|
Court Line - the company and its ships |
|
Aldington Court (1)
The name Aldington Court was used for two ships: · Aldington Court (1) - a cargo ship launched in 1929 · Aldington Court (2) - a cargo ship launched in 1944 as Empire Lord
Aldington Court (1) was in service from 1929 until she was sunk by enemy action in 1942 so had a working life of 13 years. |
|
Basic Data Type: Cargo ship Registered owners,managers and operators: British United Steamship Co. Ltd. Managers Haldin & Philipps Ltd. London Builders: Pickersgill Yard: Southwick Country: UK Yard number: 224 Registry: N/K Official number: 161230 Signal letters: GTBQ Call sign: N/K Classification society: Lloyd’s Register Gross tonnage: 4,891 Net tonnage: 2,979 Deadweight: 9,200 Length: 405.6 ft Breadth: 55.5 ft Depth: 25.1 ft Draught: 25ft 2in Engines: Single 3 cylinder Doxford oil engine Engine builders: William Doxford & Sons Ltd. Works: Sunderland Country: UK Power: 1,850 bhp Propulsion: Single screw Speed: 10 knots Cargo capacity:N/K Crew: N/K |
|
Service Pre-War
According to Ext Ref. #6, Aldington Court (1) sailed from London on her maiden voyage on 26 May 1930 for Vladivostok under charter to Glen Line with Glen funnel colours and houseflag. She was the first motorship for the company and the builder, and the 1850 bhp 2-cylinder engine performed well at her service speed of 10 knots.
Unlike many of the Court Line ships, Aldington Court (1) does not appear to have been laid up during the years of the 1930s depression. She was used to take coal to Melbourne (including during a coal strike in Australia) and grain from Hobson's Bay to Melbourne, and also transportation of lumber from Vancouver to Sydney or Melbourne, and sugar from Cairns to Japan or India. |
|
Participation in WW2 Convoys
Aldington Court (1) took part in 30 convoys before being sunk according to information shown in the table below which is provided courtesy of Convoyweb - see Ext. Ref. #5. |
|
Sinking
Aldington Court (1) was reported as sunk on 31 October 1942 by U 172 - at that time commanded by Kptlt. Carl Emmermann (Knights Cross).
According to Ext Ref. #3 she was on a voyage from Philadelphia and Trinidad bound for Saldanha Bay and Alexandria and was torpedoed at 22:23 at position 30.20S/02.10W. Of her crew of 44, there were 34 lost including the Master.
U 172 appears to have been one of the more successful German submarines and was commissioned on 5 November 1941. By the end of the war she claimed to have sunk 26 Allied ships totalling 152,080 grt.
The table below lists 26 of those who are known to have died as a result of the sinking of Aldington Court (1). It excludes details of DEMS gunners. |
|
Postscript
According to Ext. Ref. #4, U172 was herself sunk mid-Atlantic on 13 December, 1943 after a 27 hour fight west of the Canary Islands, in position 26.29N, 29.58W, by depth charges and Fido homing torpedoes from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-19) of the American escort carrier USS Bogue and by some 200 depth charges from the US destroyers USS George E. Badger, USS Clemson, USS Osmond Ingram and USS Du Pont. There were 13 dead and 46 survivors.
Images
1. Image #1 from the collection of Stuart Smith 2. Image #2 from the Webmaster’s collection of photos and postcards 3. Image #3 take by the Webmaster at Tower Hill |
|
Image 1 |
|
Image 2 |
|
Image 3 is a photo of the plaque for Aldington Court at the Tower Hill Memorial. |
|
Image 2 |
|
Career Highlights |
|
|
Date |
Event |
|
23 Jun 1929 |
Launched by Pickersgill |
|
May 1929 |
Completed |
|
1936 |
Owners restyled Court Line Ltd. - same managers |
|
31 Oct 1942 |
Sunk by enemy action |
|
Convoy No. |
Route |
Convoy No. |
Route |
|
OA.19 |
Oct 1939: Southend - Dispersed |
HX.16 |
Jan 1940: Halifax - Liverpool |
