User:MinorProphet/MV Delius

MV Delius was a refrigerated cargo liner of 6065 tons gross, built in 1937 for the Lamport and Holt shipping line for their South American service. Delius was the first of seven "D"-class ships completed between 1937 and 1945.

Delius was named after the Bradford-born Frederick Delius; a number of ships in the Lamport & Holt fleet were named after people from the north of England, while others were named after composers (including Mozart, Rossini, Balfe and Verdi).

The Delius was requisitioned during World War II and saw service in Operation Ariel, the Norwegian campaign and convoy duty around the world. She was damaged twice by air attack: first during the Norway campaign when she received a direct hit; and second in late 1943 in the Atlantic by a glide bomb resulting in the deaths of the captain, the second officer, the bosun, the chief steward, and three crew. After the war, Delius continued on Lamport & Holt's South American service. In 1954 she was transferred to the Vestey Group's Blue Star Line and renamed Portland Star - reverting to Delius in 1958 - and scrapped in February 1961.

Design and construction

Lamport and Holt D-class

No new ships had entered the §Lamport and Holt fleet since the cargo ship Lassell in 1922, and the liner Voltaire of 1923. However, business had picked up after the company's reconstruction in 1934, and in 1937 the first three refrigerated cargo ships of the new "D"-class (Delius, Delane and Devis) were ordered from the Belfast firm of Harland and Wolff by Lamport and Holt Line Ltd., to replace respectively the Marconi (sold to Kaye, Son and Co.), the Millais which went to the Blue Star Line and the Nasmyth which was broken up in 1938. Two further D-class ships, Debrett and Defoe were built in 1940.

Defoe sank in 1942 when her cargo exploded off Rockall, and Devis was torpedoed and sunk off Sicily while trooping in 1943, with the loss of 42 lives. They were replaced in 1945 & 1944 respectively with two new D-class ships of similar design, keeping the same names and often referred to as e.g. "Defoe (2)" or the "second Devis"

Delius

The first of her class to be built, Delius was was ordered from the Belfast firm of Harland and Wolff, launched on 12 April 1937 (yard no. 980) and completed in July 1937. Although they shared a very similar design, no two D-class ships were quite alike. They had a modern, unusually streamlined appearance with the funnel forming part of the superstructure. There were three forward holds with steel hatches and two derricks, and three similar holds aft.

The passenger lounge, the dining saloon, the accommodation for the officers, engineers and stewards, and the the galley were situated on the cargo (or boat) deck, arranged around the top of the engine room. Only the after half of the funnel contained the engine's exhaust gas, the forward space being put to general use. Above the boat deck was the bridge deck, which contained the first-class accommodation, and the baths within the funnel space. The captain's room and bedroom were atop that, then the navigation bridge with the wireless in the funnel space, and the wheelhouse on top. The A.Bs were quartered in the crew space aft, above the steering gear.

Propulsion

The engine, a Burmeister and Wain 6-cylinder, double-acting, 2-stroke diesel, was built under licence and installed by Harland and Wolff. Delius also had steam auxiliary engines and a natural draught Scotch boiler.

Early service

Delius was used on the Liverpool - River Plate service until WWII broke out in September 1939. Her captain then was Commander William W. Watson, R.N.V.R., who led a division of supporting Motor Launches in the diversion at Ostend during the the Zeebrugge Raid in April 1918.

World War II: Phoney War

Best delete the names of all the other ships, just boring looking up all the names and RN destroyers.

During the Phoney War Delius assisted in the evacuation of various military units from the Loire area, including Polish troops.

Sunday, 24 September 1939
Convoy BC.5 of 12 steamers, including BEAVERDALE (Cdre), CITY OF DERBY, DELIUS, LOWICK, TREHATA, VOLO departed Bristol Channel escorted by destroyers VIVACIOUS, VISCOUNT, VENETIA, VANESSA, arriving in the Loire on the 26th.

Friday, 29 September
UK-France convoys - BC.5R of 15 steamers, including BEAVERDALE (Cdre), BULLFINCH, CITY OF DERBY, DELIUS, LOWICK, TREHATA, TREWORLAS, VOLO departed the River Loire escorted by destroyers EXMOUTH, ECHO, ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER, and ECLIPSE. The convoy arrived safely in Bristol Channel on 1 October.

