Pennington Court

Court Line - the company and its ships

Pennington Court

Court Line used the name Pennington Court for just one ship.

She had a service life of 18 years which included a period of several years being laid up in the 1930s, significant contributions to WW2 convoys, and a tragic ending in 1942 when she was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine with the loss of the entire ship's company.

Basic Data

Type: Cargo ship

Registered owners,managers and operators:

Charles Radcliffe Ltd.

Managers C.Radcliffe & Co. Ltd. Cardiff

Builders: Richardson Duck & Co. Ltd.

Yard: Stockton-on-Tees

Country: UK

Yard number: 687

Registry: N/K

Official number: 148274

Signal letters: N/K

Call sign: GDZR

Classification society: N/K

Gross tonnage: 6,098

Net tonnage: 3,774

Deadweight: N/K

Length: 400 ft

Breadth: 53 ft

Depth: 32.7 ft

Draught: N/K

Engines: Triple expansion steam engine

Engine builders: Blair & Co. Ltd.

Works: Stockton-on-Tees

Country: UK

Power: N/K

Propulsion: Single screw

Speed: N/K

Cargo capacity: N/K

Crew: N/K

Service Pre-WW2

No information currently available other than the purchase by United British Steam Ship Co in 1927 and renaming and that she was laid up for several years at Milford Haven during the depression of the 1930s.

Participation in WW2 Convoys

Pennington Court took part in 29 convoys according to information shown in the table below which is provided courtesy of Convoyweb - see Ext. Ref. #5.

Sinking

Pennington Court was sunk whilst taking part in convoy SC.103.

According to Ext. Ref. #3:

“She was carrying 8,330 tons of grain and 164 tons of trucks from Halifax to Britain. She was torpedoed by U-254 on 9 October 1942 at 21:01 at position 58.18N/27.55W. The Master and entire crew of 39 perished - there being no survivors.”

According to Ext. Ref. #4:

“At 21.01 hours on 9 Oct, 1942, the Pennington Court (Master John Horne), a straggler from convoy SC-103, was torpedoed by U-254 southeast of Cape Farewell. Until the ship sank the U-boat had fired six torpedoes of which three were hits. The master and 39 crew members were lost.”

Roll of Honour

The table below lists those that lost their lives.

Postscript

U-254 had a relatively short career including 3 patrols between 8 Nov, 1941 and 8 Dec, 1942 during which she sank three ships totalling 18,967 GRT.

She in turn sank on 8 Dec, 1942 in the North Atlantic south-east of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in approximate position 55.00N, 40.00W, after a collision with U-boat U-221. There were 41 dead and 4 survivors.

Images

1. Image #1 from The Allen Collection

2. Image #2 taken by the Webmaster at Tower Hill.

Image 1

Text Box: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

Image 2 is a photo of the plaque for Pennington Court at the Tower Hill Memorial from November 2009.

Image 2

Career Highlights
Date	Event
3 Jun 1924	Launched as Rochdale
Jul 1924	Completed
1927	Acquired by The United British Steam Ship Co. Ltd. - managers Haldin & Phillipps Ltd. and renamed Pennington Court
1936	Owners restyled Court Line Ltd. - same managers
9 Oct 1942	Torpedoed and sunk

Convoy No.	Route	Convoy No.	Route
OB.15	Oct 1939: Liverpool - Dispersed	ON.18 (Nor)1	Mar 1940: Methil - Norwegian Waters
FS.141	Apr 1940: Tyne - Southend	HN.24	Apr 1940: Norwegian Waters - Methil
HN.24	Apr 1940: Norwegian waters - Methil	FS.167	May 1940: Tyne - Southend
SL/MKS.36	Jun 1940: Freetown - Liverpool	FN.212	Jul 1940: Southend - Methil
OA.190	Jul 1940: Methil - Dispersed	SL/MKS.46	Sep 1940: Freetown - Liverpool
SL/MKS.46S	Sep 1940: Freetown - Dispersed	SL/MKS.56	Nov 1940: Freetown - Liverpool
SL/MKS.56S	Nov 1940: Freetown - Rendezvous with SL.56	OB.272	Jan 1941: Liverpool - Dispersed
SC.22	Feb 1941: Halifax - Liverpool	WN.91	Feb 1941: Clyde - Methil
OG.61	May 1941: Liverpool - Gibraltar	SC.34	Jun 1941: Sydney CB - Clyde
OG.68	Jul 1941: Milford Haven - Gibraltar	SL/MKS.91	Oct 1941: Freetown - Formed SL.91G
SL/MKS.93	Nov 1941: Freetown - Liverpool	SL/MKS.94	Nov 1941: Freetown - Liverpool
SC.68	Feb 1942: Halifax - Liverpool	WN.249	Feb 1942: Oban - Methil
EN.62	Mar 1942: Methil - Oban	ON.80	Mar 1942: Liverpool - Halifax
XB.11	Apr 1942: Halifax - Boston	FH.2	Sep 1942: St John NB - Halifax
SC.103	Sep 1942: NYC - Liverpool

