|
INDEX OF MERCHANT SHIPS
The following index includes
all merchant ships which participated in the WS convoy series, with name,
nationality if not British, and troop carrying capacity where assessed (*), in
the first column (see below for further explanations). Gross registered tonnage
followed by the year of build, expressed as the last two digits of the year, is
in the second.
Note
that in several instances, vessels that were formerly, and also post war, of
Danish or French nationality are shown as being on the British Register. For
legal reasons, such vessels were so transferred on joining the British cause in
1940 (or being seized at later dates) ownership being vested in the Ministry of
Shipping, later War Transport and the ships managed by British shipping
companies. Vessels which survived reverted to their pre‑war Registry and
ownership post 1945.
Only the
first appearance of a ship in a convoy is listed i.e if a ship commences a
passage in WS 6A then subsequent changes of designation eg WS 6 are not listed
as the text makes the change clear. This particularly applies where a ship
transfers from the main convoy to an A or B section in the Indian Ocean. This
restriction is to prevent the index becoming too unwieldy.
Where no
nationality is shown "British" is to be assumed. Note that during the
war years, and prior to 1939, the "British" Registry included ships
actually registered in the Dominions and India; separate Registers for the
Dominions were not created until the late 1940s.
The
tonnage shown is that recorded in the 1939 Register for pre-war vessels, or the
first Register in which the ship appears for war built ships.
Where
troop carrying capacity is relevant, and known, this figure is identified by an
asterisk (*). Some of the figures are suspect, STRATHMORE for example has a
very low capacity that probably reflects an early assessment that has not been
amended in the surviving records. It must also be noted that maximum capacities
were often exceeded by using open deck berthing or other expedients.
When the
"twin" WS/KMF convoys commenced, with WS 26, the ships of BOTH
convoys appear in the index with the relevant WS number noted.
|
Name (nationality if not British Empire, troop capacity
if known*) |
gross registered tonnage/year of build
|
Convoys |
|
Aagtekerk (Du) |
6811/34
|
DM 3,
WS 9A, WS 15 |
|
Abbekerk
(Du) |
7906/39
|
WS 8A,
WS 12Z |
|
Abosso |
11330/35
|
WS 4,
WS 8B, WS 11, WS 17, WS 20 |
|
Adda |
7816/22
|
WS 6B |
|
Adrastus |
7905/23
|
WS
12Z, WS 20 |
|
Adviser |
6348/39
|
WS 5A |
|
Agwileon
(US) |
6678/07
|
WS 18 |
|
Ajax |
7540/31
|
WS 11X |
|
Akaroa |
15130/14
|
WS 4,
WS 19 |
|
Alcoa
Pioneer (US) |
6759/41
|
WS 29 |
|
Almanzora
(2991*) |
15551/14
|
WS 4,
WS 6A, WS 8B, WS 12, WS 17, WS 22, WS 27, WS 29
|
|
Almeria
Lykes (US) |
7773/40
|
WS 21S |
|
American
Manufacturer (US) |
6678/41
|
WS 21P |
|
American
