S.S.) and/or Lewisberg(?) (V.H.S.) - result that none of the ships in convoy (except Commodore's ship Glenogle, who expected new stragglers' route and consequently also listened for Rugby) received this route, so that it had to be signalled to V.S.

Dispersal of convoy - May 21:
At 07:00Z on May 21 in 55 48?N 08 27W, Loch Ewe portion, escorted by Bittersweet parted company (Fort Acton, William J. Worth, Bruarfoss, Tjisalak, Argolikos, Arcedo, Troubadour, Miralda, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Basil, Norvinn).
At 11:40Z in 55 33N 07 00W escorts Pictou, Eyebright, Mayflower, Burnham, La Malbaie left.
At 16:00Z in 55 09N 05 50W Clyde portion left (Edwin M. Stanton, Kaldfonn, Southern Sun, Fort Abitibi, Aedanus Burke, Philip P. Barbour, Elisabeth Bakke, Atlanta City, San Ambrosio).
At 07:00 escort Samsonia left. Northern Sun was relieved at 16:00? by Kirkella(?)
At 19:00 in 54 57N 05 33W Belfast portion left (Pan-Maryland, Noesa Niwi, Montevideo, Egerø, Franz Klasen, Emma Willard, Cavina).

Arrived Liverpool on May 22 with Evita, Glenogle, Lista, Bernard N. Baker, Levernbank, Elmer A. Sperry, City of Kimberley, Wendell Phillips, Stephen A. Douglas, Empire Nugget, Bralanta, Daphnella, British Fidelity, Morgenen, O.B. Sørensen, Manchester Commerce, Robert E. Peary, City of Glasgow.

Escorts (as per Commodore's notes, which are handwritten and hard to decipher in places, so some of the positions given below may not be entirely correct. Also, times are a little different from what is given in Commodore's narrative above):

From New York: Lethbridge (S.O.), Oakville, Brockville. - Left at 13:30Z on May 10 in 43 09N ?W, at which time Chelsea, Sudbury, Algoma, Shawinigan, Milltown joined.
Milltown proceeded to St. John's on May 13 (with Edward N. Hurley).
Chelsea, Sudbury and Shawinigan left at 18:30Z May 13 in 48 30N 48 05?W. At about the same time Skeena, Pictou, Eyebright, Mayflower, Galt, Northern Sun and Samsonia joined (Pictou, Eyebright, Mayflower, Samsonia and Northern Sun left May 21 as noted under "dispersal of convoy" above).
At 13:00Z on May 14, in 51 13N 49 06W Bittersweet joined (left with Loch Ewe portion as noted above).
At 16:00?Z on May 14 in 51 40N 49 22W Burnham joined (left May 21 as noted above).
At 10:00Z May 15 in 52 21N 46 07W La Malbaie joined (also left May 21 as per above).
At 23:00Z on May 16 in 53 25N 36 45W Algoma and Galt left to join outward bound convoy, and Skeena left to escort HMS Fencer, which parted company at 04:00Z (17th?) in about 56 00N 15 00W.

All the Norwegian ships sailing in this convoy are listed on this website - see alphabet index below.

Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Some of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty ships. This website lists them alphabetically.
This site has more on the the "Fort" ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.

Back to Convoy Index