Court Line - the company and its ships

Bonnington Court

 

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

 

Bonnington Court was in service from 1929, worked through the years of the depression, took part in many convoys during WW2 and was  bombed and sunk in 1941 so she had a working life of just 12 years.

Basic Data

Type: Cargo ship

Registered owners,managers and operators:

United British Steamship Co. Ltd.

Managers Haldin & Philipps Ltd. London

Builders: R.Duncan & Co. Ltd.

Yard: Port Glasgow

Country: UK

Yard number: 392

Registry: N/K

Official number: 161319

Signal letters: N/K

Call sign: N/K

Classification society: N/K

Gross tonnage: 4,909

Net tonnage: 3,012

Deadweight: N/K

Length: 405.5 ft

Breadth: 55.5 ft

Depth: 25.8 ft

Draught: N/K

Engines: 6 cylinder oil engine

Engine builders: J.G. Kincaid & Co. Ltd.

Works: Greenock

Country: UK

Power: 490 nhp

Propulsion: Single screw

Speed: 10.5 knots

Cargo capacity: N/K

Crew: N/K

Service Pre-War

 

Unlike many of the Court Line ships, Bonnington Court was not laid up during the 1930s depression but was employed on a two-year charter carrying lumber for Canadian Transport of Vancouver. She was also employed on trading between Vancouver and Australia.

 

Participation in WW2 Convoys

 

Bonnington Court took part in 17 convoys according to information shown in the table below which is provided courtesy of Convoyweb   - see  Ext. Ref. #5.

.

Sinking

 

According to information provided by John Ketley, Bonnington Court was sunk by air attack on 19 Jan 1941,  275 degrees, 9.5 cables from the Sunk light vessel

 

According to Ext. Ref. #7 she was sailing between Ipswich & Harwick to Tyne in ballast at the time.

 

No further information has been discovered to date and there is only partial information about casualties. Billy McGee has provided names of two people whose deaths are recorded but it is not known if this is a complete list; their names have been put in the Roll of Honour in the table below.

Images

 

1. Image #1 from The Allen Collection

 

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.

Career Highlights

Date

Event

28 Sep 1929

Launched

Nov 1929

Completed

1936

Owners restyled Court Line Ltd. - same managers

19 Jan 1941

Bombed and sunk

Convoy No.

Route

Convoy No.

Route

HX.15

Jan 1940: Halifax - Liverpool

OA.93GF

Feb 1940: Southend - Formed OG.19F

OA.118

Mar 1940: Southend - Formed OG.24F

OB.120

Mar 1940: Liverpool - Formed OG.24

OG.24

Apr 1940: Formed at sea - Gibraltar

OA.120G

Mar 1940: Southend - RV. Ob 120 49.27N 06.32W

HX.54

Jun 1940: Halifax - Liverpool

BHX.54

Jun 1940: Bermuda - Joined HX.54

FS.227

Jul 1940: Tyne - Southend

WN.2

Jul 1940: Clyde - Methil

OA.196

Aug 1940: Methil - Dispersed

FN.244

Aug 1940: Southend - Methil

BHX.87

Nov 1940: Bermuda - Joined HX.86 (R) 86

SC.12

Nov 1940: Sydney CB - Liverpool

WN.50

Dec 1940: Clyde - Methil

FS.359

Dec 1940: Methil - Southend

FN.388

Jan 1941: Southend - Methil

 

 

Roll of Honour

Surname.

Forenames

Description

Age and other information

LINDEMERE

RICHARD WILLIAM

Second Engineer

Canadian citizen - honoured on the Halifax NS memorial Panel 18. Son of Gladys Lindemere, of New Westminster, British Columbia.

SHAW

WILLIAM R

Third Engineer Officer

Age 33. Son of George Steele Shaw and Maud Shaw, of Wallsend, Northumberland.