List of the ships in Convoy JW 56A

Admiralty Reports of the convoy:

1. Captain James Ninian Malley's Report

2. Commodore Ivan Whitehorn's Report

3. Lieutenant Commander Rowland Leonard's (H.M.S. OFFA) Report

4. Summary of findings by Director of DEMS

Prisoners of war

Roll of Honour

The ships in Convoy JW 56A

Loch Ewe 12 January 1944 – Kola Inlet 28 January 

20 ships

British ships - Empire Ploughman (Vice Commodore Ship), Fort Bellingham, Fort Slave, San Cirilo, San Adolfo (escort oiler).
American Ships - Andrew G Curtin, Charles Bulfinch, Charles Scribner, Edwin L Drake, Jefferson Davis, John A Quitman, Joseph N Nicollet, Nathaniel Alexander (Rear Commodore Ship), Penelope Barker (Commodore Ship, then after she was sunk Fort Bellingham took over, but was also sunk), Richard H Alvey, Thorstein Veblen, William Tyler Page, Woodbridge N Ferris.
Dutch Ship - Aert van der Neer.
Norwegian Ship - M/T Noreg (escort oiler).

15th January - Heavy weather meant that some of these ships did not proceed further than Iceland and returned to Loch Ewe: - Charles Bulfinch, Jefferson Davis, John A Quitman, Josef N Nicollet and Nathaniel Alexander.  

18th - 21st January - Convoy sheltered at Akureyri, Iceland. 

25th January - Pack of 10 U-boats was encountered; Penelope Barker, with cargo of 7850 tons, was torpedoed and sunk by U-278, 16 died, while the British destroyer Obdurate was damaged by a torpedo from U-360 and left the convoy. 

26th January - Andrew G. Curtin (9000 tons cargo, 3 died, torpedoed by U-716) and Fort Bellingham (4800 tons cargo, 30 died, was struck by torpedoes from U-360 and U-957). Both ships were sunk.

Admiralty Reports of Convoy JW 56A 

Report of Captain James Ninian Malley, Master of SS Fort Bellingham

Voyage: Akureyre, Iceland to Murmansk

Cargo: 4,900 tons of military stores, including 50 tons of Cordite.

Armament: 4”, 12 Pounder, 6 Oerlikons, 2 twin Colts .5, 1 Bofors, 2 P.A.C. (J’s), 2 FA.M.S.

Crew: 75 – including Commodore Whitehorn R.N.R. and 6 staff: 1 P.O. Telegraphist, 1 Yeoman of Signals, 4 Signal Ratings.  12 Naval and 11 Army Gunners.

Casualties: Chief Engineer, 2^nd Engineer, 5^th Engineer, 16 Gunners, 2 of Commodore’s staff, 18 crew.  All missing.

Confidential Books: All, including wireless codes, thrown overboard in a weighted box.

SS Fort Bellingham left London with a cargo of Government stores for North Russia on 3 Jan 1944. The vessel arrived in Loch Ewe via Tyne on 10th Jan and left as Commodore ship of convoy JW56A at 1430 hrs BST on the 12th Jan 44. Violent weather was encountered and deck cargoes of several ships including the Fort Bellingham shifted. On orders received from the Admiralty, convoy entered Akureyre, Iceland, on Jan 18th  to re-secure cargo. 

We left Iceland at 1000 on 21st January 1944, taking position No 31 (Commodore ship) in Convoy J.W.56A, which numbered fifteen ships, formed in three columns, two of six ships, and one of three.

The convoy proceeded without incident until 24th January, when during the morning a message was received from another vessel reporting that an enemy submarine in the vicinity was sending homing signals.  This report was confirmed on the 25th, when the destroyers picked up HF/DF signals, and during the afternoon of the same day U-boats attacked the convoy and many depth charges were dropped.  Shortly after 2000 on the 25th January the American Vessel PENELOPE BARKER (No. 12) was torpedoed, and fell out of the convoy.  I believe that this ship subsequently sank.

I was in the chartroom when, about midnight, when an explosion was heard which I believe was from a torpedo striking the American ship ANDREW CURTIN.  Almost immediately after, at 0010 on the 26th January, when in position 73° 25’ N, 25° 10’ E, steering a course 090° at a speed of ten knots, we were struck by one torpedo from a U-boat.  There was a moderate sea with heavy swell and a West Wind, force 3.  The weather was fine and clear, visibility good.

