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Ex USS THATCHER (Type C NEWPORT-Class) built by
Bethlehem Steel at Fore River. The ship was laid down on 8th June 1918 and launched on 31st August
that year. Commissioned on 14th January 1919 for US Naval Service this ship was deployed in the Pacific until 1922 when
she was laid up in Philadelphia. In 1940 she re-commissioned for US Navy use after refit but later transferred to
the Royal Navy under the UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement on 3rd September 1940. Commissioned on 24th September that
year this destroyer was selected for use
by the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed HMCS NIAGARA at Halifax. The name like those of the
other destroyers provided under this Agreement was common to places in Britain or Canada and in the USA.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
None are recorded in the
Admiralty records but RCN Honours will be available in RCN records
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Similarly this will be held in
RCN records
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
24th - Transferred at Halifax, manned by Canadian crew for RCN service
as HMCS NIAGARA. (Note: Some
sources suggest ship was commissioned as HMCS THATCHER and that name was late changed to HMCS NIAGARA
after formal announcement made of selected names.)
October
Deployed for Local convoy escort duties at Halifax. Nominated for refit in UK.
November
Passage to Plymouth. (Note: Ship may have been deployed as part of escort for Atlantic convoy)
30th - Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Devonport.
December
Under refit
1 9 4 1
January to February
Under refit.
Nominated for
service with 4th Escort Group for convoy defence in Western Approaches Command pending formation of
Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF).
March to April
Deployed with EG4 in Western Approaches. (Note: Work-up at Tobermory
before operational service to be confirmed.)
May
Passage to St Johns,
Newfoundland for service with NEF on formation. (Note: Ship may have been part of escort for westbound convoy.)
June to July
Deployed for convoy defence with NEF.
August
28th - Deployed with HMS BURWELL and four trawlers in support of passage
of U570 to Iceland after
its surrender following air attacks. (See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair for details.)
September
15th - Taken in hand for refit at Halifax.
October
Under refit
November
15th - On completion of post refit trials resumed service with Western
Escort Force.
December
North Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.
1 9 4 2
January
Deployed as escort in Atlantic.
12th - Sustained structural damage in heavy weather. (Note: One source records escort
for vessel identified as TRITON, but the full description was not given. Both ships were damaged.)
14th - Taken in hand for repair at Clyde commercial shipyard.
February
10th - On completion of repair took passage to St Johns to rejoin NEF.
March
Transferred to Western Local Escort Force for escort duties.
9th - Rescued survivors from American mercantile INDEPENDENCE HALL. (Note: This ship was wrecked
during passage as part of Convoy SC73 on 7th)
April
WLEF deployment in continuation. Rescued survivors from mercantile RIO BLANCO adrift in
two boats.
May to July
Under repair to boilers at Halifax.
August to December
Resumed WLEF convoy escort deployment.
1 9 4 3
January to April
WLEF deployment in continuation. (Note: High incidence of defects needed dockyard
repair restricted ship availability.)
May
Transferred to Canadian Escort Group Unit W2
June to December
Convoy escort with Unit W2 in continuation. (Note: Low operational availability restricting
deployments.)
1 9 4 4
January to February
Ship under repair and future operational deployment under consideration. (Note: This Class all
experienced similar defects including boilers problems due to inexperienced users and oil contamination due
to structural weakness of
shell plating. Crews were also required for manning ships being completed in Canada.)
March
Withdrawn from operational use and nominated for use as Torpedo Branch
training ship at
Halifax.
April to December
Torpedo Branch training use in continuation.