Press (US) |
5135/20
|
WS 21 |
|
Andes
(4169*) |
25689/39
|
WS 2,
WS 4B, WS 7, WS 10, WS 14, WS 19P, WS 22, WS 24
|
|
Anselm |
5954/35
|
WS 5A,
WS 9B |
|
Antenor
(1864*) |
11174/25
|
WS 21,
WS 26, WS 27, WS 33 |
|
Aorangi
(3291*) |
17491/24
|
DM 1,
WS 12Z, WS 18, WS 21, WS 29A, WS 29 |
|
Aquitania
(7166*) |
44786/14
|
WS 1,
WS 5BX, WS 19P, WS 19Q |
|
Arabistan |
5874/29
|
WS 5A |
|
Arawa
(1611*) |
14462/22
|
WS 15,
WS 19P, WS 24, WS 30, WS 31 |
|
Argentina
(US) |
20614/29
|
WS 30 |
|
Aronda1
(662*) |
9031/41
|
WS 8A,
WS 9B, WS 12Z |
|
Arundel
Castle (2219*) |
19118/21
|
WS 5B,
WS 12Z, WS 17, WS 20, WS 26, WS 33 |
|
Ascanius
(1944*) |
10048/10
|
WS 6A,
WS 12 |
|
Aska |
8323/39
|
WS 2 |
|
Athlone
Castle (4830*) |
25564/36
|
WS 5B,
WS 9B, WS 14, WS 19, WS 24, WS 29 |
|
Autolycus |
7631/22
|
DM 3,
WS 15 |
|
Avila
Star |
14443/27
|
WS 9C |
|
Awatea |
13482/36
|
WS 16,
WS 20
|
|
Banfora
(2124*) |
9472/14
|
WS 20,
WS 28, WS 29 |
|
Bantam
(Du) |
9312/39
|
WS 5A,
WS 21
|
|
Barrister |
6348/39
|
WS 11 |
|
Batory
(Pol, 2099*) |
14287/36
|
WS 2,
WS 8C, WS 20, WS 27 |
|
Bellerophon |
9019/06
|
WS 6 |
|
Benrinnes |
5415/21
|
WS 5A |
|
Bergensfjord
(Nor, 2568*) |
11015/13
|
WS 6A,
WS 9A, WS 16, WS 20, WS 27, WS 29 |
|
Bhutan |
6104/29
|
WS 5A,
WS 11, WS 17 |
|
Boissevain
(Du, 3209*) |
14134/37
|
WS 22,
WS 27, WS 29, WS 30, WS 33 |
|
Borinquen
(US) |
7114/31
|
WS 19 |
|
Brazil
(US) |
20614/29
|
WS 17 |
|
Brisbane
Star |
11076/37
|
WS
10X, WS 16, WS 21S, WS 30 |
|
Britannic
(4076*) |
26943/30
|
WS 5B,
WS 10, WS 15, WS 19P, WS 25, WS 28, WS 31, WS 32
|
|
Bulkoil
(US) |
8071/42
|
WS 18 |
|
Burdwan |
6069/28
|
WS 6A,
WS 19Z |
|
Burma |
7821/14
|
WS 6B |
|
California |
16792/23
|
WS 22,
WS 26
|
|
Cameronia
(3681*) |
16297/20
|
WS 5B,
WS 10, WS 14, WS 17, WS 33 |
|
Canara |
7024/42
|
WS 22 |
|
Cape
Horn |
5643/29
|
WS 6A |
|
Capetown
Castle (4234*) |
27000/38
|
WS 3B
Fast, WS 5B, WS 9A, WS 12Z, WS 18, WS 23, WS 27
|
|
Cathay |
15225/25
|
WS 19P |
|
Ceramic |
18713/13
|
WS 9B |
|
Chant
(US) |
5601/38
|
WS 19Z |
|
Chantilly |
9986/23
|
WS
17B2 |
|
Chateau
Thierry (US) |
7555/20
|
WS 19P |
|
China
Mail (US) |
8616/42
|
WS 21,
WS 29 |
|
Christiaan
Huygens (Du) |
16287/27
|
DM 3,
WS 8B, WS 9A, WS 15, WS 19P, WS 27 |
|
Chyebassa |
7043/42
|
WS 26,
WS 32 |
|
Circassia
(2406*) |
11136/37
|
WS 21,
WS 26, WS 27 |
|
City
of Athens |
6558/23
|
WS 6A |
|
City
of Bristol |
8424/43
|
WS 32 |
|
City
of Calcutta |
8063/40
|
WS 11X |
|
City
of Canterbury (1371*) |
8331/22
|
DM 2,
WS 5A |
|
City
of Capetown |
8046/37
|
WS 18 |
|
City
of Corinth |
5138/18
|
WS 6A |
|
City
of Derby |
6616/21
|
WS 5A |
|
City
of Edinburgh |
8036/38
|
WS 11,
WS 16, WS 17, WS 29 |
|
City
of Hankow |
7360/15
|
WS 6A |
|
City
of Lincoln |
8039/38
|
WS
11X, WS 16, WS 17, WS 25, WS 31 |
|
City
of London (1445*) |
8956/07
|
WS 5A |
|
City
of Manchester |
8917/35
|
WS 4,
WS 11 |
|
City
of Paris (1627*) |
|