No one saw the track of the torpedo, which struck on the port side, in the after end of No. 3 hold, forward of the engine room.  There was a dull explosion and a fair amount of water thrown up on the port side.  No flash was seen.  The ship rolled to starboard, then to port, but quickly righted herself, settling bodily.  The engine room bulkhead was pierced, both boilers collapsed and the main steam pipe was fractured.  A spray of oil and steam was thrown high into the air, which obscured the view from the bridge.  The engines and dynamos stopped immediately and all lights went out.  Ventilators were blown off, some of which landed on the after deck.  Nos. 2 and 4 lifeboats were destroyed.  The deck did not appear to be torn or buckled.  Although the ship settled several feet, she seemed to be in no immediate danger of sinking.

After the signal for emergency stations was rung, the third officer went to the upper bridge to fire the rockets, but the port fire failed, the cap being lost in the darkness, so I switched on the red light.  I collected the Confidential Books etc. and sent the Chief and Second Officers to the boat deck to clear away the boats.  They found No. 1 boat hanging by the after fall and submerged.  Apparently this boat had been lowered by the D.E.M.S. ratings, assisted by a number of seamen and engineers.  When this boat capsized they went to No. 3 lifeboat, lowered it, cast off and drifted astern.  The ship at this time had about four knots weigh.  I had given no orders to abandon ship, so obviously these men had panicked.  They were under the impression that the cargo contained ammunition and feared a second torpedo.  No deck officer was present when these men, numbering about 20, abandoned ship.  The only excuse possible for the D.E.M.S. ratings is that many of them were very young, aged 19 or 20, and all were inexperienced.  They did not appear to react well to discipline during the time they were in this ship.

The Chief Officer went round the decks and reported that all rafts, except one on the port side of the lower bridge and one in the after rigging, had been slipped and were floating astern.  One raft with a few men on it was seen near the lifeboat, whilst two others appeared to be empty.  I gathered the remaining men together (about thirty-five in all) and finally freed the raft from the lower bridge, giving instructions that it was to remain alongside, but as it became waterborne, about eighteen men jumped on to it, cut the painter and it quickly drifted from the ship’s side.

The Chef Officer then took a party of men and endeavoured to release the raft from the after rigging.  Meanwhile, with the First Officer and Fourth Engineer, I searched the accommodation, we found the Cabin boy and turned him out.  We then tried to enter the engine room, but found it completely flooded and filled with smoke and steam.

As the raft on the port side aft was proving very difficult to free, the Chief and Second Officers went over the side to the waterlogged lifeboat in an attempt to make it serviceable.  They were soon soaked in cold water and covered with oil fuel.

At 0130, about an hour and a half after the explosion, H.M.S. OFFA tried to come alongside, but owing to the heavy swell, her bows crashed against my ship.  At this moment the Commodore jumped on board the OFFA, followed by his Yeoman of Signals and Telegraphist.  All got aboard successfully.  The Commodore had not told me that he intended to make the attempt, but went off without saying a word.  The destroyer then stood off and picked up the survivors from the raft, also the Chief and Second Officers from the waterlogged lifeboat, which was still alongside.  The Second Officer was immediately taken to the sick bay suffering from the effects of fuel oil.

At about 0230, H.M.S. OFFA lowered her whaler, which came alongside the FORT BELLINGHAM and took off all those on board.  As the ship showed no signs of sinking, the Commander of H.M.S. OFFA decided to sink her by torpedo and gunfire, eventually sinking the ship at 0330 on 26 January after two torpedoes and eighteen shells were fired into her.  In my opinion, it would have been impossible to have towed her into Murmansk.  Although red lights were seen in the No. 3 lifeboat, also a raft, which I believe had two or three men on it, was sighted, the Commander of H.M.S. OFFA decided to rejoin the convoy, under the impression that one of the other vessels would pick them up.  These men have not been heard of again and are missing.  There is a possibility that the boat (a motor boat) may have reached land, which was 130 miles away, as it had sufficient petrol for 200 miles.  This boat contained the usual modern equipment, blankets, food and water and although the men were mainly D.E.M.S. Gunners and Engine Room ratings, they were not entirely without leadership or knowledge of navigation as the Chief Engineer and one deck hand (a Newfoundlander) were on board.  The weather was fine during the first night, but deteriorated later, which would lessen their chances of survival.

The boat’s wireless set, which was kept on the boat deck, was not taken into either of the lifeboats or rafts.

Of those missing, two are believed to have been lost in the boiler room, two jumped overboard and the remainder were in No. 3 boat ad on the raft.  But for the panic among the crew and D.E.M.S. ratings, all hands except the two men in the engine room would certainly have been rescued.  No order to abandon ship was given at any time and the boat was actually in the water before any officer had even reached the boat deck.  Boat drills were held regularly and the men instructed in abandon ship procedure, notices instructing them what to do were posted in all crew accommodation.

