D/S Grey County - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Some Convoy Voyages:

Managed by Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., Montreal during the war, according to R. W. Jordan.

Grey County, general cargo for Le Havre, can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 24 in March-1940. In June that year she was in Convoy HX 50, bound for Brest with general cargo in station 82, and in Sept. she sailed in HX 73, general cargo for Avonmount, station 82. In Dec.-1940 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 93 (cargo of aluminum and newsprint for Avonmouth), but instead joined the next convoy, HX 94 (Sydney, C.B. section) - several Norwegian ships took part in all these convoys, as can be seen by following the links.

In Febr.-1941 she took part in Convoy OB 287, which left Liverpool on Febr. 16. The following month she was scheduled for Convoy HX 115, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 116, general cargo and 3 Hurricanes, bound for Avonmouth, station 93. That summer, in June-1941, she was scheduled for Convoy HX 134, but sailed in HX 135, general cargo for Avonmouth, joining with the Sydney, C.B. portion. She collided with Newborough and was damaged, but completed her voyage (a brief report on this is available on my page for HX 135). This convoy arrived Liverpool on July 12, and at the end of that month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 3, leaving Liverpool on July 31. Her destintion is given as Montreal on that occasion. She subsequently returned to the U.K. in Sept. with Convoy HX 148 (station 93), along with the Norwegian Ørnefjell (55), James Hawson (83), Herbrand (52), Stigstad (64), Idefjord (35), Egda (54), Vivi (76), and Mirlo (23), as well as the Panamanian Norvinn (Norwegian managers, therefore listed on this website, station 53, between Herbrand and Egda). In Oct.-1941 she's listed as bound for Montreal in the westbound Convoy ON 24*, returning to the U.K. in Nov. with Convoy HX 159, and in Dec. that year we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 47*, bound for Halifax with a cargo of coal, station 12.

She's listed as leaving Halifax with the ships in Convoy HX 171 on Jan. 20-1942, but there's a notation saying "goes north" and there's no convoy station given for her, so I don't believe she was in this convoy. In fact, she also shows up in the slower Convoy SC 68 on Febr. 4. In March-1942 she's listed as bound for Halifax with coal and general in station 64 of the westbound Convoy ON 79*, later returning to the U.K. with Convoy SC 82, which left Halifax on Apr. 30 (she had been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 81). In June that same year she joined the westbound Convoy ON 102*; her destination was Montreal, cargo of coal. She was scheduled for the slow Convoy SC 98 at the end of Aug., but instead joined a faster convoy, HX 205, returning in Sept. with the westbound Convoy ON 133*. In Nov.-1942 she sailed in Convoy HX 214, which left New York City on Nov. 3 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th. Grey County had a general cargo for Avonmouth on that occasion, and it looks like she joined the convoy from Halifax. She returned with the westbound Convoy ON 152* the following month, together with he Norwegian Sommerstad and Bonneville (see also Veni and Santos).

The following spring she's listed as bound for St. John with a general cargo and coal in station 82 of the first convoy in the ONS series, Convoy ONS 1*, which left Clyde on March 16-1943. This convoy, which had several Norwegian ships, will be added to my Convoys section in due course - in the meantime, please see the link provided at * below. Grey County went back to the U.K. in May with Convoy SC 129, in which the Norwegian Grado was sunk. The Norwegian James Hawson and M/T Vanja are also listed in this convoy, which had departed Halifax on May 2 and arrived Liverpool on the 21st. Grey County (general cargo and coal for St. John, N.B., station 91) subsequently returned the following month with the westbound Convoy ONS 10*, then headed back to the U.K. again in July with Convoy SC 138 from Halifax. At the end of Aug. that year she joined the westbound Convoy ONS 17*, again with destination St. John, N.B., and in Oct.-1943 she's listed in Convoy SC 144. She joined the westbound Convoy ONS 23* in the middle of Nov., but returned to port and joined ONS 24* at the end of that month.

At the beginning of the new year she's listed in Convoy SC 152, which left Halifax on Jan. 29-1944, and in March we find her in station 23 of the westbound Convoy ONS 31*. Early in June that year she was in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 294, having joined with the Halifax portion, and at the beginning of the following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 243* in order to go back to Halifax, subsequently returning to the U.K. with Convoy HX 301. This convoy originated in New York on July 25, but Grey County again joined from Halifax. In Sept.-1944 she's listed as bound for Halifax in station 69 of the westbound Convoy ON 251*, and in Oct. we find her, with a general cargo for Liverpool, in Convoy SC 158 from Halifax. She returned to Halifax the following month with the westbound Convoy ONS 36*.

On the first day of Jan.-1945 Grey County was scheduled for the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 164, but instead joined the next convoy, SC 165, general cargo for Liverpool. She then went back across the ocean in Febr.-1945 with the westbound Convoy ONS 42*, and must have gone back to the U.K. again later on, because at the beginning of May that year she's listed as bound for Halifax in station 15 of the westbound Convoy ONS 49*.

* All the ON and ONS convoys mentioned on this page are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further info on each - in the meantime, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys, as well as the page listing ships in all ONS convoys. As will be seen, they all had several Norwegian ships.

POST WAR:

According to the Riversea International website she was sold in 1947 and renamed Titania (Rederi A/B Svenska Lloyd, Gothenburg), then Tolken in 1951 (Rederi A/B Transatlantica, Gothenburg), Resaro (Pesaro?) later that year for Rederi A/B Rex (Ragnar Kallstrom), Stockholm, Geowilka in 1955 (Cia. de Nav.Miramar, Liberia). Broken up at Hirao in October 1960.