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D/S Bjørkhaug To Bjørkhaug on the "Ships starting with B" page. Owner: Rederi A/S Bjørkhaug Built by Meyer & Co.'s Scheepsbouw Maatschappij NV, Zaltbommel, Netherlands in 1919. Previous name: Stad Zaandam until 1938. Captain: Ole Sandvik
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Or go to this external page, click on "Ship Search", then type "Bjorkhaug" in the search field. Direct links to each convoy will come up. Please be aware that some of these convoys may be incomplete - compare A. Hague's numbers to TDS numbers (TDS = number of ships according to Trade Division Signal). Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing. Compare Arnold Hague's records with these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Bjørkhaug sailed in Convoy ON 15 from the U.K. to Norway in Febr.-1940. Towards the end of the following month she's listed as bound for Rouen with a cargo of pulp in the Norway-U.K. Convoy HN 21 (just a couple of weeks before Norway was invaded, Apr. 9-1940). According to Arnold Hague, Bjørkhaug was in Convoy OA 156, leaving Southend on May 27-1940, but the external website that I've linked to at the end of this text (based on original documents) does not mention her in this convoy, so I'm not sure whether she sailed or not. In June-1940 she's listed as bound for Gaspe Bay in Convoy OB 167, which originated in Liverpool on June 13, dispersed on the 17th, Bjørkhaug arriving Gaspe independently on July 2. She returned to the U.K. later that month in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 57, together with several other Norwegian ships. In Sept. that same year she appears in Convoy OA 220 - left Methil Sept. 26, dispersed on the 28th, Bjørkhaug arriving Sydney, C.B. independently on Oct. 10. At the end of that month we find her in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 9, cargo of pit props for Tyne. At the beginning of Dec. that year she's mentioned in Convoy OB 256 at the external website below (but this is not mentioned in Voyage Record), leaving Liverpool on Dec. 8-1940. No destination is given for Bjørkhaug, but if she was in this convoy, she could not have gone far, because she's also listed in OB 260, originating in Liverpool on Dec. 16, however, she's said to have returned, later joining OB 280 at the end of Jan.-1941. See the links provided below and within the record. This convoy dispersed on Febr. 3, Bjørkhaug arriving Sheet Harbour independently on Febr. 23. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy SC 25, which left Halifax on March 10-1941, cargo of paper and wet pulp, destination Ridham Dock. In the middle of Apr. that year she shows up in the U.K.-Gibraltar Convoy OG 59 (see this list of ships in all OG convoys). She was not bound for Gibraltar, but detached from the convoy on Apr. 26 in order to proceed to Curacao, where she arrived independently on May 11. In June she's listed, with a cargo of phosphates for Leith, in the eastbound North Atlantic Convoy SC 34, leaving Sydney, C.B. on June 10-1941. In July she joined Convoy OB 347 in order to head back to Sydney, C.B., arriving Aug. 2 (convoy left Liverpool on July 16, dispersed July 31). About a month later she shows up in the slow Convoy SC 43, which left Sydney, C.B. on Sept. 5 - this convoy is not available in my own Convoys section, but I've linked directly to it in the above table - the Norwegian Astrell, Atle Jarl, Bernhard, Bonde, Erica, Fjord, Fjordheim, Galatea, Ingerfem, Solstad, Torfinn Jarl and Vigsnes are also listed. Bjørkhaug had a cargo of timber, sailing in station 13 of the convoy. In Oct.-1941 she's listed as bound for Sydney, C.B. in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 29* (originated in Liverpool on Oct. 22, dispersed Nov. 5), then returned to the U.K. at the end of Nov. with Convoy SC 57. In Febr.-1942 she travelled to Halifax with the westbound Convoy ON 66*, which originated in Liverpool on Febr. 13, dispersed off Halifax on the 26th, and the following month we find her, with a cargo of steel and pulp for Southampton, in station 94 of Convoy SC 75, returning to Halifax with Convoy ON 90* at the end of Apr. (convoy left Liverpool Apr. 28, arrived Halifax May 15). In June that year she sailed in Convoy SC 86, cargo of lumber, and in the middle of July she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 112*, and arrived Halifax on July 28 (convoy originated in Liverpool July 13, arrived Cape Cod July 30). At the end of the following month she joined Convoy SC 98, cargo of lumber for Preston (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 97). A number of other Norwegian ships also took part in these convoys; SC 98 in particular had a lot of Norwegian ships - follow the links provided for further dates and information. In a posting to my Guestbook a visitor to my website has told me that Bjørkhaug was at Silloth (on the West coast of the U.K, in Cumbria) in October 1942. She had arrived there from Devonport (the Naval base on England's south coast) on the 25th and loaded Government stores, probably for delivery to Devonport, prior to the North African campaign, and left again on October 29 - this must have been the voyage she made with Convoy KX 5 (external link), which left Clyde on Oct. 30-1942 and arrived Gibraltar on Nov. 10. She was used as ammunition and supply ship during the Torch operations, the allied invasion of North Africa, which commenced Nov. 8-1942 (several of the Norwegian ships that had been in Convoy SC 98 took part in these operations). At the beginning of Febr.-1943 she made a voyage from Bone to Oran with Convoy MKS 7. Later that month she's mentioned in connection with Convoy KMS 10, which had left Clyde for Gibraltar and North Africa on Febr. 26-1943. Note that she was not present in the convoy from the U.K., but is said to have joined on March 11, together with Star (see narrative for that date on my page about KMS 10). Again, please go back to the Voyage Record for information on some of her other 1943 voyages.
