D/S Borgholm

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

Misc. War Details:

Borgholm arrived Ymuiden from Drammen, Norway on Jan. 15-1940, leaving again on the 17th for Antwerp with arrival the same day. Departed Antwerp on Jan. 24-1940 in order to return to Ymuiden where she arrived the next day, having picked up 21 survivors from the Norwegian D/S Biarritz. Below, I've translated a heart wrenching letter written by Oskar Skjold, who was on board Borgholm at the time, and who had served as an engineer on her since she was new in 1922. Like I say on the "front" page of my ships lists, from the very beginning my main purpose of this website is not so much to give the cold facts about the ships themselves, but rather to show the human aspect of what it was like to be a seaman during the war, and in so many ways this short, simple letter from a distressed seaman to his wife expresses exactly that.

Oskar Skjold's Letter to his Wife:
Received from his grandson Erling.

Yjmeden Jan. 25-1940

Dear Amy
You won't see this letter until I get home (will send it with the captain) but I'm so dismayed and so shook up I must confide in you because you're with me in everything aren't you? If not I'm all alone.

We and Biarritz went out together. It's quite wrong to go out in the darkness of the night. Full speed, at 11:30 on the 24th I woke up from the ship shaking and jumped up, however, nothing happened. I dozed off again, but couldn't sleep, I was fully dressed, just waiting (like everyone else). It came Amy. A bang and I and several others thought it was us who had hit. But it was Biarritz. Oh God oh God -- She sank in 1/2 a minute and how they screamed, a messgirl onboard went into hysterics and I still keep hearing the sceams and all those who were in the sea screamed for help and for God.

Blackest night. A little moonlight. Calm seas. I'm crying while I'm writing this. They weren't in the boat for more than 1/2 an hour tops, but 3 died after they had come on board in spite of all revival attempts. Among them was Vikstrøm, whom you might remember me talking about who was 2nd mate on Stromboli. 3 bodies were taken ashore here. I've given away almost all of the clothes I had because I had two men in my cabin as did the others. There were 27 passengers. Crew of 32. The ones who were saved were about 18-19 and the casualties about 40. A woman was calling for her husband, he was sitting in the boat, but couldn't answer her because of being so cold. She then let go and drowned. Another was newly married and expecting. What tidings!

I don't know how we can go on. Forgive me, but I think I'm just about done for, and the same goes for the others. We haven't done anything bad. If I make it home in one piece I'll let you read this. There's more but I can't talk about it.

Amy, you've got to help me.

Oskar

Jan. 26
Looks like we won't be leaving until Saturday, because the office says we must wait until two ships can go out together again. Sleep well tonight, and everything is ok now.

Love Oskar

Note that Oskar's diary has been added to the Norwegian Warsailor Stories page; it describes some of Borgholm's voyages in the late fall and winter of 1939.

In March.-1940 she's listed as sailing in Convoy HN 16 from Norway to the U.K. - follow link for more info, several Norwegian ships took part.

She had mostly been in service between Norway and Antwerp, but got out of Norway just 2 days before the Germans invaded, having departed Horten on Apr. 7-1940, and therefore sailed as a free vessel in Nortraship's fleet during the rest of the war.

She appears to have been attacked by aircraft on June 18-1940 - please scroll down to the letter* I've transcribed further down on this page.

At the end of Aug.-1940 we fnd her in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 2, in which the Norwegian Gro was sunk. Borgholm had a cargo of lumber for Tayport.

On Nov. 12-1940 she arrived Port Alfred, departing for Cap a l'Aigle on the 14th with arrival destination the same day, departing again on the 19th for Sydney, C.B., arriving Nov. 22. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 91 a few days later, bound for Blyth with pit props (Sydney section), but instead joined the slow Convoy SC 14 on Nov. 30, arriving River Clyde for Blyth on Dec. 16/17.