Roll of Honour
Surname.	Forenames	Description	Age and other information
ARTHUR	EDGAR	Able Seaman	Age 24. Son of Richard and Margaret Arthur, of Newbridge, Monmouthshire.
AYLESBURY	HERBERT JOHN	Boatswain (Bosun)	Age 61.
BOWDEN	ARTHUR	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 33.
BRACEY	RONALD ALBERT	Fourth Engineer Officer	Age 21. Son of Albert John and Ella Norah Bracey.
BURTON	GEORGE WILLIAM	Cabin Boy	Age 17
BUTTERWORTH	ALAN RUPERT CHEADLE	First Radio Officer	Age 33. King's Commendation for Brave Conduct. Son of Dr. Rupert Butterworth, M.B., and Gertrude Helen Butterworth, of Warminster, Wiltshire.
CODE	PATRICK	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 36. Son of Patrick Code and of Anne Code (nee O'Brien); husband of Mary Code (nee Campbell), of Liverpool.
COLLIER	JOHN	Able Seaman	Age 21. Stepson of Mrs. L. Gravers, of Woolwich, London.
COMBE	JAMES FAIRBURN	Chief Officer	Age 26.
DAVIS	HERBERT GEORGE	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 33. Husband of M. E. Davies, of Epsom, Surrey.
ESSEX	WILLIAM HERBERT	Carpenter	Age 32. Son of Herbert and Sarah Essex, of Willesden, Middlesex.
FRASER	JOSEPH	Chief Engineer Officer	Age 40. Son of the Revd. Hugh Fraser and Jessie Fraser.
GIBSON	AUGUSTUS	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 21.
GRAY	ARTHUR	Boy	Age 16.
GRIFFITHS	ANEURIN LOVEDEN ANTHONY	Third Radio Officer	Age 32. Son of John Griffiths, and of S. A. Griffiths, of Aberdare, Glamorgan.
HAMLETT	HAROLD WINTER	Second Engineer Officer	Age 57.
HENDERSON	FRANCIS	Assistant Steward	Age 20. Son of Walter and Grace Henderson, of South Shields, Co. Durham
HORNE	JOHN	Master	Age 56. Son of John and Elizabeth Horne; husband of Isabella Horne, of Glasgow.
JONES	JOHN	Fireman
JONES	ROBERT CHARLES	Third Radio Officer	Age 19. Son of William David and Annie Jones, of Maghull, Lancashire.
JULIEN	JOHANNES WILLIAM	Able Seaman	Age 52. Son of Frederick and Mary Julien; husband of Edith Alice Julien, of Newport, Monmouthshire.
MAYES	FREDERICK WILLIAM	Able Seaman	Age 41. Husband of E. Mayes, of Newport, Monmouthshire.
MICHIE	ALFRED	Able Seaman	Age 42. Son of Arthur and Mary Michie; husband of Helen S. Michie, of Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire.
MULCAHY	RICHARD	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 35.
MURPHY	MICHAEL JOSEPH	Ordinary Seaman	Age 19. Son of Mrs. N. Murphy, of Newport, Monmouthshire.
MURPHY	WILLIAM MICHAEL	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 21. Son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Murphy, of Newport, Monmouthshire.
McMURCHIE	WILLIAM MICHAEL	Second Officer	Age 24. Son of John Welsh McMurchie and Ellice Isles McMurchie.
PIERCE	RAYMOND	Deck Boy	Canadian Merchant Navy. Recorded on panel 22 of the Halifax Memorial Nova Scotia
PRATT	WILLIAM EMMANUEL	Third Officer	Age 28. Son of George and Emma Pratt; husband of Lilian Pratt, of Barry, Glamorgan.
QUAYLE	JOHN EDWARD	Greaser	Age 62. Husband of M. J. Quayle, of Liverpool.
RISK	WILLIAM	Second Radio Officer	Age 29. Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Risk; husband of Jane Alexander Risk, of Paisley, Renfrewshire.
SIMONS	CHARLES WILLIAM	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 36.
SIMPSON	JAMES	Able Seaman	Age 36. Son of John George and Elizabeth Simpson.
SMITH	HERBERT	Greaser	Age 35. Son of David John Smith, and of Mary Ann Smith, of Newport, Monmouthshire.
STAMATAKIS	JOHN STANLEY	Cabin Boy	Age 16.
TIERNEY	DENNIS	Fireman and Trimmer	Age 19. Son of Mr. and Mrs. D. Tierney, of St. Pancras, London.
TURPIN	ALAN	Steward	Age 30. Husband of Eva Turpin, of Gipsyville, Hull.
WARD	EDWARD	Able Seaman	Age 31.
WATSON	FRANCIS JOSEPH	Donkeyman	Age 28. Son of F. and Mary Watson, of Cabra, Dublin, Irish Republic.
WATTS	GILBERT SHIRLEY JOSEPH	Boy	Age 19.
WHITE	THOMAS NESBITT	Cook	Age 37. Son of Thomas Nesbitt White and Elizabeth Freeman White; husband of Agnes Gertrude White, of South Shields, Co. Durham.