Posted by Marek Twardowski marektwardowski@hotmail.com on April 19, 2001



Hello,

I am working on history of Polish ships, both merchant and naval. At present I am looking for additional information on following ships:



1. CALIFORNIA EXPRESS

01.1934 Completed as CALIFORNIA EXPRESS and entered service for Sigurd Herlofson & Co. A/S. Later changed owner to A/S Wenoka, Oslo; managers: Sigurd Herlofson & Co. A/S, with same name.

1940 Entered war service in North Atlantic convois.

1946 Banana-trade from the Caribbean to Europe.

01.1949 Purchased by Polish shipping company "Polbrit", renamed CZECH.

1.01.1951 Transferred to Polish Ocean Lines. Name and flag unchanged.

7.03.1953 Rescued 62 survivors from the Egyptian Navy vessel SOLLUM which sank in storm off Alexandria

21.09.1961 Collided off Seville with Spanish PLUS ULTRA.

01.1965 Deleted.

07.1965 BU in Gdan´sk, Poland.



I would be extremly glad to get some additional information on her participation in WW2. Also, there were OREGON EXPRESS and WASHINGTON EXPRESS, probably sisterships. Any information on those two would help, too.



2. HELGOY

08.1920 Completed as THEODORE ROOSEVELT for Fred Olsen & Co.

04.1936 Changed owners to Erling H. Samuelsen I/S Rederi II A/S, renamed HELGÖY.

1940 Part of the Uteflote. Damaged in collision during the war.

08.1950 Purchased by GAL and renamed MIKO?AJ REJ.

1.01.1951 Transferred to PLO, Gdynia.

06.1951 Chartered to Chipolbrok (joint Polish-Chinese shipping company).

13.04.1954 Grounded in Suez Canal whilst on voyage from Taku Bar, India, to Gdynia. Refloated by use of local tugs and towed to Great Bitter Lake.

1960 Sold to PR of China and renamed NAN HAI 148.

1970 Presumably BU.



Again, any information on her activities during WW2 would help a lot.



Yours faithfully,

Marek Twardowski

Gdynia, Poland



RESPONSES:



Posted by Siri siri@lawson.net on April 23, 2001.

OREGON EXPRESS:

Fruit carrier, built Odense 1933, Sigurd Herlofson & Co. A/S, Oslo - 3642 gt, 3150 dwt. Torpedoed on Sept. 23-1943 in Convoy ON 202 by U238, sunk 53 40N 39 50W, 8 died 37 survived.



WASHINGTON EXPRESS:

Fruit carrier, built in Gothenburg 1933, Biørn Biørnstad & Co., Oslo - 3643 gt, 3160 dwt.



Both these ships operated for Skibs-A/S Fruit Express Line

(Source for the above: The World's Merchant Fleets 1939 by Roger W. Jordan, dimensions are also listed in this book if you need them).



I will post more details from my Norwegian sources on the torpedoeing incident of Oregon Express on my page "Ships starting with O" and upload that information shortly, even though I'm still working on the L's.



Washington Express rescued 9 men from the torpedoed Norwegian ship M/S Moldanger (U404, Bülow) who had been drifting around on the Atlantic on a raft for 49 days in June/July 1942. The youngest was 20 years old, the oldest was 59. I just received a wonderful little book called "Menn uten Medaljer" (men without medals) that I ordered from an antiquarian book store, where there's a large picture of the 9, and first hand accounts from several crew members on various Norwegian ships. I plan to include some of those accounts once I'm done with my lists.

----------------------------------------------------------



Posted by Roger W Jordan rogwj@aol.com on April 24, 2001.

When lost, OREGON EXPRESS was on voyage from Manchester to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in ballast. She had a crew of 43 and there were also 4 gunners on board. Eight lives were lost, but I have not been able to ascertain how many of these were crew members and how many gunners.

I am sending to Siri, hopefully for inclusion on the ship images page, a prewar image of CALIFORNIA EXPRESS.

Roger W Jordan

-----------------------------------------------------------



Posted by Siri on April 24.



Thank you! Picture has been included!



Pictures of ships [www.warsailors.com]

-------------------------------------------------------------



Posted by Marek Twardowski on May 02, 2001.



Thanks to all for help - Marek.

------------------------------------------------------------



Added by Siri on Nov. 9-2001:



California Express can be found here:

[www.warsailors.com]



Oregon Express:

[www.warsailors.com]



Washington Express:

[www.warsailors.com]



Moldanger:

[www.warsailors.com]



Helgøy:

[www.warsailors.com]



Siri