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M/S Fernbank To Fernbank on the "Ships starting with F" page. Owner: A/S Glittre Built by Deutsche Werft AG, Betrieb Finkenwärder, Hamburg, Germany in 1924. Captain: Johan Severin Nygaard. Related item on this website: Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each - see also the links at the end of this page. Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing.
Fernbank is listed among the ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 25 in March-1940, sailing in station 33 with a cargo of pig iron. She arrived Swansea on March 21. 3 of Fernbank's former crew members were travelling as passengers on D/S Navarra when that ship was sunk on Apr. 6-1940 - follow the link for more information. Around the same time, Fernbank joined Convoy OB 124, which left Liverpool on Apr. 6-1940. She joined from Milford Haven and had station 64 of the convoy, which is available at the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page and within the above table. The Norwegian Solstad is also listed, and Janna is said to have been scheduled but did not join. A. Hague has also included Marstenen in this convoy, and says that Janna did sail. Fernbank arrived Halifax independently on Apr. 19, the convoy having been dispered on the 10th. On May 4-1940, we find her in station 72 of Convoy HX 40 from Halifax, bound for London with a cargo of lumber, arriving there on May 18 (see Page 1). The following month, she shows up in Convoy OA 168, which left Southend on June 15 and joined up with OB 168 from Liverpool 2 days later to form Convoy OG 34, which arrived Gibraltar on June 24. Fernbank, however, was only bound for Falmouth on that occasion, where she arrived on June 18. A few days later, she joined Convoy OA 172, and this time she was bound for Sydney, C.B., where she arrived independently on July 6, the convoy having been dispersed on June 25. She continued to Montreal that same day, arriving July 11. OA 172 had left Southend June 21; Fernbank joined from Falmouth - again, ref. external links at the end of this page. As will be seen when going to the two different sections of that site, there's some disagreement as to the ships sailing in this convoy (both of them had other Norwegian ships as well). Fernbank returned to the U.K. in Aug.-1940 with Convoy HX 65, cargo of paper for Mersey. She's listed among the ships in the Advance Sailing Telegram for the Sydney, C.B. portion, but it looks like she joined from Halifax - again, see Page 1 of the documents received from the National Archives of Norway (HX 65 started out in Halifax on Aug. 12). She later joined Convoy OB 230, departing Liverpool on Oct. 17, dispersed on the 20th, Fernbank arriving Durban independently on Nov. 22. According to A. Hague, she arrived with engine defects, and as can be seen, she remained in Durban for about 2 months, before leaving again for Capetown on Jan. 20-1941. On March 13-1941, A. Hague has her in Convoy SL 68 from Freetown. This convoy, which was U.K. bound, is also available via the external links provided at the end of this page, but as can be seen, there is again disagreement as to whether she sailed in this convoy or not. Fernbank arrived Halifax independently on Apr. 9, the convoy having been dispersed on March 21 (see also my page about Strix). From Halifax, Fernbank headed to the U.K. on Apr. 19 in the slow Convoy SC 29, cargo of iron ore for Immingham, where she arrived on May 14, according to the archive document mentioned above. It will be noticed, when following the link to my page about this convoy, that there's a note in connection with her name saying she had previously been in Convoy SL 68. Escorts' reports are also available for SC 29. Fernbank left Immingham for Loch Ewe in ballast in the evening of May 29-1941, then joined a convoy the following morning, but lost sight of it in heavy fog on the 31st (this must have been Convoy EC 26, in which she's listed, together with Loke - external link). At 00:03 on June 1, when off Peterhead (this is about half an hour's drive from Aberdeen, Scotland), 3 aircraft attacked with machine guns and bombs. The first aircraft fired with machine guns along the starboard side, and when it was about level with the masts it dropped several bombs which fell off her side on the starboard quarter. 2 more aircarft were then observed, 1 of which came in low, again firing with machine guns before dropping 3 bombs which exploded alongside. The auxiliary machinery and the electric installation were put out of action, the main motor stopped and the main steam valve on the boiler burst and steam poured into the engine room. Pipe lines and valves in the engine room and tunnel were broken, so that water and diesel oil sprayed on the electric installation, the auxiliary machinery and the main motor. No. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 tanks were leaking. Fernbank had a complement of 30 and 4 British gunners at the time. During the second attack, 2nd mate Karl Adolf Fallang, who was on watch on the bridge, the 3rd mate and one of the British gunners defended the ship with her own 3 machine guns before being ordered to the lifeboats along with the rest of the crew. The port boat had been shaken loose from the tackles and fell down, full of water, but they managed to get away in the starboard boats. When all became quiet again the captain, the 1st and 2nd mates and the engine room staff went back on board whereupon an auxiliary motor and the ballast pump were started at 01:10 so that the tunnel and engine room could be pumped. The boats were hauled back on board and after some temporary repairs had been undertaken they left the scene at 03:05. At 06:30, two tugs came out to assist and at 09:30 Fernbank moored in Aberdeen harbour. (Source: "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig" - The Norwegian Maritime Museum, 2003. This incident is also recorded in J. R. Hegland's "Nortraships flåte", which adds that 17 bombs were dropped around her and says that Fernbank did not have any anti aircraft armament at this time). The maritime hearings were held in Newcastle on Tyne on June 26-1941 with Captain Nygaard, Chief Engineer Leif Bjarne Mørch (on duty in the engine room at the time of attack), the 2nd mate, Able Seaman Arne Pettersen (helmsman) and Able Seaman Arthur Johannes Pedersen (lookout) appearing. 1st mate at the time was Ø. Nilssen. From an Australian visitor to my website I've received the following (his sources: Lloyds War Losses published in 1989, and the Admiralty records of British and Foreign Merchant Ships sunk or damaged by enemy action):
