D/S Galatea

To Galatea on the "Ships starting with G" page.

Crew List

Final Fate - 1945:

Galatea was on a voyage alone from Liverpool to Barry in ballast when she was sunk in St. Georges Channel, off Bardsey Island by U-1051* (Holleben) in the evening of Jan. 21-1945 (hit on the starboard side, foreship), position 52 40N 05 23W. The sole survivor, stoker Harald Hvidtsten was picked up from a raft by the British frigate HMS Tyler (K-576) a few hours later*, in the early morning hours of Jan 22 and landed in Liverpool in the evening of the 24th. 20 had died, including 3 gunners, out of a crew of 18 and 3 gunners.

* "Nortraships flåte" says that Galatea was sunk by U-1172 (Kuhlmann), which also (possibly) sank another Norwegian ship, D/S Vigsnes two days later. U-1172 was sunk shortly thereafter (Jan. 27, though Rohwer indicates 26th, U-1051 was sunk on the 27th) in St George's Channel, off Bardsey Island, position 52.24N, 05.42W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Tyler, Keats and Bligh.

** Charles Hocking (listed in My Sources) says the survivor was picked up on Febr. 8. A visitor to my website has told me that "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles" also says he was picked up on Febr. 8 after being adrift on his own in a small boat for 18 days. This source gives the position 50 40N 05 53W for the sinking (north of Lands End). The dates that I've given in the first paragraph above are from H. Hvidsten's own report presented at the maritime hearings in London on March 20-1945.

Crew List:

Survivor:
		Stoker Harald Hvidsten
Casualties:
† Captain Peder Brendsdal	† 1st Mate Jon Lund	† 2nd Mate Harald Halvorsen	† Boatswain Kristoffer Berntsen	† Able Seaman Oskar Pedersen	† Able Seaman Johannes Tøsse
† Able Seaman Albert Lilleberg	† Able Seaman Harald Wassether	† Ordinary Seaman Odd Jørgensen	† 1st Engineer Sigurd Kasparsen	† 2nd Engineer Hans Hatlø	† Donkeyman Leif Slinning
† Stoker Arthur M. Hansen	† Stoker Arne Thomassen	† Trimmer Johannes Johansen	† Steward Petter Nilsen	† Cook Ingvard A. Johansen Aune	† Gunner Harry Hampshire * (British)
† Gunner Percy Bradley * (British)	† Gunner Frank Williams * (British)

* I believe the Harry Hampshire mentioned on this page on the Commonwealth Wargraves Comm. website may be Galatea's gunner. Percy Bradley can also be found on that site (ship listed as HMS Galatea - this is, of course not correct). There's also a Frank George Williams listed, who may be identical to the Frank Williams above.

Related external links:
More on the Norwegians - In addition to the 17 Norwegians listed above (some names are spelt a little differently) there's also a Kittil Myrland commemorated at this memorial for seamen in Stavern, Norway. He had died on Nov. 6-1940 following an accident on board and is buried in Cardiff (Source: "Våre falne").

U-1051 | U-1172

Back to Galatea on the "Ships starting with G" page.

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)