Monday, 30 October
Convoy BC.13S of fifteen ships, including DELIUS (Commodore), GRETA FORCE, GWENTHILLS and SANDHILL departed Bristol Channel escorted by destroyers EXPRESS and VIVACIOUS, and safely arrived in Quiberon Bay on 1 November.

Friday, 10 November
Convoy BC.13S (or BC.13R) of steamers ATLANTIC COAST, BARON GRAHAM, BRISTOL CITY, BRITISH COAST, CERVANTES, CITY OF DERBY DELIUS (Commodore), DORSET COAST, GRETA FORCE, GUELMA, LYCAON and SANDHILL departed the Loire escorted by destroyers VIVACIOUS and VESPER. The convoy safely arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 12th.

Norwegian Campaign

Main article: Norwegian campaign

Background

Map of Norway

Norway was strategically important to Germany because iron ore from Sweden could be shipped out from the ice-free port of Narvik in northern Norway. The Baltic freezes in winter, denying shipping direct from Sweden. Air bases in Norway could also be used to attack Allied shipping in the N. Atlantic.

The first German naval operations took place from the 7–14 April 1940, followed by German troop landings at Trondheim, Bergen, and Stavanger.

The first Allied landings took place between the 14th and 16th April 1940. In the north, British troops occupied Harstad in preparation for an attack on Narvik. They were reinforced by French and Polish units through into May. Royal Marines led British and French troops into Namsos ready for an attack south towards Trondheim. The British went ashore in the Andalsnes area near Alesund to try to hold central Norway with the Norwegian Army. Neither of these operations proved possible and on the 27th April the decision was taken to pull out of central Norway.

263 Squadron RAF

On 2 October 1939, No. 263 Squadron RAF reformed at Filton as a fighter squadron.

Whitney Straight of No. 601 Squadron RAF (he was the pre-war owner of the inter-UK airline Western Airways), sailed with a naval force to Norway on 15th April 1940, with the temporary rank of Squadron Leader. His job was to find frozen lakes from which aircraft could operate. After landing on the 17th, he found and organised the clearing of Lake Lesjaskog, SW of Trondheim, in time for 263 Squadron to arrive on the 24th.

Tuesday, 23 April
Aircraft carriers ARK ROYAL (Vice Admiral L. V. Wells) and GLORIOUS departed Scapa Flow at 1230. GLORIOUS carried eighteen Gladiator aircraft of RAF 263 Squadron, as well as nine Gladiators of 802 Squadron, eleven Skuas of 803 Squadron, and nine Gladiators of 804 Squadron.

That evening, 263 Squadron flew from GLORIOUS to an airfield at Lake Lesjaskog. These 18 planes were intended for the air defense of Aandalsnes and Molde.

On 24 April as part of the campaign in Eastern Norway, the squadron set up base on the frozen lake Lesjaskogsvatnet to provide air cover for the British and Norwegian ground troops. Many of the squadron's aircraft were destroyed by German bombing on 25 April, during which Whitney Straight was seriously injured and deafened. Although the surviving four Gladiators were evacuated to Setnesmoen army base near Åndalsnes, they were all out of operation by the end of the folllowing day (26 April). Setnesmoen was bombed and knocked out by the Luftwaffe on 29 April. The Delius returned with the air party (the pilots) from 263 Squadron for re-equipping with more Gladiators.

Delius arrived at Scapa Flow at 6.30am on Wednesday, 1 May 1940. The pilots were conveyed by tender to Thurso, where they boarded a train for London.

After the Allied failure in central Norway, more preparation was given to the northern forces. Air cover was provided by two squadrons of carrier-transported fighters operating from Bardufoss Air Station, the re-equipped No. 263 Squadron RAF with more Gloster Gladiators and No. 46 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes. In May 1940, eighteen Gladiators (two flights) 263 Squadron arrived back in Norway on the Glorious to be transferred to Norwegian airbases further north and flew patrols until the Allied forces were withdrawn from Narvik. Its remaining ten Gladiators were flown aboard the carrier HMS Glorious during the afternoon of 7 June.