|
OB.113 |
Mar 1940: Liverpool - Formed OG.23F |
OG.23F |
Mar 1940: Formed In 4924N 0652W - Gibraltar |
|
SL/MKS.40 |
Jul 1940: Freetown - Liverpool |
FS.245 |
Aug 1940: Tyne - Southend |
|
FN.291 |
Sep 1940: Southend - Methil |
OA.222 |
Sep 1940: Methil - RV. With Ob 222 |
|
OB.222 |
Oct 1940: Liverpool - Dispersed |
BN.10 |
Nov 1940: Bombay - Suez |
|
BS.12 |
Jan 1941: Suez - Dispersed |
BS.12C |
Jan 1941: Port sudan - Aden |
|
SL/MKS.68 |
Mar 1941: Freetown - Dispersed |
SC.28 |
Apr 1941: Halifax - Liverpool |
|
EC.27 |
May 1941: Southend - Clyde |
WN.122 |
May 1941: Clyde - Methil |
|
FN.473 |
May 1941: Southend – Methil |
FS.482 |
May 1941: Methil – Southend |
|
OB.332 |
Jun 1941: Liverpool – Halifax |
SL/MKS.84 |
Aug 1941: Freetown - Liverpool |
|
OS/KMS.8 |
Oct 1941: Liverpool – Freetown |
SL/MKS.96 |
Dec 1941: Freetown - Dispersed |
|
BB.134 |
Feb 1942: Belfast Lough - Milford Haven |
OS/KMS.20 |
Feb 1942: Liverpool – Freetown |
|
SL/MKS.84 |
Aug 1941: Freetown – Liverpool |
KN.132 |
Aug 1942: Key West - Hampton Roads |
|
NG.307 |
Sep 1942: NYC - Guantanamo |
GAT.9 |
Sep 1942: Guantanamo - Trinidad |
|
NG.307 |
Sep 1942: Nyc - Guantanamo |
TRIN.16 |
Oct 1942: Trinidad - Dispersed |
|
Roll of Honour |
|||
|
Surname. |
Forenames |
Description |
Age and other information |
|
ABBEY |
EDWIN STANLEY BURNEY |
Second Engineer Officer |
Age 32. |
|
CONNOLLY |
FRANK NORTHMORE CROAD |
Able Seaman |
Age 43. Son of Margaret Sleeman, of Plymouth. |
|
DALY |
HENRY. |
Cook |
Age 59. |
|
DAVIES |
ALEC |
Able Seaman |
Age 24. |
|
FREEMAN |
EDWIN |
Cabin Boy |
Age 18. Son of John Freeman, and of Anne Freeman, of Flixton, Lancashire. |
|
GIMENEZ |
ANTONIO |
Able Seaman |
Age 48. |
|
GOODFELLOW |
Harry |
Chief Engineer Officer |
Age 43. Son of James and Jane Goodfellow; husband of Mildred B. Goodfellow, of Fulwell, Sunderland, Co. Durham. |
|
GRICE |
DAVID EWAN |
Third Radio Officer |
Age 21. Son of Robert John and Margaret Cecelia Grice, of Maesteg, Glamorgan. |
|
HAMLET |
GEORGE |
Deck Boy |
Age 19. |
|
HAMPTON |
KENNETH DAVID |
Fourth Engineer Officer |
Age 19. Son of Alec John and Dorothy Alma May Hampton, of Fulham, London. |
|
HARVEY |
JAMES ALFRED |
Deck Boy |
Age 19. Son of Mrs. E. F. Harvey, of Canton, Cardiff. |
|
HENSHAW |
JAMES |
Ordinary Seaman |
Age 21. Son of Owen and Sarah Jane Henshaw, of Birkenhead. |
|
HEPBURN |
JAMES KEITH ROGER |
Second Officer |
Age 25. Son of Albert and Ada Hepburn; husband of Irene Elsie Hepburn, of Ipswich, Suffolk. |
|
HON |
GORDON JOSEPH |
Galley Boy |
Age 18. Son of Charles Anthony and Beatrice Hon, of Birkenhead. |
|
JAMES |
GLYNDWR |
Junior Engineer Officer |
Age 29. |
|
MURPHY |
WILLIAM |
Cabin Boy |
Age 18. Son of William and Elizabeth Murphy, of Chorlton, Lancashire. |
|
NELSON |
WILLIAM IVOR |
Third Engineer Officer |
Age 30. Husband of Violet R. Nelson of Rumney, Cardiff. |
|
NEWBOLD |
REGINALD ALBERT |
First Radio Officer |
Age 28. King's Commendation for Brave Conduct. Son of Alfred Mark and Florence Teresa Newbold, of Lee, London. |
|
O'HAGAN |
JOHN |
Chief Officer |
Age 51. Son of John and Mary O'Hagan. |
|
RIGDEN |
FREDERICK SANDFORD |
Chief Steward |
Age 49. Son of William Sandford Rigden and Mary Jane Rigden; husband of Alice Rigden, of Whitby, Yorkshire. |
|
STUART |
ALFRED |
Master |
Age 45. Son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Stuart, of Whitby, Yorkshire; husband of Elsie Margaret Stuart, of Whitby. |
|
UMMUS |
CHRISTIAN |
Donkeyman |
Age 40. |
|
WELLS |
ANDREW JOSEPH |
Cabin Boy |
Age 18. Son of Andrew and Margaret Wells, of Town Hill, Swansea. |
|
WELSON |
DAVID ALBERT |
Junior Engineer Officer |
Age 23. Son of Edwin Albert and Margaret Ellen Welson, of Verwig, Cardiganshire. |
|
WHITE |
JAMES GERARD |
Junior Engineer |
Age 27. |