M/T James Hawson - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1944:

James Hawson is listed in Convoy SL 59(S), which left Freetown on Dec. 15-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 7-1941. See external link below.

In the spring of 1941 she appears in Convoy OB 308, which left Liverpool on Apr. 6-1941 and dispersed on the 13th; She was bound for Aruba. This convoy is also available at the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page. The following month she was scheduled for the Halifax-U.K. convoys HX 127, HX 128, HX 129 and HX 130, but did not get away until Convoy HX 131 on June 6, bound for Barry Dock. However, she returned to port after having developed engine problems, subsequently joining the next convoy, HX 132 a few days later. In July she shows up, with no voyage information, in Convoy OB 345, which left Liverpool on July 11 and arrived Halifax on the 26th (again, see external link at end of this page). In Sept. that same year we find her in station 83 of Convoy HX 148, along with the Norwegian Ørnefjell (55), Herbrand (52), Grey County (93), 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). James Hawson, bound for New York, subsequently returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 22*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 2 and dispersed on the 15th.

Early in Febr.-1942 she's listed among the ships leaving Halifax with Convoy HX 174, together with the Norwegian Athos, Høegh Giant, Fernwood, Vanja, Thorsholm, Beth and Anderson, as well as the Panamanian Norvinn, but it looks like James Hawson did not sail, or returned to port, because she shows up again in the next convoy out, HX 175, departing Halifax on Febr. 13, arriving Liverpool on the 25th. About a month later she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 79*, which left Liverpool on March 23 and arrived Halifax on Apr. 7, however, James Hawson's destination was Baytown on that occasion. Later that month we find her in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 81 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 80), again in the company of several other Norwegian ships. This convoy arrived Liverpool on May 9, and James Hawson subsequently made a voyage to Aruba. This is possible to determine from the first external website that I've linked to below which has her in station 35 of Convoy OS 29, leaving Liverpool on May 22-1942. James Hawson was on a voyage from Milford to Trinidad and Aruba in ballast.

In Aug.-1942 she shows up in the slow Convoy SC 95 from Halifax, returning the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 130*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 12 and arrived New York (her destination) on Sept. 30. The external site that I've linked to below also has her in Convoy SC 109, departing New York on Nov. 9-1942, arriving Liverpool on the 30th. Several Norwegian ships are included, namely Astrid, Atlantic, Grado, Hjalmar Wessel, Iron Baron, Mathilda, Norse Lady, Ragnhild, Ravnefjell, Thalatta and Veni, all discussed on this website; ref. alphabet index below. This convoy is not available on my own site.

According to the book "Ravnefjell", written by Peder Kr. Nilsen, 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.

As mentioned, Convoy ON 154 had arrived New York on Jan. 12-1943. Going back to the external site below we find James Hawson in Convoy SC 119, leaving New York on Febr. 3-1943, arriving Liverpool on the 22nd. This convoy, which is not available on my own site, also had several other Norwegian ships, namely Askot, Boreas, Iris, 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, however, James Hawson's destination was New York. In May she sailed in Convoy SC 129 from Halifax, together with Vanja, Grey County, Grado (the latter was sunk), and possibly Norfalk, and the following month we find her in the westbound Convoy ONS 10*, which left Liverpool on June 8-1943 and arrived Halifax on the 27th; James Hawson was again bound for New York.

In June/July-1944 she sailed in Convoy HX 297 from New York, bound for Jarrow-on-Tyne, subsequently returning with Convoy ON 246*, which departed Liverpool on July 25 and arrived New York on Aug. 9; no voyage information is given for James Hawson on that occasion. She headed back to the U.K. in the middle of Aug. with Convoy HX 304 from New York. Her destination is given as Stanlow. She then joined the westbound Convoy ON 254*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 16-1944 and arrived New York on Oct. 5.

* All the ON and ONS convoys are now available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys, and on the page listing ships in all ONS convoys.

As can be seen from my information on this page there are quite a few gaps here and there in my voyage information for this ship. Some of these gaps can be filled by following the instructions at the external link below.

POST WAR:

Sold to Yugoslavia in 1946 and renamed Jajce.

Related external links:
OS and OS/KMS Convoys - As can be seen, James Hawson is listed in Convoy OS 29. The site also has a section on the OB Convoys, and OB 308 is included. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "James Hawson" as keywords, several convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up, including a few local U.K. convoys, as well as some Guantanamo convoys. Here are SL 59S, OB 345, SC 109, and SC 119, all mentioned in my text above.

ONS 154 Memorials - Names of those lost from the ships in this convoy, incl. Norse King, a section of Barbara & Gordon Mumford's website Battle of the Atlantic - Convoy ONS 154 which describes the battle in great detail. (Note that the correct designation should be ON 154 - the ONS convoys did not start until March-1943).

ONS-154, 26-30 Dec 1942 - Uboat.net's description of the battle, with a list of ships sunk. (More information on the attack on each ship can be found by going to this page, and typing in the ship's name in the search field).

1 who died - 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. I have no records of James Hawson being attacked or lost. Note also that there's a Haakon Quistgaard included among the survivors of Talleyrand on my website, but he was not a captain.