Ex USS AARON WARD (Type B MONTGOMERY-Class) built by Bath Iron Works
and launched on 10th April 1919. Transferred under Lease Land Agreement and
commissioned at Halifax for RN service as HMS
CASTLETON on 9th September 1940. She was the first RN warship bearing this name, which, as for those carried by
other TOW N Class, are shared by towns in the UK and USA. After a WARSHIP WEEK
national Savings campaign in March 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil
community of Clithero, Lancashire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1940-42
- NORTH SEA 1942-44.
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a
castle White, maenad Black charged with
a hurt thereon a Mullet also
White.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 0
September
8th Commissioned at
Halifax into RN service as HMS AARON WARD.
Took passage to
UK via Newfoundland.
26th Arrived at Plymouth
Taken in hand for
refit and modification by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
(Note: Ship refit
was not extensive.)
October Nominated for convoy
escort in Western Approaches
2nd Renamed HMS CASTLETON
November On completion of refit
joined 17th Flotilla, West Approaches Command at Liverpool.
5th Atlantic convoys
suspended due to attack on convoy by German battleship ADMIRAL SHEER.
17th Deployed as part of
escort for outward convoy OB244.
(Note: This was
the first convoy to sail from Liverpool when suspension was lifted.)
18th OB 244 sighted by U
137.
21st Convoy under attacks
by U103 which sank two mercantiles (ss DAY DAWN (British) and
Greek VICTORIA.
See ALLIED CONVOYS SYSTEM IN WW2 by A Hague and HITLER’S
U- BOAT WAR.
Rescued survivors
from these two ships.
22nd Took passage to
Plymouth when convoy dispersed.
(Note: This
convoy was heavily attacked after dispersal by U123 which sank another six
ships.
See HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR.)
December
1st Sustained damage in
collision
3rd Sustained damage in
another collision
Repair arranged
in Portsmouth including first Stage modifications.
Taken in hand by
HM dockyard Portsmouth
1 9 4 1
January Under repair and refit
18th Damaged during air
raid at Portsmouth which extended time in dockyard hands.
February Under repair.
Allocated for
service in 17th Division of 1st Minelaying Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh on
completion of post refit trials and work-up.
March Worked-up for operational service at Dartmouth.
7th Passage to join Squadron for escort during
minelaying operations.
For details of all minelaying operation see
Naval Staff History (Mining)
(Note: To be deployed for convoy defence in NW
Approaches when required.).
19th Escorted ships of Squadron during minelay in
Northern Barrage covered by ships of Home Fleet.
(Operation SN69).
26th Deployed as escort during further Squadron minelay
(Operation SN4)
Under air attack on approach to lay.
27th Damaged in collision
with HM Auxiliary Minelayer AGAMEMNON after completion of SN4.
April. Passage to Clyde for
repair in commercial shipyard.
to
May
June Rejoined Squadron on completion of repair.
16th Deployed with escort
for ships of Squadron for minelay Northern Barrage covered by Home Fleet
ships (Operation
SW66).
25th Deployed with escort
for further minelay (Operation SN70B).
July
9th Further minelay
escort for Squadron (Operation SN67).
15th Deployed as escort
for HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT BANK during minelay NW of Sulisker.
{Operation SN12A
17th Detached for escort
of convoys in NW Approaches.
August Convoy escort in
continuation.
20th Rejoined Squadron for
minelaying operations
25th Escorted ships of
Squadron for minelay (Operation SN70OA)
(Note: HM
Auxiliary Minelayer SOUTHERN PRINCE was damaged by U-Boat torpedo.
September
7th Escorted ships of
Squadron for minelay between North Rona and Faeroes.
(Operation SN61).
12th Detached for convoy
escort duty with Iceland ferries
October Convoy escort in
continuation.
November Damaged by accidental
explosion of on-board scuttling charge.
Taken in hand for
repair at Newport, Monmouth..
December Under repair.
1 9 4 2
January Under repair.
to
March
April Rejoined Squadron at
Kyle of Lochalsh.
May
8th Escorted ships of
Squadron and HM Cruiser Minelayer ADVENTURE for Minelay on
Faeroes Bank
(Operation SN3A).
10th Detached for
Icelandic convoy escort.
June Convoy escort in
continuation.
10th Escorted ships of
Squadron for further minelay on Faeroes Bank.
(Operation SN3B).
20th Met HM Auxiliary
Minelayers SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS
with HM Destroyer
ST. MARY'S to form Dummy Convoy as decoy during passage of Russian
Convoy PQ17 (Home
Fleet Operation ES)
July
2nd Returned to Squadron
minelay escort duty.
31st Escorted ships of
Squadron for further minelay in Faeroes -Iceland section of the Northern
Barrage
(Operation SN82).
August Detached for convoy
escort of Iceland convoys.
14th Returned to minelay
escort duty.
20th Escorted ships of
Squadron during extension of minefield in Denmark Strait.
(Operation SN73).
22nd Diverted during
minelay with HM Destroyer NEWARK to intercept an Icelandic trawler
taken over by
crew of U654 after it had bean under attack by US aircraft and than been
scuttled.
September Provided A/S defence for HM
Minesweeper TEDWORTH during salvage of HM Boom Defence
Vessel BARRANCA.
October Rejoined Squadron for
escort of minelaying In Northern Barrage.
10th Escorted ships of
Squadron for Faeroes Bank minelay (Operation SN36)
November
1st Repeat escort on
Faeroes Bank (Operation SN3F).