Next day the Glorious returning to the UK was sunk by the German battleships German battleship Scharnhorst and German battleship Gneisenau.

Complete wartime voyages of Delius

Convoy TM.1/1

NB There was another Convoy TM.1, possibly bound to or from the Caribbean, in which several tankers were lost.

21 April 1940

Steamers Delius and Dallington Court and destroyers HMS Amazon (D39) and HMS Witherington (D76) Witherington had departed the River Clyde at 1900 on the 21st for Scapa Flow, arriving at 1100 on the 23rd.

24 April 1940

Convoy TM.1, consisting of steamers Delius (6065grt), Dallington Court (6889grt), Spanker (1875grt), Lochnagar (1619grt) (petrol, ammo & stores) departed Scapa Flow escorted by destroyers HMS Afridi (F07), Amazon, Witherington at 0315/24th to arrive at dusk on the 26th??. The convoy arrived at Andalsnes at dusk on the 27th, the day the decision was taken to pull out of central Norway.

The arriving convoy found the town in flames and the area under heavy air attack. The convoy was bombed with 125 bombs from 1345 to 1700. Steamer Delius was damaged by German bombing.

Saturday 27 April 1940

On April 27, 1940, the Delius was damaged by air attack while lying at Romsdalsfjord, Norway, a direct hit being recorded. This attack was to last two days.

WAR DIARIES. SUMMARIES. R. of P. . &c. RECEIVED FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, 1940. 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Report of operations off Norway, 13 to 20 April. (M0816140.)

Aandalsnes. Remarks on events observed by NLO 5th Corps, 224 - 1540. (M.0e52440) , '-. 3 Coders chiefly the events on land and leading up to the evacuation. Manner in which S.S.Delius (equipment and stores) had been loaded; refusal of her crew to bring the ship in for further unloading, on account of enemy bombing. Lack of air protection &c.

Serjeant Henry Truss, of 260 Battery, 84th A.A. Regiment, Royal Artillery, was accidentally killed on the Delius on 27 April 1940. He was buried in Andalsnes Church Cemetery. This source says that six guns and all the transport of 260 Battery were lost at sea, and the two remaining guns were damaged during unloading and could not be used. How were the guns lost? Swept overboard during the voyage? There seem to be no reports of any ships being lost. Perhaps when Delius received a direct hit at Romsdalsfjord.

Some disembarkation was done and sloop HMS Black Swan's ammunition was replenished, but when the convoy left at 0200 on 28 April, still under heavy air attack, the greater part of the stores, including the first heavy anti-aircraft battery to reach Norway was still aboard the cargo ships. [NB This would have been 260 Battery of the 84th HAA Regiment, equipped with QF 3-inch 20 cwt guns. There seems to be considerable discrepancy over the fate of these guns: if only two were left after the bombing and they were damaged during unloading, were they re-embarked or left on the quayside? What was Dallington Court carrying? We'll probably never know.]

The convoy was to stand off the coast to await further orders. Convoy TM.1 departed Romdalsfjord escorted by destroyers Afridi, Amazon, Witherington. The convoy was under heavy air attack from 1000 to 1400 on 28 April with 65 bombs being dropped, but no damage was done. The convoy was given anti-aircraft support by destroyers HMS Mohawk and HMS Sikh. which had been withdrawn from the Trondheim blockade at dawn on the 28th to assist convoy TM.1, which now also included petrol carrier MV Ronan.

Monday, 29 April

Destroyers Amazon and Witherington were escorting convoy TM.1 as it returned to Scapa Flow from Aandalsnes. West of the Shetlands, destroyer HMS Mohawk (F31) was detached to Sullom Voe for refuelling. Destroyer Mohawk arrived Sullom Voe at 0900 on 30 April and went on to Scapa Flow arriving at 0600 on 1 May. From 61‑35N, 00‑36E to 62‑54N, 01‑56W, destroyers Amazon and Witherington, escorting convoy TM.1, attacked at 1445 and claimed sinking U.14, which was returning to Germany. The submarine sustained only light damage. Wooden battens and a small stool came to the surface, but could not be recovered due to German aircraft in the area. Destroyer Witherington was damaged on the 29th by German bombing. The damage only required three days to repair.

