M/S Fernbank

To Fernbank on the "Ships starting with F" page.

Misc. War Voyages:

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.

3 former crew members of Fernbank 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. Her destination is not provided, but she had station 64 of the convoy, which is available at the 2nd external website that I've linked to at the end of this page.

In May-1940 we find her in station 72 of Convoy HX 40, bound for London with a cargo of lumber. The following month she shows up in Convoy OA 168GF, which left Southend on June 15, then joined up with OB 168GF from Liverpool 2 days later to form Convoy OG 34F, arriving Gibraltar on June 24. Fernbank, however, was only bound for St. Nazaire on that occasion (again, ref. external links at the end of this text - these convoys had many other Norwegian ships as well). In Aug. that same year she sailed in Convoy HX 65, cargo of paper for Mersey, joining the convoy from Sydney C.B.

In Apr.-1941 she sailed in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 29, cargo of iron ore for Immingham. There's a note in connection with her name saying she had previously been in Convoy SL 68 (left Freetown on March 13-1941).

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. When off Peterhead (this is about half an hour's drive from Aberdeen, Scotland) at 00:03 on June 1, 3 aircraft attacked with machine guns and bombs. The first aircraft fired with machine guns along the starboard side of the ship, and when it was about level with the masts it dropped several bombs which fell off the ship's side on the starboard quarter. 2 more aircarft were then observed, 1 of which came in low over the ship, 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 from the ship in the starboard boats. As 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 out. The boats were hove back on board and after some temporary repairs had been undertaken they left the place 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 the 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): "Fernbank, 4333 gross tons, on June 1st 1941 suffered an air attack whilst on voyage from Hull. Her engines and rudder had been damaged by near misses, and she was leaking, but proceeded to Aberdeen arriving on that day. She arrived in the Tyne on 13th June 1941 (one can assume that this would be for repair at a shipyard there)".

The same visitor has also told me that an Australian by the name of James Thomas Pacey is commemorated at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra (link below) and also at Tower Hill Memorial, London. A fishing vessel named Fernbank, 211 tons was attacked by an enemy bomber on Nov. 16-1941, 12 m northwest of Mygganes, Seydisfjord Fishing Grounds, voyage from Seydisfjord for Faroes fishing grounds. 5 were lost out of a crew of 10, J. T. Pacey being one of the casualties. She had on board 38 tons of fish. This ship is listed as Norwegian in some sources, but through misc. correspondence I've learnt that (according to Lloyd's register) this may have been a Scottish ship, ex River Annan, Ex Loch Kildonan, built in Oct.- 1907 by Hall Russel & Co., Aberdeen, owned by Stephen Fishing Co. Ltd, port of registry Aberdeen. If anyone has more details, please let me know - contact address at the bottom of this page (had she been Norwegian at some point, or is this just a mix-up?).

Going back to the 2nd external website below, Fernbank can be found in station 25 of Convoy OS 15 in Dec.-1941, on a voyage from Oban to Freetown with war stores. The same website has her in station 93 of of Convoy SL 104, which left Freetown on March 23-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 12. 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 did not sail. Instead she joined the next convoy, OS 29, which left Liverpool on May 22-1942 and arrived Freetown on June 11. Fernbank was on a voyage from Liverpool to Durban and Bombay in station 74 on that occasion.

Almost a year later, in Apr.-1943, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ONS 3, then in June that year she's listed in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 134, cargo of steel and lumber for Tyne. In Oct.-1943 she shows up in Convoy SC 144.

Christmas of 1943 was spent in Convoy OS 62/KMS 36, which left Liverpool on Dec. 15-1943, the KMS portion, in which Fernbank sailed (destination given as Alexandria), arriving Gibraltar on Jan. 3-1944. Mathilda, Boreas and Ingertre are also included - again, see the external link below.

In Oct.-1944 she was scheduled for Convoy OS 91/KMS 65 (Liverpool-Freetown), but did not sail. 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. 15-1944. Voyage information is given as Haifa-Mersey, general cargo, incl. grapefruit. The Norwegian Mathilda is also listed. (MKS 69 will be added to my own site in due course).

In Jan.-1945 she was in 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. The Norwegian Norbryn also took part. Again, see the external site below for further info on all the OS and SL convoys mentioned here.

Related external links:
Commemorative Roll Database - (Australian War Memorial). By using the keyword Pacey, J. T. Pacey show up in the search result. (See also this page and scroll down to the third WW II plaque, and this page on the Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website).

SL convoys and OS/KMS Convoys - The site also has a section for the OB (& OA) convoys, as well as the Russian convoys, and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. As can be seen, Fernbank is listed in the OS and SL/MKS convoys mentioned in my text above, as well as in OB 124.

Back to Fernbank on the "Ships starting with F" page.