Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper, England (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

Additional details have been added with the help of:
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer
"The World's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan
"Lloyd's War Losses", Vol I.
"Convoys to Russia 1941-1945", Bob Ruegg & Arnold Hague.
"Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague.

Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned to port.

MOWT = Ministry of War Transport

The Rescue Vessel Copeland was also with this convoy, sailing in station 76 (requisitioned Dec. 20-1940, entered service Jan 31-1941). She was on her 17th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ON 83 on Apr. 4 (to Halifax Apr. 17), returning with SC 81 from Halifax on Apr. 23, her voyage ending at Clyde May 10-1942.

The stations given are the pendants flown on departure, these may have changed as the voyage progressed.

* The ship in station 93 is listed as Solanis in T. Agar's form, but this is probably a simple mis-spelling of Salinas.

* Note also that Fort Townshend, Ark Light, Liverpool Packet, Royalite and Polarbjørn in Ted's list are not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram. In fact, they are all listed in Convoy LC 8 (external link), which left Halifax for St. John's, N.F. on the same day as SC 81. Arc Light is spelt a little differently, and nationality is given as British.

The Norwegian Benwood is listed as sunk on Apr. 9-1942 following a collision with Robert C. Tuttle.

The Swedish Korsholm, on a voyage from Fernandine and Tampa for Halifax and Liverpool with 4593 tons of phosphates, had been shelled and sunk on Apr. 13-1942 by U-123. She had a crew of 26, 9 of whom perished.

As mentioned, some of the above ships joined Convoy PQ 16 to Russia which sailed from Reykjavik on May 21, denoted x, while others sailed in PQ 17 which left Reykjavik on June 27 - denoted xx. See also SC 77 and SC 79 for the names of some of other ships in PQ 16, as well as this posting to my Ship Forum, listing all the ships in this convoy. SC 83 has the names of some more ships in PQ 17. The ships denoted xxx later joined Convoy PQ 18, which assembled at Loch Ewe and sailed from there for Iceland on Sept. 2-1942 (some ships joined this convoy from Iceland). The Rescue Vessel Copeland was also with this convoy. Since these convoys had no Norwegian ships in them, they are not included in my own Arctic Convoys section, but the external website that I've linked to below has more information.

The ships left port in the following order (some may not have sailed - see notes in the tables above):
The first to leave at 09:13 was the British Radchurch, followed at 09:40 by Sahale. The Commodore Vessel, Empire Hartbeeste went out at 10:14, then with a few minutes between each ship:
Empire Zephyr ("B" flag, which I believe means that she carried explosives on board), Drakepool, Rajahstan (GKBX), Exford, Fjordheim, Empire Rhodes, Almenara, James Hawson, Cantal, Uranienborg, Vimeira, Despina, Copeland, Empire Dabchick, Radhurst, Stal, Daleby, Ilissos, Venus, Kingman, Daghild, Carter Braxton, Lagarfoss, El Capitan, Bruarfoss, McKeesport, City of Omaha, Africander, Charles R. McCormick, Delsud, Christopher Newport, Ozark, Becheville, Pan York, Olopana, Ingerfem, Hollywood, Katvaldis, City of Dallas, Heffron (tanks on deck), Schoharie (bombers), Solanis (Salinas?), Pleiades (U.S. Army transport), Royalite, Executive (bombers), Gemini, Washington, Alcoa Ranger, Oremar, Liverpool Packet (lumber), Michigan, Jefferson Myers, Alcor, Pan Kraft (bombers), Lucerna, Ark Light, Nemaha ("B" flag), Robert E. Lee (did not sail), James McKay, Arizpa, Bellingham, Mount Pindus, Polarbjørn, Fort Townshend, Norwalk, Benjamin Harrison. The last ship to go out at 15:48 was Empire Lightning.

Related external link:
Russian Convoys - All the convoys mentioned in my tables above are included.

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