D/S Balduin
Updated Apr. 15-2008

To Balduin on the "Ships starting with B" page.


Source: A book about Akers mek. Verksted, 1931.

When named Karen, post war - Received from Sverre Johansen, Norway.

Further to the above – 1940-1944:

As can be seen, Balduin was mostly in service around the U.K. during the war, with only a few voyages across the Atlantic.

At the end of Apr.-1940, she's listed in Convoy OA 137, which left Southend on Apr. 27 and dispersed 2 days later, Balduin arriving Barry on Apr. 28 (the Norwegian Vigsnes is also included). In July that year she appears among the ships in Convoy OB 184. The Norwegian Fana, Fenris, and Haakon Hauan are also listed in this convoy, which departed Liverpool on July 15 and was dispersed on the 18th. No destination is given for Balduin, but it looks like she travelled to Sydney, C.B., because her next voyage is from there on Aug. 25, as can be seen in the next paragraph (ref. external links provided within the above table for more on the OA and OB convoys).

Balduin, with lumber for Inverness, was scheduled for the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 65 the following month, but did not sail. She also cancelled from the next convoy, HX 66, but eventually got way with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 2, in which the Norwegian Gro was sunk. This convoy, which had several Norwegian ships, left Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 25-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 10. Later that month we find her in Convoy OA 219, from which the Norwegian Asgerd was sunk, and which left Methil on Sept. 24 and dispersed on the 28th - again, ref. external link provided. A couple of weeks later she shows up, together with the Norwegian Askeladden, in the U.K.-Gibraltar Convoy OG 44, which departed Liverpool on Oct. 11-1940 and arrived Gibraltar on the 24th; Balduin, however, was bound for Lisbon on that occasion, where she arrived on Oct. 24, having detached from the convoy the day before. OG 44 will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section, but in the meantime, the ships sailing in it are listed on the page naming ships in all OG convoys. About a month later she joined Convoy HG 47 (departure Gibraltar Nov. 20, arrival Liverpool Dec. 4). Her destination is given as Sunderland, cargo of pit props.

In July-1941 we find her in Convoy OB 347, which left Liverpool on July 16 and was dispersed on July 31. Her destination is given as Sydney, C.B. and she had station 95 of the convoy, in which the Norwegian Akabahra, Astra, Bjørkhaug, Fido, Gudrun, Hestmanden, Leka, Marga, Maridal, Orania, Siak, Spes, and Sveve are also listed, as will be seen by following the link provided in the above table. Arnold Hague now has her returning to the U.K. with the slow Convoy SC 41. This convoy, which left Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 24-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 11, is not included among the SC convoys on my own site, but I've linked directly to it in the above table - it also had several other Norwegian ships, namely Akabahra, Astra, Audun, Blink, Carrier (returned), Einvik (sunk, see Einvik), Evviva, Fagersten, Fanefjeld, Grado, Gudrun, Heien, Hestmanden, Hildur I, Ledaal, Leka, Lom, Marga, Nesttun, Orania (returned), Reiaas, Siak, and Spes.

Balduin was one of about 50 Norwegian ships taking part in the invasion of Normandie; she arrived Gold Beach on June 15-1944. Note that Arnold Hague has included her, together with the Norwegian Ara, in Convoy ETC 9, which departed Southend on June 14-1944 and arrived Seine Bay on June 15.

For information on Balduin's other voyages, please go back to the Voyage Record. For more information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page, please use the alphabet index.

POST WAR:

Sold in 1953 to Johan Amundsen & Søn A/S, Haugesund, renamed Karen. Sold in Dec.-1967 to Greece and renamed Cretan Wind. Delivered for breaking up in Aug.-1969.

Related external links:
Misc. Convoys - By clicking on "Ship Search", using "Balduin" as keyword, a long list of local U.K. convoys will come up, among others. See also the links provided within the above table.

Gold Beach

Back to Balduin on the "Ships starting with B" page.

Other ships by this name: Fred. Olsen had previously had another ship by this name, built 1899, 1059 gt, sunk May 1-1915 by the German U 39 in position 56 58N 03 15E, while on a voyage from Drammen to London with a cargo of paper, timber and wood pulp. They also had a motor vessel by this name later on, built Oslo 1955, sold in 1972 to Vatnetind A/S, Ålesund, then a 4th Balduin was built in Florø in 1975 (along with the sister ships Bayard [VII] and Bohemund, all 3 being RO-RO ships).