Convoy TM.1 arrived safely at Scapa Flow at 0505 on 1 May.

Delius along with several other ships departed Scapa Flow at 1100 on 3 May escorted by destroyer HMS Beagle (H30) and patrol vessels Gleaner and Jason, for the Clyde or Bristol Channel. Arrived 6 May

14 May 1940

Pilot Officer Wyatt-Smith of Air Party to Base Hospital for removal of shrapnel from his leg (wound received in bombing raid whilst aboard M.V.“Delius“ returning from the first expedition to Norway)

Awards

Citation for Captain W.W. Watson's OBE. Awarded Additional Officer, Civil Division OBE 8 October 1940, along with the captains of Dallington Court and Spanker. The chief engineers of these vessels received additional MBEs, and a signalman, gunlayer and two telegraphists on Delius were commended.

"Delius, Dallington Court and Spanker formed part of a convoy [TM.1] conveying military stores to a Norwegian port, and were subjected to three bombing attacks just before they arrived. On leaving the next day the ships were bombed steadily. The ordeal through which these ships passed was the greater because of the necessarily slow speed of the convoy, but they proceeded steadily to their destination. On the first day the enemy took full advantage of a very clear sky. Almost all the attacks were delivered from out of the sun and the cover from the surrounding mountains was of much help to the enemy. Many of the bombs dropped were of a very heavy type and would certainly have sunk any ship if they had hit her. The convoy was attacked for nearly eight hours and about 400 bombs were dropped."

Operation Ariel

Main article: Operation Ariel

After the fall of France in May 1940 and the extraction of the B.E.F. from Dunkirk, thousands of remaining Allied troops were evacuated by ship from Western France in June 1940.

Delius transported troops of the 2nd BEF B.E.F., including motorcyclists of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, shown returning from France with their mounts to Southampton Docks in May of 1940. [NB This must be the wrong month.] Bikes and men were loaded on the MV Delius which made the crossing back to safety. </ref>This web forum says they are 4th KOSB (52 Div) of 2nd BEF. They were part of 155 Brigade.

Light Tank Mk VIs of 5th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment (1st Armoured Div.) on the Delius at Southampton having returned from France during the evacuation of British forces from Cherbourg, 19 June 1940

.

Friday 19 June 1940

Delius, for La Pallice – River Gironde area.

Saturday 20 June 1940

C.S.2. informed (1351) by C-in-C W.A. Polish division assembling Le Verdon for evacuation. [Le Verdon is on the left (south) bank at the mouth of the Gironde] Also 3000 French air pilots and mechanics. Shipping at La Pallice, LADY OF MANN, ORMONDE, KONINGIN EMMA, on passage thither St. Helier, PRINCESS BEATRIX, BLAIR NEVIS, DELIUS.

Cargo ships BLAIRNEVIS, BELGRAVIAN, DELIUS, GLENAFFRIC, CYCLOPS, BECKENHAM, CLAN FERGUSON, LYCAON, MAPLEWOOD, CLAN ROSS, BALFE, CLAUMET (CALUMET), KELSO, KUFRA, BARON KENNARD (KINNARD), KERMA, BARON NAIRN, all suitable for stores and two to three thousand personnel each, all due evening 21st and after.

Sunday 21 June 1940

C.S.2 was informed (2258) that the following ships had been ordered to Gironde and to report on arrival to any British warship: DELIUS, GLENAFFRIC, CLAN FERGUSON, BLAIRNEVIS, CYCLOPS, BECKENHAM, CLAN ROSS, BALFE, KYNO, KUFFRA, KELSO, MAPLEWOOD,

Monday 22 June 1940

HMS Berkeley (L17), a Type I Hunt-class destroyer reported (0720) DELIUS, ROYAL SCOTSMAN & CLAN FERGUSON expected to begin embarkation (0815) Berkeley reported (1006) that Port Dunedin, Delius & ROYAL SCOTSMAN were sufficient for embarking all Polish troops.

Berkeley informed HMS Vanquisher (D54) (1930) CLAN FERGUSON & ROYAL SCOTSMAN with 6000 4000 Polish troops leaving Le Verdon 2115 for Liverpool. DELIUS following 23rd with 2000.

