Convoy ON 36 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy ON 36 Cruising Order
Departed Liverpool on Nov. 13-1941, dispersed on the 26th (Arnold Hague says 41 ships).

Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

Ships sailing from:
L=Liverpool, M=Milford, BEL=Belfast, G=Clyde, A=Aultbea.
T=tanker, S=special cargo, P=passengers, CAM=Catapult Aircraft Merchant Ship.

This form appears to show the formation after having passed Iceland.

Some of these ships returned to the U.K. already on Dec. 3 with Convoy HX 163, others are listed in HX 164 and HX 165 (see also HX 166 and HX 167 sailing at the end of that month).
See also HX 156.

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Pa=Panamanian, Du=Dutch, Da=Danish, MOWT=Ministry of War Transport.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

11 (M)
Empire Ocean
ballast
Halifax
(Br)
CAM

21 (L)

Defender

*
ballast
Charleston
(Br)

Prins Willem III
general
Georgetown / Demerara
(Du)

31 (L) S
Manchester Commerce
general - planes
Halifax / St. John
(Br)

41 (L)
Kafiristan
ballast
Halifax
(Br)
CAM

51 (L) S
Glenogle
general - stores
Halifax / New York
(Br)

61 (BEL)
Empire Rowan
ballast
Halifax
(Br)
CAM

71 (A)
Tucurinca
Halifax
(Br)

81 (L)
Empire Day
ballast
Halifax
(Br)
CAM

12 (L)
Emma Bakke
ballast
Panama / Vancouver
(Norw)

22 (L) P

Prins Willem III

(to 21)

32 (L) P
Amerika
general
Bermuda / Curacao / Panama / Australia
(Da / MOWT 1940)

42 (L)

Lobos

(to 46)

Comanchee
ballast
New York
(Br)

52 (L) S
Antilochus
stores
Bermuda / Panama / Java
(Br)

62 (L)
Waterland
ballast
New York
(Du)

72 (G) T
Leiv Eiriksson
ballast
Curacao
(Norw)

82 (A)
Empire Masefield
ballast
Sydney, C.B.
(Br)

13 (L)
Dromore
general
Norfolk, Va
(Br)

23 (L) T S
Ancylus
ballast
Port of Spain
(Br)

33 (L) T
Sandanger
ballast
Curacao
(Norw)

Empire Diamond
(Br T)

43 (L) T S
Comanchee
(to 42)

Athelknight
ballast
New York
(Br)

53 (L) T
Ceronia
ballast
New York
(Du)

63 (L) P
Cochrane*
planes
St. John
(Br)

73 (G) T P
Sourabaya
New York
(Br)

83 (A)
Hercules
ballast
New York
(Du)

14 (L)
Lancaster Castle
ballast
Halifax
(Br)

24 (M) S
Skiensfjord
stores
West. St. John
(Norw)

34 (L)
Leonatus
general
New Orleans
(Pa)

Oltenia II
(Br)

44 (M) T
Empire Amethyst
ballast
New York
(Br)

54 (L) T
Gallia
ballast
New York
(Norw)

64 (L)
El Isleo
general
Boston / New York
(Pa)

74 (G) T
Suderøy
ballast
New York
(Norw)

84 (A)
Melpomone
Iceland
(Br)

15 (M)
Danae II
coal
(Br / ex Fr)

25 (M) T
San Emiliano
ballast
New York
(Br)

35 (M) T
San Cirilo*
ballast
New York
(Br)

Atheltemplar
(From Iceland)
(Br)

45 (M) T
Narragansett*
ballast
New York
(Br)

F. J. Wolfe
(From Iceland)
(Br)

55 (M) T
Drupa
ballast
Curacao
(Br)

65 (M) T
Stiklestad
ballast
New York
(Norw)

75 (G)
Bralanta
ballast
New York
(Norw)

85 (A)
San Delfino
(Br)

16

26

36

46 (G)
Zaafaran
Rescue Ship
Iceland
(Br)

Lobos
general
Bermuda / Havannah / Panama / W.C. S. America
(Br)

56 (A) T
Athelknight
(to 43)

66 (A) T
British Resource
ballast
Texas City
(Br)

76
Norman Star
(From Loch Ewe)
Trinidad
(Br)

86

In addition to the above, Industria (general cargo, station 33) and Cefn-y-Bryn (in ballast, station 32) are listed as sailing with the convoy from Liverpool - both only bound for Clyde.

Ancylus is listed as Dutch on the A 1 form.

* San Cirilio and Narraganset have the word "Oban" written by hand next to them - they both returned to port.

* Cochrane and Defender sailed in the next convoy, ON 37.

Zaafaran was on her 11th voyage as Rescue Vessel.

For info, Empire Diamond became the Norwegian Norsol in 1942 - see also this page.

Notes:
Commodore R. W. Barrow D.S.C., R.N.R. was in Glenogle (Captain J. H. Brown), Vice Commodore was D. F. Moir, R.N.R. in Manchester Commerce, Rear Commodore was the captain of Tucurinca.

The convoy had 38 ships, plus Atheltemplar and F. J. Wolfe (lisetd as Wolf in Commodore's narrative) joining from Iceland at 15:00 on Nov. 20 in 54 55N 31 39W. (According to A. Hague, the Icelandic Dettiffoss also joined from Iceland).

Dromore hoisted N.U.C. lights (not under control) during night of Nov. 22/23 - not seen again (position at 08:00 Nov. 23: 50 12N 39 34W).
Empire Ocean, Lancaster Castle and Suderøy hoisted N.U.C. lights during the night of Nov. 24/25 (position at 08:00 Nov. 25: 49 16N 46 42W).

Ancylus reported being in a collision - see Nov. 26 on Page 2.

The Commodore says
that Antilochus, Lobos, Danae II and Lancaster Castle were bad station keepers, others were average.

"Commodore and staff were made very comfortable in M.V. Glenogle. Captain J. H. Brown a competent and energetic Captain & most agreeable companion. This ship has no modern aids to navigation & starboard Diesel broke down twice. Engines are not reliable, though with one engine ship can maintain 8 knots".

Narrative of voyage is available on Page 2

Escorts mentioned:
HMS Broke, Wolverine, Camellia, Montbretia, Eglantine, Larkspur, Begonia, Columbine, Chelsea, Breezy?, Daisy, Skylark, Beggar?
Broadway, Moosejaw, Cobalt, Windflower
Nasturtium, Pictou, Arrowhead

Related external link:
The Empire Ships - This website has more information on all the Empire ships sailing in this convoy.

Note that all the Norwegian ships listed in this convoy are discussed on this website. They can be found via the alphabet index below, or through the Master Ship Index.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next ON convoy in my list ON 37