H.M.S. OFFA landed the survivors at Murmansk on the 29th January.  I joined the SS EMPIRE PICKWICK for the homeward journey, but this vessel was sent back from the convoy as she could not maintain the convoy speed.  After a further three weeks in Murmansk, I returned home.

I would like to mention Chief Officer Gourlay, who displayed fine leadership and organisation.  After this Officer had made a thorough search for survivors, he gallantly went overboard into the fuel-covered water to clear the waterlogged lifeboat

MISSING 

Presumed to be in boiler room:  

B Stephen, E Killinger

Believed to have jumped overboard
T G Bluck, C R Large

Presumed to have left in No.3 boat and raft
W B Stevenson, D Browning, W Brown, W R Dunn, J Ellard, S Mathews, W J Cook, T Vaughan, R Lowe,  E Deamer,  J Pollet, T Duckman, W Few, C Stokes, J Dowsett, W G Burnham, J Norton, C Trower. DEMS ratings: H Day, R McAllan, C W Crook, E Haycock, D Aitcheson,, R Browning, K J Chard, P Murray, R Halliday, D McKenzie, K Kirby, D Pemberton, H Watham, W Shoesmith, L J Isaacs. Commodore's Staff: J Dumigan, J Dennis. 

SURVIVORS

Remained with the Master until told to leave, rescued by OFFA

GE Gourlay, T J Smith, L R Sith, F Murrant, A C Coats, H Hector, I Roberts, D Green, J L Everett, W G Jefford, W P Gough, E J Hart, P C Cree, S Neal, W H G Shepherd 

Left in raft from port side lower bridge, rescued by OFFA

H Spierling, P May, W Adderson, P W Overrett, P Hook, M Fantham, C Brown, J Quinn. DEMS ratings: L R Window, E Illot, E Scott,  N Griffiths, R Drury,  A J Gatehouse, E J James. Commodore's Staff: D F Mitchell, A W Nightingale, R O Wheeldon

Jumped to HMS Offa

Commodore I Whitehorn, Yeoman of Signals A D Farrar

Signed: J N Maley, Master

Original document at the Public Record Office, London. Ref No. ADM 199/77

Report of Commodore Ivan Whitehorn RN, Convoy Commodore of JW56a

1 The following report of the torpedoing of SS Fort Bellingham, the Commodore ship, in convoy JW56a, is forwarded for information.

2  At about 0030 on January 26 Fort Bellingham was hit by a torpedo on the port side abreast No.3 hold just forward of the boiler room which is in the same watertight compartment as the engine room. The bulkhead between No.3 hold and the boiler room must have been broken by the explosion as the boiler room and engine room were both flooded. I was on the starboard side of the bridge at the time looking at a ship which had just been torpedoed on the starboard wing column [SS Andrew G Curtin]. Speed of the ship was 9.5 knots. A panic party immediately got busy. I heard no orders given by anyone at any time. The foremost starboard boat was lowered with a run within a few seconds of our being hit and of course capsized. At the same time the starboard forward raft must have been slipped without the painter being secured as I saw it drifting empty astern abaft the bridge, ship still having a lot of headway. Soon after this the remaining boat and raft on the starboard side were lowered and about 40 men must have got away in them; they are still missing.

3  My CPO Telegraphist and Convoy Yeoman remained with me on the bridge and all confidential matter was collected, put in the weighted bag and thrown overboard. Then we started to take stock of the situation. The ship was on an even keel and only going down very slowly. I did not think she would sink for several minutes. The two boats on the port side had been smashed by the explosion and the two rafts on that side jammed in their slides. There was nothing left on the starboard side. After a little time the port forward raft was slipped, she was immediately filled with men and pushed off. These men along with two of my staff were picked up. About 25 of us now remained on board and we went aft to try to slip the one remaining raft, but could not manage it. Things were not looking too bright when a destroyer, HMS Offa closed us and tried to get alongside but the swell was too big. On her second effort I managed to get a hold of the guard rail of the forecastle and was hauled on board with several men including my CPO Telegraphist and Convoy Yeoman. The Offa then lay off and sent her whaler over and took off all the remainder.

4  The Fort Bellingham had now settled till the well decks were just awash and appeared to be remaining like that. The Offa had to use two torpedoes to sink her. I should like to mention here how excellently Lieutenant-Commander Leonard handled the Offa, and the most splendid work done by everyone aboard her.