1 9 4 5
January to August
Torpedo Branch training duties in continuation.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMCS NIAGARA was Paid-off and placed on
the Disposal List on 15th September 1945. She was sold to International Iron and Steel for
demolition on 27th May 1946 and taken in tow to Hamilton where she arrived at the Breaker’s Yard on 12th December
1947.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMCS
NIAGARA
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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12/10/40
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12/10/40
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HX 080
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13/10/40
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27/10/40
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03/04/41
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05/04/41
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OB 306
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08/04/41
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09/04/41
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27/03/41
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09/04/41
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HX 117
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unknown
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15/04/41
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30/04/41
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02/05/41
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OB 317
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06/05/41
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06/05/41
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24/04/41
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09/05/41
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HG 060
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12/05/41
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12/05/41
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29/05/41
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30/05/41
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OB 328
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02/06/41
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02/06/41
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10/06/41
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14/06/41
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HX 132
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23/06/41
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28/06/41
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10/06/41
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16/06/41
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SC 034
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22/06/41
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29/06/41
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21/06/41
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26/06/41
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OB 338
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02/07/41
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03/07/41
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05/08/41
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05/08/41
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HX 143
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05/08/41
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20/08/41
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10/08/41
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13/08/41
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SC 040
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22/08/41
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29/08/41
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21/08/41
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02/09/41
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HX 146
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02/09/41
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06/09/41
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27/08/41
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02/09/41
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ON 010
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09/09/41
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11/09/41
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21/12/41
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29/12/41
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SC 061
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30/12/41
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07/01/42
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13/02/42
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14/02/42
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ON 066
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19/02/42
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26/02/42
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25/02/42
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25/02/42
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HX 177
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01/03/42
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09/03/42
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12/03/42
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12/03/42
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SC 074
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18/03/42
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28/03/42
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09/03/42
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20/03/42
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ON 074
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25/03/42
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25/03/42
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23/04/42
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23/04/42
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SC 081
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27/04/42
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09/05/42
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23/04/42
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02/05/42
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ON 089
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05/05/42
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05/05/42
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23/08/42
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23/08/42
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HX 204
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26/08/42
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04/09/42
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16/08/42
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28/08/42
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ON 122
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01/09/42
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03/09/42
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04/09/42
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04/09/42
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BX 036B
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06/09/42
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06/09/42
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12/09/42
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12/09/42
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SC 100
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16/09/42
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28/09/42
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11/09/42
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20/09/42
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ON 129
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24/09/42
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25/09/42
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01/11/42
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04/11/42
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SC 108
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08/11/42
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19/11/42
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01/11/42
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11/11/42
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ON 143
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14/11/42
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16/11/42
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31/10/42
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17/11/42
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ON 142
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21/11/42
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21/11/42
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27/11/42
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27/11/42
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HX 217
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30/11/42
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14/12/42
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04/12/42
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06/12/42
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SC 112
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11/12/42
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25/12/42
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01/12/42
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16/12/42
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ON 150
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22/12/42
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25/12/42
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14/01/43
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16/01/43
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HX 223
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19/01/43
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02/02/43
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11/01/43
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27/01/43
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ON 160
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unknown
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04/02/43
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30/01/43
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02/02/43
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HX 225
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05/02/43
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13/02/43
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01/02/43
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13/02/43
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ON 164
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16/02/43
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19/02/43
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18/02/43
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20/02/43
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HX 227
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24/02/43
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06/03/43
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21/02/43
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07/03/43
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ON 168
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09/03/43
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12/03/43
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03/03/43
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15/03/43
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ON 170
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20/03/43
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20/03/43
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18/03/43
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20/03/43
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HX 230
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24/03/43
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02/04/43
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20/03/43
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02/04/43
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ON 174
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05/04/43
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08/04/43
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28/04/43
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28/04/43
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XB 048
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30/04/43
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30/04/43
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02/05/43
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02/05/43
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BX 048
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04/05/43
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04/05/43
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11/05/43
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11/05/43
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SC 130
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15/05/43
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26/05/43
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07/05/43
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21/05/43
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ONS 007
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25/05/43
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25/05/43
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25/05/43
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28/05/43
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HX 241
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31/05/43
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10/06/43
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15/12/43
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15/12/43
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SC 149
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19/12/43
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30/12/43
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29/01/44
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30/01/44
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SC 152
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02/02/44
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15/02/44
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(Note on Convoys)
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