The Winston Specials: Troopships Via the Cape 1940-1943

Stubbys,

I started with the CWGC and there are no obvious burials ashore, including after a visit to Ponta Delgada, Azores (Portuguese territory). So, I would suggest any fatalities were buried at sea. Or, if the ship - a converted liner - had freezers they were taken to the next Allied port, which was Gibraltar and the CWGC only shows two burials between 24/12/40-6/1/1941; their Service Numbers being: 3309053 with 4th Black Watch - who can be excluded Wiki shows part of the garrison and 13053077 with the Pioneer Corps.

This 2008 bulletin states:

From an article by a Merchant Navy radio operator on another ship in the convoy: https://liverpoolnauticalresearchsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Bulletin-Vol-52-2008.pdf

Looks like you need the ship's log may be. Others here can advise hopefully.

 

There were two Merchant Navy deaths aboard EMPIRE TROOPER as a result of the attack by ADM. HIPPER, I see no evidence of any RN gunners being lost. There were no army deaths either and I very much doubt the ship's official logbook would list the regiments being transported.

Regards
Hugh

 

One of the Merchant Navy deaths could be: Topass Mangal | War Casualty Details 2568194 | CWGC

 

I know the deaths aboard the ship and would have posted their names if the poster, stubbsyswade was interested in the Merchant Navy but he is looking for army units aboard the ship.
Topass Mangal died of wounds after the attack.

The other seaman lost was McANELLY, Quartermaster, HENRY, S.S. Empire Trooper (London), Merchant Navy. 25th December 1940. Age 25. Son of James and Rose McAnelly, of Gosforth, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Panel 46.(Tower Hill).

Regards
Hugh

 

I now believe my Grandad was on the WS5 convoy and they sailed on the 16 Dec 1940 out of Liverpool. Anyone have any information on this convoy?

 

As previously suggested by davidbfpo.
See WS (Winston Special) Convoys in WW2 - 1940 Sailings

Tim

 

Anyone known what ship HMT JS or J9 is finally got the diaries of my grandads deployment

 

I'll have a look ... the date looks like WS5A and at a first glance there were several loaded at Liverpool in mid December

 

WS5A .. it was a big group of ships and detailed over several pages . I'll send a selection

 

Thanks very much, any idea what HMT JS stands for?

 

Here are a couple of pages

 

No idea ....

 

Consider also that it might be H.M.T. J.P.

Regardless, Convoy WS5A doesn't seem to have a ship with any of these initials.

WS (Winston Special) Convoys in WW2 - 1940 Sailings

 

HMT in most of my research suggests it probaly means 'Hired Military Transport'. The 'J9' is a code word for one of the ships and it would change for every voyage. I am not sure if there is a key although I have seen individual ships with the code actually named in some misc documents concerning a particular ship. So no easy task.

Regards
Hugh

 

Hugh,

I've seen HMT referred to as His/Her Majesty's Transport or Troopship.

 

Thanks for the information much appreciated out of the list what were the main troop ships? In the diary it say that all the ORs were on one ship, approx 450 men

 

David, they were all variations of the same theme and those titles are unofficial. His/Her Majesty with regard to ships implies some sort of commission such as HMS (His Majesty's Ship).
Troopships and transports were not commissioned but I will stand to be corrected if anyone can supply further information from a primary source.

Regards
Hugh

 

Found this earlier same unit as my Grandad !

 

I've not seen any in the WD's but had begun to think this would be a simple code used during the voyage

 

Those in WS5 are listed in the second page I posted above.