5  Everyone at Convoy Conference is always warned about prematurely abandoning ship, and this was a typical example. Two men in the boiler room I think were killed by the explosion but no one else need have been lost. Discipline in the ship was very lax and no attempt was made by the officers to take charge. As I have said previously in this report I never heard any orders being given the whole time. The two of my staff who are missing must have gone away in the panic party. My CPO Telegraphist D F Mitchell and Yeoman of Signals A Y Farrar were an example to all on board, remaining perfectly calm the whole time and were of great assistance to me. I hope I shall always have them with me. 

Signed: Commodore I W Whitehorn

Original document at the Public Record Office, London. Ref No. ADM 199/77

H.M.S. Offa

12th January - 27th January 1944

Original document at the Public Record Office, London. Ref No. ADM 199/77

From an interview of the surviving DEMS ratings the following is a summary of conclusions reached by the Director of DEMS

The Merchant Navy ratings were very young and a poor crew; they were virtually standing by to abandon ship even before she was torpedoed. By the time two of the ship's officers reached the boat deck to take charge, the lifeboats had already been lowered. The two mates then took charge of lowering the rafts, some of which appear to have been launched before being secured to the ship and drifted away entirely.

All the DEMS ratings with the exception of L/Bdr Griffiths and Gnr James, appear to have abandoned ship in a raft, which was secured alongside near the bridge; they appear to have received no orders, but statements show that one of the mates said they had better get on a raft. 

There is no doubt that on the whole considerable panic and confusion prevailed throughout the incident.  All survivors have had their attention drawn to the DEMS pocket book, Chapter 1, para 26, which is the same sense as AMSI 184/43.

Extracted from the original document at the Public Record Office, London. Ref No. ADM 199/77

Prisoners Of War

Also at the Public Records Office, London, in file BT373/125 Ship's Pouches and Miscellaneous documents, is a transcript of an interview the Red Cross had with a German prisoner of war, R McAllan, a survivor of the Fort Bellingham.  He had been in an open life raft with two others, when they were spotted by a German U-Boat about 12 hours after the sinking.  The U-Boat stopped and picked them up but one man (Joseph Ellard, Bosun) fell into the sea as they were transferring from the life raft into the U-Boat and was lost.  McAllan reported that the sub crew tried to save him but couldn't get him out in time due to the high seas. The two prisoners of war, R McAllan and E Haycock were both  DEMS.  There must have been a German broadcast made about the men on 24/3/44 as it is mentioned in accompanying notes.  McAllan also said that the U-Boat crew had treated them very well and did all they possibly could to save Ellard.  It was the fifth sinking that McAllan had survived!  Other parts of the interview consisted of messages for his family, to tell them he was well.

Roll of Honour

In Memory of  the following

MERCHANT SEAMEN

Remembered with honour
TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
PANEL 50

D

THOMAS GEORGE BLUCK 
Age 29
Fireman

D

WILLIAM ARTHUR BROWN 
Age 22
Fifth Engineer Officer

Son of Oliver and Martha H. Brown, of Lowestoft, Suffolk

D

DAVID BROWNING 
Age 32

Second Engineer Officer

 Son of Joseph and Margaret Neil Thornliebank, Renfrewshire

Husband of Effie Wilson Browning, Uddingston, Lanarkshire.

D

WILLIAM GEORGE BURNHAM
Age 17
Assistant Steward

D

WALTER JAMES COOK 
Age 47
Able Seaman

D  

ERIC DEAMER

Age 19

Efficient Deck Hand

Son of Charles and Edna May Deamer; nephew of Mrs. D. Ensor, of Leicester.

D 

JOHN EDWARD DOWSETT 
Age 50
Fireman

Husband of Sarah Dowsett (nee Welch), London E16. 

Father of Alice, Mary, John, Dennis, Sally, Billy, Ivy, Lily and Michael. 

D 

THOMAS ALFRED DUCKMAN

Age 22

Ordinary Seaman

Son of Charles John and M. Duckman, of Rotherhithe, London.

D 

WILLIAM ROBERT DUNN 
Age 24
Carpenter

Son of William Thetford Dunn and  Lilian Lydia Dunn, Leytonstone, Essex

D

JOSEPH ELLARD 
Age 39
Boatswain
Bosun

Son of Alice Ellard

 Husband of Harriet Ellard, Pumstead, London

D

WILLIAM WILFRED FEW 
Age 18
Ordinary Seaman

Son of Edward Few and Teresa Mary Few Tooting, Surrey

D

ERIC MURRAY KILLINGER 
Age 20
Fireman

Son of Herbert Victor and Ethel Killinger, of West Wickham, Kent.

