Winston Special Convoy - which ship

Discussion in 'The War at Sea' started by JimmyC1983, Aug 29, 2017.

  1. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    I've discovered a good description of WS12Z and DM1 which I don't see referenced anywhere else on this site.
    www.msabbekerk.nl
    It confirms that the guns and ammunition for 35th Regt LAA were on the Abbekerk and Sussex. I think the only guns that were on the wrong ship and went to Bombay were those of 6 HAA. It also emphasises how important DM1 was in the fact that 5 merchantmen had an escort of 10 warships as it approached Singapore.
    Tim
     
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  2. Timmo81

    Timmo81 Member

    Hi Bamboo43,

    Your attached images of the convoy sailings are very interesting. I am trying to get some information on my gandfathers movements - he sailed with WS20 on 21/6/42, and arrived in Bombay 21/10 which must mean that he ended up as part of WS22B. Obviously had some delay on the way, most likely Durban. Do you have any info on either? I'm afraid I don't know his unit information, apart from the fact that he was in RAOC.

    Many thanks,
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Convoy WS.20
    From: LIVERPOOL Saturday, 20 June 1942.
    To: FREETOWN Thursday, 2 July 1942.

    This convoy was then split from Freetown into 4 different ones:
    Arnold Hague convoy database - misc convoys
    Convoy WS.20A
    From: FORMED AT SEA Saturday, 1 August 1942.
    To: DISPERSED OFF ADEN Thursday, 6 August 1942.

    Convoy WS.20B
    From: FORMED AT SEA Saturday, 1 August 1942.
    To: BOMBAY Sunday, 9 August 1942.

    Convoy WS.20C
    From: CAPETOWN Thursday, 23 July 1942.
    To: SPLIT INTO A & B Saturday, 1 August 1942.

    Convoy WS.20F
    From: FREETOWN Monday, 6 July 1942.
    To: DURBAN Monday, 20 July 1942.



    The only ship I can find on the Hague database arriving in Bombay on 21st Oct 1942 is
    Arnold Hague Ports database
    Mombasa, Oct 13, 1942 WS.22B2 ( - ) Bombay, Oct 21, 1942

    ALMANZORA
    Almanzora - National Maritime Museum

    TD
     
  4. Timmo81

    Timmo81 Member

    Hi Tricky,

    Thank you for the information - this has proved invaluable. The website does indeed confirm the sailing details of the Almanzora being the only candidate. Quite why she sailed via mombasa separately from the main WS22 is another matter.. And what did my grandfather do in his 8 weeks in cape town. He arrived as part of WS20 and somehow became part of WS.22B2.

    As an aside - I appear to have maxed out my searches on convoyweb - anybody know how to get around this?
     
  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I usually wait a while and it seems to reset, or you can contact the webmaster on the contact email provided

    TD
     
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  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Timmo81,

    Sorry for the delay in replying. Here are the pages from Winston's Specials for WS20, WS22 to follow shortly:

    313.jpg 314.jpg 315.jpg 316.jpg 317.jpg 318.jpg 319.jpg 320.jpg 321.jpg 322.jpg 323.jpg 324.jpg
     
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  7. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    With ref to post 16 of this thread,
    You might wish to check out The SS. Anting, and SS, Subadar. could be helpful.

    Graham.
     
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  8. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Thanks Graham. As the events concerning these ships are post the WS12Z convoy I'll take this up in a few days on another thread I started a year ago. Perhaps you and others may then be able to add or correct me on the Anting and Subadar.

    Tim
     
  9. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Here are the pages for WS 22:

    337.jpg 338.jpg 339.jpg 340.jpg 341.jpg 342.jpg 343.jpg 344.jpg 345.jpg 346.jpg 347.jpg 348.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2022
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  10. Timmo81

    Timmo81 Member

    Bamboo, TD, thanks very much for the info.
     
  11. Steven Dendy

    Steven Dendy Member

  12. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

  13. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Here are the pages for WS7. Sorry about the quality of the scans and I hope they come out ok on the forum:

    1.jpeg 2.jpeg 3.jpg 4.jpg 5.jpg 6.jpg 7.jpg 8.jpg 9.jpg 10.jpg 11.jpg
     
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  14. Steven Dendy

    Steven Dendy Member

     
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  15. John Cocker

    John Cocker Member

    I'm not sure if this is of help to anyone. The attached is some research I did for my mother a number of years ago. Her father was on the WS 12Z and kept a small diary which I transcribed. He was with the RAF ended up in Palembang shortly before it fell and left on the Kota Gede.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I'm still reading through this, but so far it's a solid piece of well-presented research.

    Thanks for sharing.
     
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  17. John Cocker

    John Cocker Member

    Thank you Charley, very appreciated. If there are any errors - please let me know.

    There were so many family strories about my grandfather and the small diary appeared to say very little until you checked the dates - oh the joy of the internet! It was so engrossing digging into events and discovering the story. I'm trying to work out what he was doing in India as it appears he spent the rest of the war travelling around the coast
     
  18. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

  19. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Convoy WS12X was a convoy from Halifax to, originally, India and the Middle East. It consisted of the USS Mount Vernon, USS West Point, USS Wakefield, USS Joseph T Dickman, USS Leonard Wood and the USS Orizaba. They were carrying the 18th Division, but it was the British 18th Division. All part of US assistance before they entered the War.

    Tim
     
  20. John Cocker

    John Cocker Member

    Thank you for your replies - so glad I stumbled on this site. It's facinating so will do more exploring re the US assistance before Pearl Harbour. I origninally put it together over 15 years ago and wished I'd added the references. A quick search - it looks like I got the text re USS Vernon from this Dutch site The Singapore-convoys
     

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