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Ex
USS MADDOX (Type C -
ANNAPOLIS-Class) built by
Bethlehem
Steel Fore River. The ship was launched on
27th October 1918 and completed on 10th March
1919. She was transferred to the RN
under the US/UK Lend Lease Agreement on 23rd
September
1940.
On commissioning she was named HMS MADDOX
as the names to be used by this Class
of destroyers had not been announced. The ship
was later renamed HMS
GEORGETOWN which is a name cannon to a town in
USA and the capital of the then
British Guiana. In March 1942 following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in May 1942 this
ship was adopted by the
civil community of Battle, East Sussex.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1940-43
H e r a l
d i c D a t a
Badge On a
Field White,
a
cross couped
red enfiled in
chief by a mural
crown gold charged
with a hurt thereon a mullet White.
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
Pre-acceptance
trials.
10th
- Ex USN destroyers to given names of towns
common to UK and USA. (Note: There were a few
exceptions as in this case.)
23rd
- Commissioned for RN service as HMS MADDOX at
Halifax. (Note: Only names of first eight
ships had been formally announced).
Prepared
for passage to UK.
29th
- Sailed to Newfoundland.
October
1st -
On arrival at St John's damaged in collision
with HM Destroyer
HAMILTON. (Note: HMS
HAMILTON was another Ex US Navy destroyer being
transferred).
Returned
to Halifax for repair.
4th -
Names of second batch of ships announced and
ship became HMS
GEORGETOWN.
On
completion
of repair took passage to Plymouth.
November
Atlantic
Passage with call at St Johns, Newfoundland.
13th
- Arrived at Devonport. Taken in hand by HM
Dockyard Devonport for limited
refit (Note: This
did not include all requirements for RN
service.).
Nominated for service with 4th Escort Group. Took passage to
Scapa Flow to
work-up for convoy defence duties.
17th
- Completed work-up and took passage to join
Group at Greenock.
20th
- Deployed with Group for convoy escort in NW
Approaches.
December
Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
(Assumed)
1
9 4 1
January
Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
February
26th
- Damaged in collision but remained in service.
March
to May
Convoy
defence duties with Group in continuation.
June
Taken
in hand for repair in Tyne shipyard.
July
Repair
work transferred to Clyde shipyard. Nominated
for service with 3rd Escort Group on
completion.
20th
- Deployed with Group in NW Approaches.
August
Convoy
defence in continuation.
15th
- Deployed with HM Destroyers ANTELOPE,
CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN,
DOUGLAS, INTREPID,
LEAMINGTON and SALADIN as escort for military
convoy WS8C from Scapa Flow during passage to
Clyde
after cancellation of planned operation to
occupy Azores.
17th
- Detached from WS8C on arrival in Clyde and
resumed duties with
Group.
September
Part
of escort for Convoy SC44 with ships of Group.
Part
of escort for Convoy SC48
with ships of Group. (For details
of dates see ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM IN WW2 by A
Hague.)
Transferred
to 27th Escort
Group.
November
Under
refit in Clyde shipyard to complete modification
required to suit
RN service. (Note: Stage 2
alterations included fitting of surface warning
radar Type 271 and an Anti-Submarine Mortar
(HEDGEHOG). See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse and
SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann for details of
these outfits).
December
Under
refit for Stage 2 Modifications.
13th
- Completion delayed by fire in boiler room.
1
9 4 2
January
to March
Under
repair and modification.
April
On
completion of post refit trials resumed convoy
defence duties.
5th -
Deployed with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH,
LANCASTER, LAUDERDALE and
ST MARY'S as escort for
military convoy WS18 during passage from Clyde
in NW Approaches.
20th
- Detached from WS18 with ships of Local Escort
and returned to
Clyde.
May
Deployed
with HM Destroyers ECHO, INTREPID, sister HMS
SALISBURY, US
Destroyers LANG and
STERRETT as screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN
and US Aircraft Carrier WASP during passage to
Gibraltar
(Operation BOWERY).