Tuesday 23 JUNE 1940

Berkeley reported (0155) embarkation of 6000 Poles completed. DELIUS sailing 0800/23. Essential for HMS Beagle (H30) to return fuel short. French refusing to permit embarkation without British assistance. Polish officers remaining assisting divert Poles to Bayonne. Suggest s.s. BECKENHAM be diverted thither. S.N.O. St. Jean de Luz reported (0158) 9000 Poles sailed early 21st in MS Sobieski & BATORY.

Berkeley informed C.S.2. that he was remaining at Le Verdon and had ordered DELIUS & BECKENHAM to await further instructions. s.s. KUFRA had arrived.

Berkeley (0845) to C.S.2. am sailing DELIUS unescorted at (0915/23). Berkeley signalled to C.S.2. (0915) French authorities report Germans close to Fort at Royan sailing with transport at once.

Berkeley reported (1145) to C.S.2. have ordered BECKENHAM, KUFRA, KELSO, ORMONDE (see 1151) to Bayonne. Proceeding with DELIUS as instructed, no sign of VIVA II. At 1420 reported met VIVA II and passed instructions. Brought down one enemy bomber at Point(e) de Grave a.m./22 believed to be a Junkers Ju 88.

Wednesday 24 June 1940

Berkeley reported (1020) that he had insufficient fuel to continue escort of DELIUS beyond 48. 26. N. 06.05. W. where he expected to arrive (2130). Intended to return Plymouth and requested relief escort.

In 1941 permission to wear the Polish Cross of Valour (Krzyz Walecznych) was awarded to Capt. William Watson and Mr. Albert John Toy, the Chief Steward of the Delius.

Convoy work

Convoy WS 4

Not particularly eventful...

Convoy WS.4A (Winston's Special) sailed 2 November 1940. As the largest convoy of the series to date, some ships sailed from Avonmouth on 31.10.40 and joined the Liverpool section on 1.11 off the Mersey. Both sections then met the Clyde ships, which sailed 2.11.

On 11.11 in position 23.47N 22.15W, after rendezvous with the armed merchant cruiser PRETORIA CASTLE, the convoy divided into FAST and SLOW sections for onward passage to Freetown.

WS 4 Slow, including DELIUS. Escorted by PRETORIA CASTLE, the convoy arrived at Freetown on 15.11. At Freetown the two sections combined and sailed on 17.11 with the exception of ABOSSO; the order of sailing is unknown. Escort was provided by CORNWALL and PRETORIA CASTLE to Durban. On 2.12, PRETORIA CASTLE took over ALMANZORA, CITY OF MANCHESTER, DELIUS, MALANCHA and MARTAND as a SLOW section while CORNWALL took the remaining ships. Both sections entered Durban on 3.12 at an interval of approximately twelve hours. Convoy sailed on 5.12 for Aden. Arrive Aden 18.12 DELIUS and PORT WYNDHAM detached to Port Sudan on 20.12.40

Convoy HX.150

Departed Halifax, Canada on Sept. 16-1941 and arrived Liverpool on 30 September 1941. Convoy position 91 - Delius, wheat - general. 2 passengers

Convoy ON.028

Dep Milford Haven 19/10/41 No destination given, could be Montreal, Halifax,Vancouver, NYC W. Indies etc.

Mosquitoes to Argentina

Delius doesn't appear to have been on any scheduled convoys for over a year from October 1941. However, she turned up in Argentina in late 1942 with a clandestine cargo:

December 4 1942
Six crated de Havilland Mosquito bombers arrived at Bahia Blanca docks on the British freighter SS Delius belonging to Lamport & Holt Line Ltd. They were carefully cocooned and were craned off the ship and placed on flatbed trailers and towed into a nearby warehouse under military guard for the night.

December 17
At Naval Air Base Bahia Blanca local residents notice a sleek blue-coloured twin-engined monoplane thrumming along for thirty minutes. One observer is heard to remark, “Oh, those are the Navy’s new torpedo-bombers,” another states “It’s a new secret fighter plane developed by FMA,” yet another man nearby who works at dock whispers “It came from England, a secret wonder-plane made of wood.” The crowd laughs at him. The aircraft turned out to be the I.Ae. 24 Calquin.