5th Detached for convoy
escort duty
December .Taken in hand for refit at
Cardiff.
1 9 4 3
January Under refit.
to
February
March Transferred to Rosyth
Command in continuation of minelay and escort duties
. On completion of
post refit trials resumed escort duties.
April Deployed in NW
Approaches for convoy defence..
May
5th Escorted HM
Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC and AGAMEMNON for
lay of Deep
Anti-submarine minefields in NW Approaches (Operation SN111A)
(Note: Home
Fleet cover was provided.)
15th Further deep
minefield lays (Operations SN 123A)
. 26th Continuation escort
for minelayers in NW Approaches field (Operation SN123B).
June
11th Escorted HMS
MENESTHEUS, HMS PORT QUEBEC and HMS AGAMEMNON for
continuation of
lay of Deep A/S minefields in NW Approaches (Operation SN123C).
29th Escort of same
minelayers for final minelay (Operation SN222A).
July Reverted to convoy
escort in NW Approaches.
August
4th Rescued survivors of
U489 sunk by RCAF aircraft NE of Iceland.
September NW Approaches convoy escort
duty in continuation.
Nominated for
duty as an Air Target Ship.
October Under conversion for new
role.
November Deployed as Air Target
Ship.
to (Note: Conversion
usually included removal of armament.)
December
1 9 4 4
January Transferred to Rosyth
Escort Force for East Coast convoy escort duty.
(Note: Ship must
have been have had armament refitted if weapons were removed. See above.)
February Deployed for escort of
East coast convoys.
to
September
October Reverted to Air Target
Ship role when more modern escorts became available.
November Air Target Ship duty.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Air Target Ship duty in
continuation.
to
February
March Nominated for reduction
to Reserve.
13th Paid off and
de-stored
Laid-up in Forth
at Grangemouth..
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS CASTLETON remained in
Reserve at Grangemouth until Placed in the Disposal
List after VJ Day She was sold to BISCO on 4th March 1947 for demolition by P W
MacLellan. Taken in tow on 2nd January 1948 the ship
arrived at the breaker’s yard at Bo'ness lower down
the Forth Estuary. The Ship's bell was given
to the town of Castleton in Vermont, USA by the Admiralty. A TON-Class
Coastal Minesweepers was given this name in 1957 but changed to JOHANNESBURGH when that ship was transferred to the South African Navy.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
CASTLETON
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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29/09/40
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19/10/40
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OB 221
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23/10/40
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03/10/40
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12/10/40
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23/10/40
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HX 080
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27/10/40
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27/10/40
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02/11/40
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02/11/40
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OB 238
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05/11/40
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05/11/40
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22/10/40
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06/11/40
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SL 052F
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10/11/40
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10/11/40
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17/11/40
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17/11/40
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OB 244
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21/11/40
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22/11/40
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11/11/40
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22/11/40
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HX 086
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26/11/40
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26/11/40
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10/06/41
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10/06/41
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SD 005
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12/06/41
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12/06/41
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17/08/41
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17/08/41
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DS 010
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18/08/41
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18/08/42
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19/08/41
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19/08/41
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SD 010
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21/08/41
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21/08/41
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23/08/41
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23/08/41
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OS 004
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28/08/41
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11/09/41
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18/08/41
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30/08/41
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HG 071
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01/09/41
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02/09/41
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19/09/41
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19/09/41
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DS 012
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21/09/41
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21/09/41
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23/09/41
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23/09/41
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SD 012
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25/09/41
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25/09/41
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01/10/41
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01/10/41
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DS 012B
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04/10/41
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04/10/41
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06/10/41
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06/10/41
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SD 012B
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08/10/41
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08/10/41
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16/10/41
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16/10/41
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DS 014
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18/10/41
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18/10/41
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19/10/41
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20/10/41
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SD 014
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21/10/41
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21/10/41
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30/10/41
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30/10/41
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DS 015
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02/11/41
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02/11/41
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03/11/41
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03/11/41
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SD 015
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05/11/41
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05/11/41
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12/11/41
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12/11/41
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DS 016
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15/11/41
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14/11/41
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17/11/41
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17/11/41
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SD 016
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20/11/41
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20/11/41
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25/06/42
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25/06/42
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DS 029
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26/06/42
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26/06/42
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28/06/42
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28/06/42
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SD 029
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29/06/42
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29/06/42
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09/07/42
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09/07/42
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DS 030
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11/07/42
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11/07/42
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12/07/42
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12/07/42
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SD 030
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14/07/42
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14/07/42
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31/07/42
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09/08/42
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SC 094
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12/08/42
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13/08/42
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30/08/42
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05/09/42
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AT 021
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05/09/42
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05/09/42
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08/09/42
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08/09/42
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TA 021
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09/09/42
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14/09/42
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05/09/42
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10/09/42
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AT 022
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11/09/42
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11/09/42
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14/09/42
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14/09/42
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TA 022
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15/09/42
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19/09/42
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16/09/42
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16/09/42
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DS 032
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19/09/42
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19/09/42
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20/09/42
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20/09/42
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SD 032
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23/09/42
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23/09/42
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28/11/42
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28/11/42
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DS 034
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01/12/42
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01/12/42
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03/12/42
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03/12/42
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SD 034
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05/12/42
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05/12/42
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01/08/43
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01/08/43
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DS 043
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03/08/43
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03/08/43
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06/08/43
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06/08/43
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SD 043
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08/08/43
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08/08/43
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27/01/44
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27/01/44
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CE 240
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28/01/44
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28/01/44
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(Note on Convoys)
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