8th -
Part of screen for HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM
Cruiser
CHARYBDIS, HMS RENOWN and USS WASP with same
destroyers from Home Fleet and supplemented by
destroyers from Force H for aircraft delivery to
Malta. (Note: Force H destroyers were HMS
VIDETTE, PARTRIDGE,
ITHURIEL, WISHART, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER and
ANTELOPE of 13th Destroyer Flotilla (Operation
BOWERY).).
10th
- Passage to Scapa Flow as escort for HMS RENOWN
and USS WASP with
the same RN and US destroyers.
Taken
in hand for further repair
in Clyde shipyard.
June
On
completion of repair joined Clyde Escort Force.
21st
- Joined HM Destroyers SALISBURY, BOADICEA,
RIPLEY, ST ALBANS,
VIDETTE, WOLVERINE and
VANSITTART as Local Escort for military convoy
WS20 during passage from Clyde in N W
Approaches.
24th
- Detached from WS20 with Local Escort and
returned to Clyde.
July
Clyde
Escort Force deployment in continuation.
17th
- Deployed with HM Destroyer BUXTON as Local
Escort for military
convoy WS21P during passage from
Clyde in NW Approaches. (Note: HM Cruiser ORION,
HM Destroyer NEPAL and Dutch destroyer TJERK
HIDDES were Ocean Escort
for Atlantic passage from Clyde.)
22nd
- Detached from WS21P with HMS BUXTON and
returned to Clyde.
August
to October
Deployed
with Clyde Escort Force including detached
service for escort
of ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during final
stages of Northern Barrage minelay.
Nominated
for loan service with
Royal Canadian Navy in Western Local Escort
Force at St Johns.
S e
r v i c e a
s H M C S G E O R G E
T O W N
November
Passage
to Newfoundland and joined Western Local Escort
Force.
December
Deployed
with sister ship HMS LINCOLN in support of
escort for Convoy
HX218. (For details
of weapons and tactics used in anti-submarine
warfare see THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre and
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).).
1
9 4 3
January
Deployed
in support of passage of Convoy HX222 for
initial phase of
passage to UK with HM Destroyer ROXBOROUGH,
another Ex US Navy destroyer.
15th
- Encountered very heavy weather during which
HMS ROXBOROUGH
sustained major damage to bridge structure and
was totally disabled. Unable to stand by
stricken ship due to fuel shortage.
February
Western
Local Escort Force service in continuation.
March
Taken
in hand for refit at Charleston, South Carolina.
April
Under
refit.
May
Resumed
convoy defence duty at St Johns.
June
to October
Convoy
defence duty in continuation. Future deployment
under consideration.
November
Passage
to UK for reduction to Reserve status. Called at
Azores to refuel.
December
Paid
off and reduced to Reserve at Hartlepool.
1
9 4 4
January
to May
Laid
up at Hartlepool.
Selected
for transfer to USSR
June
Prepared
for service and refitted at Middle Docks,
Tyneside.
July
Refit
work completed and Soviet Navy personnel joined
ship. Renamed ZHOSTKI
T r
a n s f e r t o R u s
s i a n N a v y
August
Took
passage to Murmansk to join Northern Fleet.
(Note: Ship joined Russian
Convoy JW59 with other ships being transferred
on loan.)