D

ROY LOWE 

Able Seaman
 Canadian Merchant Navy  

Commemorated on the Halifax Memorial, Canada

D

SIDNEY HERBERT MATTHEWS 
Age 40
Able Seaman

D

PATRICK GEORGE NORTON 
Age 20
Steward

D

JAMES EDWARD POLLETT 
Age 19
Ordinary Seaman

Son of Thomas and Mary Pollett, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

D

BENJAMIN LOOSE STEPHEN 
Age 27
Water Tender

D

WILLIAM BROWN STEVENSON 
Age 51
Chief Engineer Officer

D

BENJAMIN STOKES 
Age 28
Greaser

Husband of Edna M. Stokes, Plaistow, Essex

D

CHARLES EDWARD FRANK TROWER  

Age 17
Cabin Boy

Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Trower, of Clerkenwell, London.

 D

MICHAEL TERRENCE VAUGHAN

Age 23 

Able Seaman

Son of Michael and Maude Rebecca Vaughan, of Barkingside, Essex.

D

COMMODORE STAFF

D

JOHN FREDERICK STANLEY DENNISS
Convoy Signalman 
C/JX 309934, S.S. Fort Bellingham, Royal Navy

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

JOHN BEATTIE DUMIGAN 

Age 21

Convoy Signalman

C/JX 234041

S.S. Fort Bellingham, Royal Navy

Son of John and Martha Dumigan 

Husband of Rhoda M. Dumigan, of Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

D.E.M.S.

D

 DEREK AITCHESON

Age 20

Able Seaman
D/JX 338202, H.M.S. President III, Royal Navy

Son of Frederick W. and Maud Aitcheson, of Liverpool.

Remembered with honour
PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

 ROBERT BROWNING
Age 36

Able Seaman
P/JX 267437, H.M.S. President III., Royal Navy

Son of Matthew and Agnes Browning; husband of Johan Browning, of Leith. Edinburgh.

Remembered with honour
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

KENNETH JAMES CHARD
Age 21

Able Seaman

D/JX 311147, H.M.S. President III, Royal Navy

Son of John Chard, and of Agnes M. Chard, of Redland, Gloucestershire.

Remembered with honour
PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

CYRIL WILLIAM CROOK
Age 20

Able Seaman

D/JX 394025, H.M.S. President III, Royal Navy

Son of James and Margaret Crook, of Aldington, Lancashire.

Remembered with honour
PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

HARRY DAY

Age 20

Able Seaman

C/JX 392598, S.S. Fort Bellingham, Royal Navy

Son of Frederick R. and Alice Day, of March, Cambridgeshire

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

ROBERT LEIGH HALLIDAY
Age 24

Bombardier 2929619, 

5 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

SIDNEY JAMES ISAACS
Age 31

Gunner
11421880, 3 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery

Son of John and Harriet Isaacs; husband of Eliza Elizabeth Isaacs, of Tottenham, Middlesex.

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

 KENNETH KIRBY
Age 22

Gunner
11000170, 5 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery

Son of Frederick William and Violet Elizabeth Kirby, of Bellingham, London.

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

 CHARLES RONALD LARGE
Age unknown

Able Seaman

P/JX 398795, H.M.S. President III., Royal Navy

Son of Charles and Lucy Large, of Hull.

Remembered with honour
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

DAVID McKENZIE
Age 20

Gunner

10602548, 3 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery

Son of John Foster McKenzie and Ingrid Helena McKenzie, of Lower Tranmere, Cheshire.

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

PETER MURRAY
Age 20

Able Seaman 
P/JX 443973, H.M.S. President III, Royal Navy

Son of James Tomlin Murray and Daisy Murray, of Bitterne Park, Southampton.

Remembered with honour
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

DOUGLAS SYDNEY WALLACE PEMBERTON

Age 28

Bombardier 
1543537, 5 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery

Son of Walter Sydney and Jessie Pemberton; husband of Jean Sybil Pemberton, of Hove, Sussex.

Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

WALTER HENRY SHOESMITH
Age 31

Able Seaman

P/JX 261897, H.M.S. President III, Royal Navy

Son of Francis Frank and Mary Ann Shoesmith, of Sheerness, Kent; husband of Harriett Grace Shoesmith, of Sheerness, Kent.

Remembered with honour
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

D

WE WILL NOT FORGET

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