As mentioned, Fernbank proceeded to Tyne for repairs, arriving there on June 13, and did not leave again until Dec. 18, arriving Oban, via Methil, on Dec. 23. Going back to the external website already mentioned, she can now be found in station 25 of Convoy OS 15, on a voyage from Oban (left Christmas Eve) to Freetown with war stores, arriving Freetown on Jan. 14-1942. The same website has her in station 93 of of Convoy SL 104, which left Freetown for the U.K. on March 23-1942. Her cargo is given as W.A. produce, destination Mersey. She was scheduled for Convoy OS 28 in May-1942, assigned to station 63, but instead joined the next convoy, OS 29, which left Liverpool on May 22 and arrived Freetown on June 11. Fernbank, however, was bound for Durban on that occasion, arriving there on July 1 (see also Page 2). Skipping now to Jan. 4-1943, when she's listed in the slow Convoy SC 116 from New York to the U.K. This convoy is not yet available among the SC convoys included in my own Convoys section (will be added - see ships in all SC convoys), but I've linked directly to Hague's listing at the end of this page, and as will be seen, the Norwegian Bencas, Carmelfjell, Chr. Th. Boe, Gezina, Herma, Orwell and Stigstad are also included, while Acanthus and Eglantine are named among the escorts. Fernbank had a cargo of bauxite, sailing in station 84, and arrived Newport on Jan. 31. In Apr.-1943, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ONS 3. She arrived Halifax on Apr. 28, according to Page 3. In June that year, she's listed in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 134, cargo of steel and lumber for Tyne. She headed back across the Atlantic again at the beginning of Sept.-1943 with the westbound Convoy ONS 17 (originated in Liverpool on Aug. 31; Fernbank joined from Oban), which also included the Norwegian Evanger, Grey County and Suderøy, while the Norwegian corvettes Potentilla and Rose are named among the escorts. Fernbank's destination is given as Quebec, and she had station 83. (This convoy will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section, but for now the ships sailing in it, and escorts, are named on my page listing ships in all ONS convoys). With a cargo of steel and lumber for Garston, she returned to the U.K. again the following month in the slow Convoy SC 144 from Halifax, arriving Liverpool on Oct. 27, Garston on Oct. 28, having left Halifax on the 11th. Christmas of 1943 was spent in Convoy OS 62/KMS 36, which left Liverpool on Dec. 15 and split up on Jan. 2-1944, the KMS portion*, in which Fernbank sailed, arriving Gibraltar on Jan. 3-1944 (her destination is given as Alexandria, but according to her Voyage Record, she arrived Port Said on Jan. 13). Mathilda, Boreas and Ingertre are also included (according to A. Hague, Ingertre returned to port). In June that year, Fernbank is listed in Convoy MKS 53*, departing Port Said on June 18. This convoy joined up with Convoy SL 162 from Freetown on June 30, and arrived Liverpool on July 12. Gausdal and Mathilda are also listed. She was scheduled for Convoy OS 91/KMS 65* (Liverpool-Freetown) in Oct.-1944, but did not sail. A. Hague instead has her in Convoy OS 92/KMS 66. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Oct. 15, split up on Oct. 25, with the Gibraltar portion (KMS 66*) arriving there on Oct. 26, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown. Bosphorus, Hardanger, Hermelin and Ragnhild are also listed. Fernbank was bound for Alexandria, where she arrived on Nov. 4, having joined from Milford Haven. On Dec. 5, we find her leaving Gibraltar with Convoy MKS 69*, which joined up with SL 178 from Freetown on the 6th, the combined convoy (SL 178/MKS 69) arriving Liverpool on Dec. 15. Her voyage information is given as Haifa-Mersey, general cargo, incl. grapefruit (she had sailed from Haifa on Nov. 16). The Norwegian Mathilda is also listed. In Jan.-1945, she joined Convoy OS 106/KMS 80*, departing Liverpool on Jan.-22. Fernbank was on a voyage from Liverpool to Gibraltar with coke and coal in station 12, later proceeding to Malta, with arrival there on Febr. 2 (see Page 4). The Norwegian Norbryn also took part. On March 1, Fernbank shows up in Convoy MKS 86* from Gibraltar, and arrived Cardiff on March 9. The following month, she joined Convoy OS 121/KMS 95, which split up on Apr. 14, the KMS* portion arriving Gibraltar on Apr. 16, the OS convoy continuing to Freetown. Fernbank arrived Port Said on Apr. 24, having started out from Milford Haven on the 8th. The external site below has further info on all the OS and SL convoys mentioned here. Further voyages are listed on Page 4 and Page 5 of the archive documents. As will be seen (Page 4) she got to go home to Norway in Oct.-1945.
Related external links: Commemorative Roll Database - (Australian War Memorial). By using "Pacey" as keyword, J. T. Pacey will show up in the search result - died Nov. 16-1941, on the fishing vessel Fernbank mentioned above. Back to Fernbank on the "Ships starting with F" page. Fearnley & Eger later had another Fernbank, delivered in 1976, built in Moss, 9375 gt. Renamed Helios for Helge R. Myhre, Stavanger in 1977, then Vira Gas in 1984 (A/S Sigurd Sverdrup, Oslo). Had various owners until 1994, when she was renamed Clipper Victoria for Skibs-A/S Solvang, Stavanger.
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