Bonnington Court

From SN Guides

Introduction

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
• Boilers: N/K
• Cargo capacity:N/K
• Crew: N/K

• Employment: Built for general cargo

Career Highlights

• 28 Sep 1929: Launched
• Nov 1929: Completed
• 1936: Owners restyled Court Line Ltd. - same managers
• 19 Jan 1941: Bombed and sunk

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

The data in the following table has been extracted from External Resource #1 which indicates that Bonnington Court participated in 17 convoys.

A key to the routes for these convoys can be found on this page: World War 2 Convoy Names

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 External resource #4 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.

Roll of Honour

The table below lists most of those who are known to have died as a result of the sinking of Bonnington Court.

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.

External resources

1. Convoyweb (Arnold Hague Convoy Database): [1]
2. Miramar Ship Index: [2]
3. Information extracted from Lloyds Registers
4. Norman Middlemiss: Travel of the Tramps - Twenty Tramp Fleets ISBN: 1871128021
5. List of Canadian Casualties: [3]

Images

1. The Allen Collection: The Allen Collection

Main Contributors

1. Basic research and construction of entry by Benjidog
2. History and basic details by John Powell and Clive Ketley
3. Information about casualties from Billy McGee