June 5 1943
Another new Argentine aircraft took to the skies today on its maiden flight. The prototype I.Ae. 24 Calquin (Golden Eagle) fast bomber took to the skies today with test pilot Major de Aero Christophe at the controls. The I.Ae 24 is the culmination of over a year’s design and construction effort to meet an Air Force requirement for a fast bomber replacement for the Vanquish family of bombers. It was originally designed to be powered by two V-12 engines but instead these have been replaced with 1,200hp Ripon R-1200-010A supercharged radial engines. The bomber will have a crew of two (pilot and navigator/ bomb-aimer) and should be capable of reaching speeds of 273mph (366mph with the planned V-12 engines) over a range of 700 miles. Armament is classified but is thought to include machine guns in the nose and a bomb load of around 800kg. Commentators noted the marked similarity to the de Havilland Mosquito in layout and design and indeed the I.Ae 24 shares its wooden construction. The wooden monocoque fuselage plywood has a covering developed by Instituto Aerotechico and Entel. The fuselage is constructed as two separate halves which are subsequently joined together. Wooden tail and tailplane construction has a plywood covering. The plywood is entirely produced by the Instituto Aerotécnico. The mid position wing has two wooden carry-through spars and stringers wooden framed ailerons with fabric covering, wooden slotted flaps and two landing flaps. It is thought that of the several de Havilland Mosquitos that were delivered last year, a couple did find their way into the hands of FMA. How much data was supplied, or copied, from de Havilland is unclear and FMA states the design is wholly Argentine. It is hoped the type will enter service before 1945.

Typical winter convoy, North Atlantic

Delius departed New York City on Convoy HX 220 on Dec. 21-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 9-1943. Delius - general cargo - Convoy position 42, dest. Liverpool.

"December 21 - Left New York in a N.W.'ly snow blizzard temp 14°F. Only 30 out of 40 ships sailing. Fair weather HOMP to WESTOMP without fog.
December 27 - North wind freshened during night to N.E.'ly gale which lasts 4 days. Average speed under 5 knots. On the evening of 27th just after dusk escort passed CONNAV 1725/Z/27 to ? (meet?) at 2005/Z/27. This altered route 20° to port and as ships could not be warned previously and R.V.'s were thrown out resulted in 2 and my only stragglers.
2 January 1943 - 59 05N 32 31W. P.M. - Easterly gale reducing speed to 3 1/2 knots on 4th January and very strong easterly wind with rough sea. Continues to P.M. 7th January av. speed under 5 knots. P.M. Jan. 7, 12°W - approaching N.W. approaches a full easterly gale again catches us. The barometer during whole passage was never below 29.60 and up as high 30.18. Air Escort: From New York up to Dec. 27 (48 25N 49 30W) only."

Convoy MKS 030

Convoy MKS 030, from Liverpool to Bombay via Suez, was probably the worst voyage for the Delius. A man was lost overboard two days after sailing; a steward took ill and died in the very hot weather in the Indian Ocean; in Bombay almost all hands got malaria or dysentery, or both; and the chief officer fell ill during passage through the Suez Canal & died in hospital in Port Said.

Convoy MKS 030 AUGUSTA 07/11/43 (from Port Said) DELIUS British 6,065t 1937 GIB FOR UK
Destination : Clyde (for examination) No cargo given - actually peanuts- Damaged by bomb.

Convoy MKS 030G GIBRALTAR 13/11/43

SS Delius, with a cargo of peanuts, was damaged by a Henschel Hs 293 glide bomb launched from a Condor in the Atlantic in position 46.46 N. 18.30 W. 21 November 1943. Killed and buried at sea: Captain John George, the bosun, the chief steward Albert Toy, and an AB. The second officer and another crewmember died after the Delius arrived home.

Captain John George, OBE, was previously master of another Lamport & Holt ship, the MV Devis, one of Delius "D" class sister ships.

