Halifax Nova Scotia Explosion 1917 ..Thousands killed

[joboy]

On Dec 6th 1917 a French Ammunition ship exploded in Halifax Harbour killing over 2,000.
HMS HIGHFLYER was close by and was damaged and had several fatalities as a result.
After helping with rescue and relief HMS HIGHFLYER quickly made repairs and she escorted the first convoy out of Halifax on Dec 11th.
Does anyone know the reference number assigned to that convoy and was the convoy headed to UK?
Joe

[Gwil]

Joe
I can't help directly with the Convoy name but there is quite a bit on the Highfler on theis thread on the GWF. maybe one of the links contained within it will have the answer

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10525&hl=highflyer

Gwil

[joboy]

Thanks Gwil ....... a very good link which supplied a lot of detail that I really needed.
Joe

[waiteohman]

Hello Joe

There were 33 ships in the convoy. Found this in the preview for this publication:

The Halifax Explosion and the Royal Canadian Navy: Inquiry and Intrigue By John Griffith Armstrong
(Index: Highfligher HMS: escort to the first convoy after explosion 108)
ISBN: 0774808918
Publisher: UBC Press
Book Preview:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=25UrZ8f7qhgC&dq=%22first+convoy%22+%22explosion%22+Halifax+december+Highflyer&source=gbs_book_other_versions_r&cad=0_1

Tacoma may have been one of them:
You do not get to preview page 248
The Halifax Explosion and the Royal Canadian Navy: Inquiry and ... - Google Books Resultby John Griffith Armstrong - 2002 - History - 248 pages
Not long after Tacoma disappeared from view, Chambers sent the good news to ... 91 Orders were passed to all ports to send ships to Halifax for convoy as ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tacoma_(CL-20)

Chapter 1. The Royal Canadian Navy in Halifax:
(Bertram M. Chambers directed the Royal Navy's functions in Halifax)
http://www.ubcpress.ca/books/pdf/chapters/halifax/chap1.pdf

Maybe you could borrow the book on interlibrary loan via your local library.

Letters from Halifax: Reliving the Halifax explosion through the eyes of my grandfather, a sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy
The Northern Mariner: Reliving the Halifax Explosion
http://www.cnrs-scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol08/nm_8_4_55-74.pdf

This site may be of interest :
http://www.cbc.ca/halifaxexplosion/

Linda

[joboy]

A lot of great detail there Linda ....... I shall store the links ..... what a terrible didaster.
Joe