She left Blyth on Jan. 29-1941 and arrived Oban as a straggler from Convoy EN 65 on Febr. 4, then left Oban on Febr. 10 for St. John's (Convoy OB 284 - see external link at the end of this page), with arrival on Febr. 25-1941, returning to the U.K. the following month with the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 25, which left Halifax on March 10-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th, cargo of lumber for Hull. On the night of Apr. 8, when anchored at the mouth of the Humber, she again came under enemy attack - see the captain's letter* further down on this page.

That fall she's listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 10, which left Liverpool on Aug. 27-1941. In Oct. that year she sailed in Convoy SC 48 in which several Norwegian ships were sunk, one of them being Erviken. Borgholm was bound for Cardiff with steel and canned goods - follow the link for more info.

The following spring, in Apr.-1942, she was scheduled for Convoy RU 17 from Reykjavik to the U.K. but instead joined the next convoy (RU 18). She subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 90 at the end of that month, bound for Boston. In June-1942 she's listed in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 87, cargo of lumber for Boston, returning to Sydney, C.B. in July with the westbound Convoy ON 112, and the following month we find her in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy SC 96, cargo of lumber for Great Yarmouth. In Sept. that year she sailed to Halifax with the westbound Convoy ON 132. All the ON convoys mentioned here will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in this list of ships in all ON convoys.

In Apr.-1943 we find her bound for Halifax in the westbound Convoy ONS 4 (will also be added; in the meantime, see ships in all ONS convoys). In June she's listed in Convoy SC 133 from Halifax, then the following month she made a voyage to Lisbon with coal. This is possible to determine from the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this page which lists Borgholm in Convoy OS 52 / KMS 21, voyaging from Oban to Lisbon in station 56. (See also my own page for KMS 21). The same site has her going in the other direction with Convoy SL 135 / MKS 22, bound for Barrow with iron ore. SL 135 had departed Freetown on Aug. 14-1943, joined up with MKS 22 from Gibraltar on the 26th and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 6, Borgholm joining with the Gibraltar portion, which had left on the 25th - follow the external link for more convoy details, several other Norwegian ships also took part. The Gibraltar portion of this convoy is also available on my own site, at MKS 22.

See also this list of ships in all KMS convoys, as well as the list of ships in all MKS convoys. As will be seen, Borgholm also appears in the following (these will all later be added to individual pages, and my text altered to show a chronological voyage pattern):
KMS 32 - Nov.-1943 (for Algiers)
KMS 34 - Dec.-1943 (Algiers to Bougie)
KMS 46 - Apr.-1944 (Oran to Algiers)
MKS 61 - Sept.-1944 (Augusta to Algiers)

I also have a snippet of information saying that Borgholm was in Bizerta in Aug.-1944, departing for Algiers on Aug. 9. This fits in with details for Convoy GUS 48 (7 ships left Bizerta that same day to join this convoy, one of which was bound for Algiers) but she's not actually listed in the document available to me for that convoy.

*What follows is a letter written by Borgholm's captain, received from Andrew Webb, Nova Scotia (see his message in my Guestbook), whose British father, George Dillwyn Webb, was the radio operator on Borgholm. Andrew has told me that his father later moved to Canada, after having lost contact with his family in Wales, and Andrew is looking for information on that family (if anyone can help, please contact me via the address provided at the bottom of this page).

The letter is addressed to Messrs. John Bruce & Co., Glasgow and is dated Dunston, Febr. 24-1943.

"Dear Sirs,

With reference to your letters dated 11-2-43 and 22-2-43 respectively concerning the recognition of my officers and crew by the British Government, I have pleasure in submitting the following names of men who have served aboard my ship for some time during this war. They are:

Chief Officer Henrik Aas Wesenberg (Norwegian)
Chief Engineer Adolf Gustav Clausen (Norwegian)
Second Engineer Hjalmar Halvorsen (Norwegian)
Third Engineer Egil Dahl Gulliksen (Norwegian)
Radio Officer George Dillwyn Webb (British)
Chief Steward Finn Anker Guldhaugen (Norwegian)
Bosn. Vilhelm Olaves Johansen (Norwegian)
Donkeyman Herman Anker Henriksen (Norwegian).