(A straggler, the Marsa was first to be hit by a glide bomb and sunk - officers rescued from the Marsa volunteered to join Delius, since the most senior officer left alive on board the Delius was the second mate.(Heaton part III)

Mulholland, Thomas Anthony, 2nd Officer on the Delius. Grave details

Full story (by PM Heaton)Thompsonian.info

The Delius was repaired at H. Parry & Son, Cacilhas, Almada, Portugal

Bomb damage to SS Delius, a merchant ship that was hit by an aerial bomb. Photo taken 3 December 1943, Greenock Two Imperial War Museum photos unavailable online [3][4]

Later service

After the war, Delius continued on Lamport & Holt's South American service. In 1954 she was transferred to the Vestey Group's Blue Star Line and renamed Portland Star, reverting to Delius in 1958. In 1961 she was sold to Morocco, renamed Kettara VII and scrapped, arriving Tokyo 24 February 1961.

Memorials

The names of the crewmembers who lost their lives on the Delius MV Delius can be found on the Tower Hill memorial in London, which commemorates the men from the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who have no known grave but the sea and died during the two world wars. The memorial can be found close to the Tower of London on the south side of Trinity Square.

Specifications

DELIUS (6065grt) http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4004-13APR04.htm

• Deadweight 10,200
• Tons Gross 6065
• LBD 430 x 62 x 30.25
• Draft 26' 6"
• Engine 1 x 6-cyl. 4,000 bhp 107 rpm Burmeister & Wain 2 SCDA oil engine (2 S.C.- Two Stroke Cycle, D.A. - Double Acting)
• Speed 15 knots
• 12 Passengers, 8 of which in 1st class in 2 twin rooms and 4 singles.

Lamport & Holt Line

William James Lamport (1815-1874) and George Holt (1825-1896) started a shipping business in 1845 with their first wooden sailing ship, the Christabel, purchasing in 1861-1862 their first two tramp steamships of 1,300 deadweight tons.

Their first offices were in Fenwick Buildings, Fenwick Street, Liverpool. They formed the Liverpool, Brazil and River Plate Steam Navigation Company in 1865 to operate services to the East coast of South America. The offices removed to Drury Building in Water Street. In 1911 the controlling interest in the company was sold to Sir Owen Philipps (later Lord Kylsant), the owner of the Royal Mail Line. The firm was registered as a public company, Lamport & Holt Limited, and moved to new offices in the Royal Liver Building from January 1912. It continued to manage the ships which were still registered under the Liverpool, Brazil and River Plate Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.

After the loss of the Vestris in a storm (try MV Vestris) in November 1928 with 112 passengers and crew including the captain, Lamport & Holt discontinued their passenger service between South America and New York. The Kylsant shipping empire suffered a financial collapse in 1930, and its constituent companies went into receivership.

In 1934 the company re-formed under new management with the new title of Lamport and Holt Line Ltd., bringing an end to the Liverpool, Brazil and River Plate Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. At the start of World War 2 the fleet consisted of 21 ships, of which 14 were to be lost during the conflict, including the two last passenger ships, Vandyck and Voltaire, on service with the Royal Navy.

In 1944 the Vestey Group (who had formed the Blue Star Line in 1911 to ship their beef from Argentina) purchased Lamport & Holt Line Limited partly to offset their own war losses (29 ships) during World War 2. In 1945 there were only 9 ships remaining

From 1947 onwards many of the ships, including the Delius, were transferred between the various subsidiary companies. In 1991 the last Lamport & Holt ship (Churchill) transferred to Blue Star and became the Argentina Star, and the name of Lamport & Holt disappeared.

