Norman Gandy 4

Seventy-six years ago, yesterday, presumably patched-up after her collision with the Djambi, Silverbeech was ready to resume her journey south and became part of Convoy RS3 to Freetown and Lagos.  RS was the designation in 1943-4 for convoys from Gibraltar to Freetown whilst SR was the designation in 1943 for the return.  There were 2 other merchant ships (Lagosian and Moanda) with Silverbeach which also included the cable ship, Lady Denison Pender and five tugs being escorted by two Corvettes, HMS Cadmus and HMS Convovlus and two armed trawlers, HMS Kingston Chrysolite and HMS Arctic Ranger. Interestingly, Lady Denison Pender was returning to Freetown having completed a highly secret job in the Mediterranean - she had connected an undersea communications cable between Gibraltar and Casablanca specifically for the Casablanca Conference (SYMBOL) in January 1943. Silverbeech had 5 passengers (6 had commenced the voyage at Liverpool but one had left the ship at Gibraltar) and 5053 tons of general cargo including ammunition and high explosives, about 100 tons of TNT.  There was also a large consignment of mint bank notes for issue by the West African Currency Board and, amongst personal items, a tea set which Norman had bought en-route as a wedding present for my Mother.  The Master was Captain Thomas George Hyem.  Much fewer in number than OS44 but, probably, equally conspicuous, the ships steamed in 3 columns with Silverbeech in the centre.  The convoy left Gibraltar at 1600Z on 22 March 1943.

Meantime, on receiving information from the xB-Dienst (signal intelligence service) the “Seeraeuber” (Pirate) Patrol Group, "Wolfpack," comprising 8 U-Boats (U-105, 67,123,159,167,172,513, and 515) part of X Flotille FdU West operating from Lorient in France, formed a patrol line across the likely track of RS3 intending to intercept the convoy off West Africa.