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M/S Bayard To Bayard on the "Ships starting with B" page.
Manager: Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo Built by Akers Mekaniske Verksted A/S, Oslo in 1936. Captain: Arvid Heiberg.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Several voyages are missing. Compare Arnold Hague's records with these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
In the period 1940-1942 Helene Karoline J. Fischer Dale served as a stewardess on this ship. She later went on to become the first Norwegian female radio officer in our fleet. She served as stewardess on Bayard from March-1940 till Dec. that year, and on the same ship from Febr.-1941 till March-1942, before joining Laurits Swenson in the same capacity in May-1942, till July-1942. The following month she started school at Little Norway, Toronto to become a radio operator, and fresh out of school she joined Fred. Olsen's Baalbek as 2nd radio operator in June-1943 (till Sept.-1943), before signing on Alf Lindeberg in Oct.-1943 where she stayed till Dec.-1945. Just 2 days after signing off Alf Lindeberg she joined M/S Fernplant, this time as 1st radio operator, remaining with this ship until March-1946. She was later awarded Krigsmedaljen and Haakon VII Frihetsmedalje - see my Norwegian War Medals page. Many women sailed with the Norwegian fleet during the war; mostly as stewardesses or saloon girls. Norwegian ships also had several female Canadian radio operators; a list of their names can be found at the end of my page about Mosdale. (My mother was also a radio operator, though not during the war. Her ships can be found under Åse's Ships). Bayard is listed in Convoy CL 21, which left St. John's, N.F. on Apr. 11-1942 and arrived Halifax on the 13th. A few days later we find her, together with the Norwegian Novasli and Tore Jarl, in Convoy XB 10, leaving Halifax on Apr. 16, arriving Boston on the 18th. Her destination is given as Trinidad, where she arrived on Apr. 24, having detached from the convoy.
Bayard had arrived New Orleans from Havana on June 30-1942, and left again in the evening of July 5-1942 for Cristobal with 2099 tons general cargo and 13 vehicles on deck. Torpedoed (aft) the next day by U-67 (Müller-Stöckheim), listed to port and sank after 10 minutes in 29 35N 88 44W. The deckhouse, gun, and motorboat were destroyed, as were 3 vehicles that had been on No. 5 hatch, and the radio antenna fell down. The engine was immediately stopped, and after the captain had thrown the secret code books overboard, and he and the 1st mate had checked to make sure there was no one aft who could still be alive, the boats were launched. 11 died; most of the deck crew and some of the engine crew had been in the aft mess room eating, while 2 gunners had been on duty near the gun at the time of the explosion. The 21 survivors, many of whom were injured, were picked up by a sea plane an hour later and taken to New Orleans. Able Seaman Erling Hansen, who had been on lookout duty and had fallen down, and the Danish Saloon Boy Max Rasmussen were taken to a hospital, while the others were placed in Hotel Jung. On July 8, the captain, all the officers and another 4 survivors travelled by train to New York, while the remaining survivors stayed in New Orleans. The maritime hearings were held in New York on July 13-1942 with Captain Heiberg, 1st Mate L. Fylling, 2nd Mate J. Due, and Able Seaman N. Simmerøy (at the helm when the torpedo hit) appearing.
* According to a message in my Norwegian Guestbook, Chief Engineer Halvdan Christensen was the 21st survivor. If he was the Chief Engineer it means that the title given for Otto Hansen above is incorrect. Related external links: Back to Bayard on the "Ships starting with B" page. Other ships by this name: There was a Bayard (barque) as far back as the 1800's, owned by Fredrik Christian Olsen, the oldest of the 3 Olsen brothers. Built in Arendal in 1855, purchased in 1868, taken over by Petter Olsen in 1875 following the death of his brother F.C. Olsen. Petter Olsen also had another Bayard, also a barque, built in Kristiansand in 1843, purchased by him in 1861. He called it Lille Bayard (Little Bayard) or Gamle Bayard (Old Bayard) to distinguish it from the one he later took over upon his brother's death. The older vessel was wrecked in the ice near New Foundland on May 7-1885. Petter Olsen called the newer ship Store Bayard (Big Bayard). Transferred on Jan. 1-1886 to his son, Fred. Olsen (his full name was Thomas Fredrik Olsen) along with the barque Skien, and these were his first ships. After Bayard (II) had been sold in 1890 Fred. Olsen gave the name to his very first steam ship, built at Nylands Værksted, Christiania in 1897. This D/S Bayard was sold in 1915, and had several different owners and names before she was wrecked at St. Combs Bay, Scotland on Dec. 7-1959 as the Finnish Anna (see small print at the end of my page about Havbør) The 4th Bayard was a motor vessel of 2905 gt, delivered in 1916, sold to Buenos Aires in 1933 and renamed Argentino, ran aground off Paranagua in Apr.-1962. The 6th Bayard was built in 1951, sold to Hong Kong in 1972. The 7th was built in Florø in 1975, the company's first RO-RO ship (along with the sister ships Bohemund and Balduin [their 4th]), sold in 1987 to Lloyd Sardenga, Cagliari and renamed Isole Delle Stelle. Finally, Fred. Olsen's 8th Bayard, ex Olau Britannia (15 000 gt) was built at Bremerhaven in 1982, purchased in 1990, and was in the passenger route between Norway and Denmark, with a capacity for 2000 passengers and 500 cars. Sold on Dec. 15-1990 to Color Line A/S, Oslo and renamed Christian IV. Norway had also had another Bayard, a barque built in 1864, owned by Chr. Nielsen, Larvik. This vessel ran aground at New Fortuna, South Georgia in 1911, and according to "Damp - Dampskipets æra i Vestfold" she's still standing at the location where she ran aground all those years ago. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum), and misc. others for cross checking info. - ref My sources. The majority of the information on Helene Fischer Dale was received from Olive Roeckner, who herself served as radio operator on Norwegian ships (she in turn received the information from Berit Pittman, Canada). A book has been written about her experiences - see my text under Narvik.
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