P
o s t R N
S e r v i c e
HMS
GEORGETOWN served
in the Russian Northern Fleet as ZHOSTKI until
August 1952 when she was towed
to Rosyth. This ship reverted to her previous
identity on 9th September 1952
.Immediately placed on the Disposal List she was
sold to BISCO for demolition
by T W Ward for demolition at Inverkeithing,
near Rosyth and arrived in tow at
the shipbreaker’s
yard on 16th September 1952.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS GEORGETOWN
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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24/12/40
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24/12/40
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OB
264
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29/12/40
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29/12/40
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15/12/40
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29/12/40
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SC
016
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30/12/40
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31/12/40
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07/01/41
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08/01/41
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OG
049
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11/01/41
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21/01/41
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29/12/40
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11/01/41
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HG
049
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15/01/41
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15/01/41
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03/02/41
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04/02/41
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OB
282
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08/02/41
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08/02/41
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20/01/41
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09/02/41
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SL
063
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11/02/41
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09/02/41
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18/02/41
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18/02/41
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OB
288
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22/02/41
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22/02/41
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08/02/41
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24/02/41
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SC
022
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28/02/41
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28/02/41
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11/07/41
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11/07/41
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OB
345
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16/07/41
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26/07/41
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06/07/41
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17/07/41
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HX
137
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21/07/41
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22/07/41
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27/07/41
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30/07/41
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ON
002
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01/08/41
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08/08/41
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22/07/41
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03/08/41
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SC
038
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07/08/41
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08/08/41
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15/08/41
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16/08/41
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ON
007
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21/08/41
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25/08/41
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10/08/41
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22/08/41
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HX
144
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27/08/41
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30/08/41
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17/09/41
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19/09/41
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ON
017
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21/09/41
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29/09/41
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11/09/41
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22/09/41
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SC
044
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28/09/41
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30/09/41
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08/10/41
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10/10/41
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ON
024
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13/10/41
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15/10/41
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05/10/41
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17/10/41
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SC
048
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21/10/41
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22/10/41
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28/10/41
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30/10/41
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ON
031
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04/11/41
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15/11/41
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28/10/41
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08/11/41
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HX
157
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11/11/41
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13/11/41
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04/05/42
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18/05/42
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SL
109
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28/05/42
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28/05/42
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30/06/42
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04/07/42
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HG
085
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07/07/42
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12/07/42
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16/08/42
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28/08/42
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ON
122
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03/09/42
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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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05/09/42
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18/09/42
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ON
128
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22/09/42
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24/09/42
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13/09/42
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unknown
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HX
207
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unknown
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25/09/42
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24/09/42
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27/09/42
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HX
209
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29/09/42
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09/10/42
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19/09/42
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04/10/42
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ON
132
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07/10/42
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08/10/42
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26/10/42
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29/10/42
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HX
213
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31/10/42
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10/11/42
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and
as HMCS GEORGETOWN
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01/11/42
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14/11/42
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ON
143
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16/11/42
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16/11/42
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25/11/42
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25/11/42
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SC
111
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30/11/42
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17/12/42
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05/12/42
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11/12/42
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HX
218
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15/12/42
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21/12/42
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09/12/42
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21/12/42
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ON
152
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23/12/42
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31/12/42
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06/01/43
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11/01/43
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HX
222
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14/01/43
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22/01/43
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12/01/43
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24/01/43
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ON
161
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27/01/43
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31/01/43
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03/02/43
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06/02/43
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SC
119
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14/02/43
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22/02/43
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27/06/43
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27/06/43
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SC
135
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02/07/43
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11/07/43
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01/07/43
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07/07/43
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ON
191
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14/07/43
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15/07/43
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15/07/43
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17/07/43
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HX
248
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18/07/43
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29/07/43
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16/07/43
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27/07/43
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ON
193
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30/07/43
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31/07/43
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08/08/43
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08/08/43
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HX
251
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13/08/43
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23/08/43
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08/08/43
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16/08/43
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ON
196
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19/08/43
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21/08/43
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21/08/43
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01/09/43
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ON
198
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04/09/43
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04/09/43
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01/09/43
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12/09/43
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EN
200
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15/09/43
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18/09/43
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18/10/43
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18/10/43
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HX
262
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21/10/43
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02/11/43
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06/11/43
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06/11/43
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HX
265
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11/11/43
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21/11/43
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06/11/43
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17/11/43
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ON
210
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19/11/43
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23/11/43
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(Note
on Convoys)
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