Related external links: Chronological list of OA and OB convoys 1940
In July-1943 we find Bjørkhaug in Convoy KMS 17 - scroll down to the second table on that page. She joined the convoy from Oran, and was bound for Bougie. Shortly thereafter, on July 16-1943, she was in Algiers loading, among other things, scrap iron and Italian landmines. Concerned about this cargo, the 1st mate had asked the army officer who was overseeing the operation on the quay whether there was any danger of the mines exploding, but was told they were completely harmless. However, while most of the crew were on their coffee break that afternoon a huge explosion occurred which blew away the whole front part of the ship, killing everyone who was there at the time. The forward section of the midships building and the bridge were forced towards the aft of the ship. The boatswain said in his statement at the subsequent hearings that her port side was alongside the quay while the loading of cargo was taking place, but the explosion had thrown her 45 degrees out from the quay so that her stern part was closest to the quay. The walls and ceiling of the mess room collapsed and thick smoke came in. The 1st mate managed to find his way out, and saw that the motorboat on the poop was on fire, while all other lifeboats were destroyed. While helping one of the survivors look for a lifebelt (he couldn't swim), they came to the captain's cabin and found it completely collapsed and under water, the captain's arm visible above water in between the debris. The 1st mate tried to get him up, but he was lifeless. There had also been 2 British Naval Officers in the captain's cabin at the time of the explosion. Some of the survivors were able to get off the ship by themselves, while others were assisted by a motorboat. 7 had been injured and were taken to a hospital, while the remaining 14 were taken care of by the Norwegian Consulate. 4 Norwegians, 1 Danish, 3 British and 1 Russian were killed. There were also some local labourers as well as some British soldiers on board, the latter overseeing the operations, all assumed killed. Several explosions and fires occurred in the harbour area, where an estimated 1000 people were killed, mostly Arabic dock labourers. The maritime hearings were held in Algiers on July 19-1943 with the 1st mate, the 2nd mate, the boatswain and Stoker Einar Pettersen appearing. It was the general belief that the loading procedures left a lot to be desired, and that some of the mines might have gotten caught in the net that was used as this was being pulled up again, and then fallen into the hold from a great height. Also, some of the equipment was in bad shape. It had been impossible to get this renewed, in spite of several requests. George Monk has told me that Captain Sandvik later received an ungazetted award (commendation) - his source: Seedies List of awards to the British Merchant Navy which includes awards to Allied merchant seamen.
This message in my Guestbook says that Fort Confidence, cargo of oil, caught fire after the explosion on Bjørkhaug and had to be towed out of the harbour. This was done, with great bravery, by the Dutch tug Hudson. Willem Pop, who sent me the above picture, and who has written a book about Hudson's captain (entitled "Kapitein B. C. Weltevreden" and available through the Internet), has told me that Hudson also towed away the troopship P24 and the hospitalship Lady Nelson. Willem adds: "There is one member of the crew of the tug, A. van Katwijk, who is still alive and is living here in Maassluis in the Netherlands. B. C. Weltevreden was the captain of the tug Hudson and he got Lloyds Silver Medal for Meritious Services and he was mentioned a Honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empite (5-4-1944). The tug Hudson is now a museumship." I've also seen a book about Hudson, also in Ducth and entitled simply "Hudson".
Related external links: Museum Ship Hudson - Text is in Dutch Back to Bjørkhaug on the "Ships starting with B" page. Haugesund had a steamer by this name in the early 1920's. See my text under D/S Mari for further details. 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. - ref My sources.
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