D/S Bencas
Updated Apr. 30-2008

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

Further to the above:

(Note that only a few of her voyages are discussed here).

Bencas is listed as bound for Boston with general cargo in Convoy OA 149, which left Southend on May 16-1940. Bencas arrived Boston independently on June 5, having detached from the convoy on May 18 - see the external link provided within the above table for more on this convoy, in which the Norwegian Hardanger and Madrono also took part.

According to an article in "Krigsseileren", Issue No. 3 for 1986, based on Gunner Herman Venheim's story, Bencas was in a convoy of 10 ships in the St. Lawrence river in 1942 (exact date is not given). He says 9 of the ships were sunk by U-boats, Bencas being the only one that escaped, and that she had a cargo of 40 tons explosives (among other things) for Greenland, adding that the gun they had on board was from 1891. Though some of the facts don't fit, he might be referring to her voyage with Convoy QS 33 in Sept.-1942? (external link). This convoy lost several ships to U-boats, and as can be seen in her Voyage Record, she did head to Greenland after this voyage. Herman Venheim had previously served on Borgestad, Tyr (on board when she was bombed in Febr.-1942), and Harpefjell, before joining the Norwegian school for gunners at Camp Norway, then joined Bencas as gunner. He later served on Ada and Drafn, and after the war he settled in the U.S.

In Nov.-1942 she shows up in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 144, which started out in Liverpool on Nov. 7-1942 and arrived New York on the 27th. Bencas, however, was not present from the U.K., but joined from Halifax, having previously arrived Halifax on Nov. 23 from Sydney, C.B. with Convoy SH 63. ON 144 will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on it; in the meantime, please go to the section naming ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, several Norwegian ships are included in ON 144, namely Bestik, Borgfred, Cetus, Ingertre, Minister Wedel, Norlom, Orwell, Suderøy, and Titanian, and the Norwegian corvettes Eglantine, Montbretia, Potentilla and Rose were among the escorts. My page about Monbretia has more details on the passage of this convoy.

At the end of the following month Bencas is listed in the slow eastbound North Atlantic Convoy SC 115, which left New York on Dec. 27-1942 and had Liverpool as its final destination, arriving on Jan. 15-1943. Bencas is said to have arrived Halifax with defects, and later joined Convoy SC 116 from there. This convoy had originated in New York on Jan. 4-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th, but Bencas was only bound for St. John's, where she arrived on Jan. 12. The Norwegian Elg, Herbrand, and Vinga are also listed in SC 115, while Carmelfjell (also bound for St. John's), Chr. Th. Boe, Fernbank, Gezina, Herma, Orwell, and Stigstad are included in SC 116. Bencas and Carmelfjell subsequently made a voyage to Greenland with Convoy SG 18, departing St. John's on Jan. 18-1943, arriving Greenland on the 24th. They are both listed, together with the Norwegian Aragon, Havmøy and Ørnefjell, in Convoy GS 20 from Greenland to St. John's the following month (departure Febr. 22, arrival Febr. 28). Again, see the external links provided in the above table for more information on all these convoys, or follow the instructions at the first external link below.

For more information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page, please see the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Sold in Oct.-1949 to Skibs-A/S Selvik (Einar Wahlstrøm), Oslo and renamed Selbo. Sold in March-1961 to Phoenix Navigation SAR, Beirut and renamed Astarti. Sold again in 1963 and renamed Tefcros for Phoenix Navigation Co., Beirut. Broken up in 1973.

Related external links:
Misc. Convoys - By clicking on "Ship Search", using "Bencas" as keyword, several convoys will come up.

Lillesand Sjømannsforening's website (Lillesand Seamen's Association) has a picture of this ship, along with pictures of several other Norwegian ships.

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