The Alcoa Banner
was built in 1919.
The Alcoa Banner was
part of at least the next convoys:
Convoy SC 77 which departed
from Halifax, Canada on March 30,1942 and
arrived in Liverpool on April 16.
Convoy PQ 16 in May 1942. Departed from
Reykjavik on the 21st of May 1942 and arrived
Murmansk on the 30th of May 1942.This convoy en
route to Russia, was attacked fiercely by the
German Luftwaffe. The Alcoa Banner was damaged
but with no casualties among its crew. 8 vessels
were lost in this convoy.
Convoy MKS 8 departed from Bone on 17 February 1943 and arrived in
Liverpool on 1 March 1943.
On 7 July 1943, German submarine U-185 carried
out two attacks on convoy BT 18 off the coast of
Brazil, torpedoing U.S. freighter James
Robertson and tanker William Boyce Thompson. The
James Robertson careened through the columns of
the convoy, colliding in succession with U.S.
freighter Alcoa Banner.
CONVOY SC 148 departed from Halifax on December
2, 1943 and arrived in Liverpool on the 16th.
CONVOY HX 327 departed New York City on December
19,1944 and arrived in Liverpool on January 2,
1945.
After this last convoy, the
Alcoa Banner was sent to the port of Antwerp in
Belgium to deliver supplies to the Allied ground
forces on mainland Europe. On 24 January 1945,
Ar 234 (jet propelled) bombers of the German
KampfGruppe 76, struck the docks at Antwerp and
damaged the Alcoa Banner. Two men died in the
attack, Chief Engineer Le Gal and fireman Joseph
Cummings.
Both were awared the
Mariner's Medal. The Alcoa Banner was repaired
but later written off and scuttled.
After the war Charles Le Gal was re-interred at Margraten
Military Cemetery, Plot O Row 19 Grave 7.