All these men have served me in a most able manner during their time aboard and when my ship has been subject to enemy attack, have displayed courage and resourcefulness and by so doing have been an example to their shipmates, maintaining the great heritage of the Merchant Navy. I enclose a description of the services of each man for your perusal.

We have been working for the British Government through the Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission ever since escaping from France and have encountered the enemy a number of times. There are two occasions however, which I should like to mention, on which three of my Officers showed outstanding courage and devotion to duty in the face of enemy attack. When we escaped from France 18th June 1940 with a cargo of sugar, intended for Germany(?). We were heavily bombed and had no protection of any kind, nor a gun on board. Many ships were damaged and sunk around us but we managed to escape undamaged and succeeded in bringing the cargo safely to England. During this attack my Chief Officer Alf Hansen (since drowned) and Second Officer Henrik Wesenberg (now Chief) remained at their duties without any thought of personal danger and by their courage, determination and devotion to duty we arrived safely at England for whom we have had the honour to sail ever since.

Another occasion on which Chief Officer Wesenberg (then 2nd Officer) and Radio Officer Webb showed outstanding courage in the face of enemy attack was on the night of April 8th 1941. It was a moonlight night and the deck cargo was plainly visible. We were anchored at the mouth of the Humber and at that time our only armament was two "Hotchkiss" machine-guns, one being mounted on the bridge and the other being mounted above the Radio Office, both having no protective armoured plating of nay kind. About 9 p.m. we heard a number of aircraft proceeding up the river. Suddenly there was an explosion near the ship followed by several more. On hearing the planes Chief Officer Wesenberg and Radio Officer Webb immediately manned the guns and when we were attacked, opened fire on the enemy. The attack lasted about 8 minutes during which time bombs were dropped around the entire ship but fortunately no hit was obtained and the only damage received being the losening of a few Keel plates, causing the ship to leak. About 20 minutes later an enemy plane returned and swept the deck with machine-gun bullets to which my two officers replied. Planes were passing over the ship throughout the night and although there were no further attacks, these men were standing at their guns until 5 a.m. the following morning. I feel sure that the courage, devotion to duty and cool manner in which these two officers exposed themselves to great danger, entirely unprotected and without any thought for their own lives, my ship was saved from a direct hit and was able to make landfall with my cargo.

Thanking you for your letters and enclosure and trusting these particulars are satisfactory.

Yours faithfully,
(no signature)
Master"

POST WAR:

Sold in 1949 to Johannes Ick, Germany and renamed Lisken. Sold in 1956 and renamed Holger. Sold to Rudolf Harmstorf Wasserbau & Travewerft GmbH, Lübeck, for breaking up, arrived Hamburg Febr. 28-1962 and delivered March 5-1962 for breaking up.

Related external links:
OS and OS/KMS Convoys - The site also has a section on the SL & SL/MKS convoys, going in the other direction, as well as OB convoys. As can be seen, Borgholm is listed in Convoy OB 284, OS 52 / KMS 21, and SL 135 / MKS 22.

S/S Borgholm - Some more technical details (Darren Dypevåg's site) - Note that the pictures on that page appear to be of another Borgholm.

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

Other ships by this name: Fred. Olsen had previously had another ship by this name, built 1912, sunk 1917, and a 3rd built Amsterdam 1959, sold in 1966 to Cosmopolitan Shipping Co. S.A., Panama. The company's 4th Borgholm was a passenger/car ferry built in Arendal in 1958 for A/S Kristiansand's Dampskibsselskap (which was purchased by Fred. Olsen in 1968), originally named Skagen, rebuilt in 1971, then sold in 1975 to Sameiet Borgholm and converted for use with mini subs/diving service. Sold in 1981 to Intercar A/S, Drammen and renamed Norghol.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Fred. Olsen fleet list, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, E-mails from R. W. Jordan and Tony Cooper, England, and misc. (ref. My sources).