Appendix A

MV Delius - incomplete list of service during WWII

• Convoy BC.4/1 (Sep 1939) Bristol Channel - Quiberon Bay
• Convoy BC.4R (Sep 1939) Quiberon Bay - Bristol Channel
• Convoy BC.5? (24 Sep 1939) Bristol Channel - Loire - Bristol Channel
• Convoy BC.8/1 (Oct 1939) Bristol Channel - Loire
• Convoy BC.9R (Oct 1939) Loire - Bristol Channel (possibly BC.8R?)
• Convoy BC.13/1 (Oct 1939) Bristol Channel - Loire
• Convoy BC.13R (Nov 1939) Loire - Bristol Channel
• Norwegian campaign Convoy TM.1/1 (Apr 1940) Scapa Flow - Åndalsnes - bomb damage
• Operation Ariel 19-24 June 1940) - Evacuation from Western France, June 1940
• Convoy WS.4 (Nov 1940) Liverpool - Divided into 4F & 4S
• Convoy WS.4S (Nov 1940) Formed at sea - Freetown
• Convoy BN.11A (Dec 1940) Port Sudan - Suez
• Convoy BS.13A (Jan 1941) Suez - Dispersed
• Convoy BSF.2 (Feb 1941) Suez - Dispersed
• Convoy SL/MKS.70 (Mar 1941) Freetown - Liverpool
• Convoy BB.10 (Apr 1941) Belfast Lough - Milford Haven
• Convoy BB.82 (Sep 1941) Belfast Lough - Milford Haven
• Convoy HX.150 (Sep 1941) Halifax harbour- Liverpool
• Convoy ON.28 (Oct 1941) Liverpool - Dispersed 42.23N 58.44W
• Convoy OS/KMS.11 (Nov 1941) Liverpool - Freetown
• Convoy OS/KMS.13 (Nov 1941) Liverpool - Freetown

Lack of information about activities of Delius between Nov '41 and Dec '42 until December 1942when Delius carried six De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber planes to Argentina. The new I.Ae. 24 Calquin (Golden Eagle), very similar in appearance to the Mosquito but with different radial engines, appeared in June 1943.

• Convoy HX.220 (Dec 1942) New York - Liverpool
• Unknown convoy from Capetown
• Convoy UC 001 dep Liverpool - America Delius from Capetown
• Convoy UC.1 (15/02/43) Liverpool - Curacao
• Convoy NC.8 (Mar 1943) Walvis Bay - Capetown
• Convoy CA.17 (Apr 1943) Capetown - Dispersed
• Convoy DC.28 (May 1943) Durban - Capetown
• Convoy CN.23 (Jun 1943) Capetown - Dispersed
• Convoy SL/MKS.132 (Jun 1943) Freetown - Rendezvous with MKS.16
• Convoy SL/MKS.132 (Jul 1943) Rendezvous of SL132 with MKS16 - Split Fast & Slow
• Convoy KMS.24G (Aug 1943) Liverpool - Gibraltar for Bombay
• Convoy KMS.24 (Aug 1943) Gibraltar/Bizerta? - Port Said, then via Suez canal to Aden
• Unknown AB convoy (Aden-Bombay), return BA convoy (Bombay-Aden) - Port Said
• Convoy MKS.30 (Nov 1943) Port Said - Gibraltar
• Convoy MKS.30G (Nov 1943) Gibraltar - rendezvous with convoy SL.139
• Convoy SL/MKS.139MK (Nov 1943) Rendezvous of SL139 with MKS30G - Liverpool - damaged by glide bomb. Sailed to the Clyde (Greenock)for repair after being patched up in Lisbon.
• Convoy OS/KMS.74KM  ???? (Apr 1944) Liverpool - Convoy split
• Convoy KMS.48G (Apr 1944) Ex OS74/ KMS48 - Gibraltar
• Convoy KMS.48 (Apr 1944) 23/04/44 Gibraltar/Oran - Port Said.
• Unknown AB convoy (Aden-Bombay)- BA convoy (Bombay-Aden) - Port Said
• Convoy AH.5/2 (Jan 1945) Bari - Ancona)
• Convoy HA.11/2 (Feb 1945) Ancona - Bari)
• Convoy MKS.86G (Mar 1945) Gibraltar - Liverpool) - cargo of oranges.
• Convoy FN.1657 (Mar 1945) Southend - Methil)
• Convoy FN.1691 (Apr 1945) Southend - Methil)
• Convoy OS/KMS.129KM (May 1945) Liverpool - Dispersed 46N 9.40W)
• Convoy TBC.158 (May 1945) Southend - Milford Haven)
• Convoy FS.1803 (May 1945) Methil - Southend)

References

Notes

Sources

• Derry, T.K. (1952). Butler, J.R.M (ed.). The campaign in Norway. History of the Second World War: Campaigns Series (1st ed.). London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

External links

• [Watercolour painting of MV Delius]
• [Good photo]