M/T Gallia

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

Related itme on this website:
Guestbook message from the daughter of one of the crew members.

Misc. War Voyages:

Gallia sailed mostly New York/Halifax-U.K. with petrol, aircraft on deck, often as Commodore ship. Also made some Mediterranean voyages.

As can be seen from the text on this page, not many westbound convoy voyages are noted for Gallia, but for info, she also sailed in the following:
Convoy ON 54 - Jan.-1942, destination is given as Aruba
Convoy ON 71 - Febr.-1942, bound for Galveston
Convoy ON 97 - May-1942, for New York
Convoy ON 121 - Aug.-1942, for New York
Convoy ON 141 - Oct.-1942, for New York
Convoy ON 168 - Febr.-1943, for New York
Convoy ON 182 - May-1943, for New York
Convoy ON 189 - June-1943 (no destination given)
Convoy ON 195 - July-1943, for New York
Convoy ON 201 - Sept.-1943 (no destination given)
Convoy ON 210 - Nov.-1943 (no destination given)
Convoy ON 235 - May-1944, for New York
All these will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section, with further details for each, and the text on this page will then be altered to show her voyages back and forth across the Atlantic in chronological order - in the meantime, see this section listing ships in all ON convoys for the names of other ships sailing in these convoys.

She was moored in The Downs on Febr. 9-1940 for a British contraband check when a drifting mine blew a large hole in her bow on the port side. She stayed afloat and continued to Amsterdam with petrol, paraffin and diesel oil and was repaired there after unloading.

This is what Gallia looked like after the encounter with the mine. The picture was taken by Egil Melsom, mentioned in my text further down on this page, and was sent to me by his daughter, Diana Melsom McDonald. Egil Melsom was on board from June-1939 till March-1947, and also sailed on other Norwegian ships. Ref. the link above to Diana's Guestbook message.

Gallia departed Amsterdam again on March 12. On Apr. 22 she sailed from Halifax to a British port (this is the date the Norwegian government requistioned the Merchant Fleet - more on this on my page about Nortraship). The convoy that best fits this date is Convoy HX 37, which according to Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" left Halifax with 32 ships on Apr. 22-1940 and arrived Liverpool on May 7. She's not actually listed on my page about that convoy, but as will be seen, it looks like there should be more ships than those listed on the A 1 form. She must have unloaded her cargo and gone straight back across the ocean, because in June-1940 I have her in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 49, in which Eli Knudsen and Randsfjord were sunk. Gallia was bound for Milford Haven with gas oil and joined with the Bermuda portion. In Aug. that year, she was scheduled for Convoy HX 64 from Halifax, but did not sail and does not show up in an HX convoy again until HX 71, which left Halifax on Sept. 5 and arrived Liverpool on the 20th. Only the Bermuda portion of this convoy is included in my own Convoys section, but the rest is available at the external link provided at the end of this page (as is HX 37, and Gallia is indeed listed). A week after arrival she's listed as bound for New York from Belfast in ballast in station 64 of Convoy OB 220, which left Liverpool on Sept. 27-1940. Solfonn and Torvanger are also listed. In Dec. that same year she shows up, with destination Port Arthur, in Convoy OB 255, leaving Liverpool on Dec. 7-1940 (again, see the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page for the names of the other ships in the OB convoys mentioned here).

In Jan-1941 she can be found in Convoy HX 102 (having been cancelled from the slow Convoy SC 19). She was scheduled for HX 120 in Apr. that year, but did not sail, and also cancelled from the next convoy, HX 121. That summer, in June/July-1941 she shows up in Convoy HX 135, bound for Avonmouth with gasoline, joining from Bermuda. Several Norwegian ships took part in these convoys, as will be seen by following the links.

Gallia was in station 73 of Convoy HX 146 which departed Halifax on Aug. 21-1941, along with the Norwegian Skaraas (station 74, behind Gallia), Høegh Scout (possibly station 63?), Strix, Anna Knudsen (station 35), and Fernmoor (station 52, carrying 3 bombers and crated aircraft). She headed back across the ocean in the middle of the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 17, and towards the end of Oct. that same year we find her in Convoy HX 156 from Halifax to the U.K., returning on Nov. 13 with the westbound Convoy ON 36 (station 54, destination New York). The following month she joined the eastbound Convoy HX 164, together with Polarsol, Norsktank?, Hilda Knudsen, Kaia Knudsen (and possibly Leiesten). This convoy departed Halifax on Dec. 8-1941.

On Apr. 25-1942, she rescued 1 merchant seaman and 5 of the 10-man Armed Guard from the U.S. freighter Otho, sunk by U-754 on April 3. 23 of the 36-man merchant complement, 4 of the 10-man Armed Guard and 4 of 7 passengers died (Robert J. Cressman). According to "Tusen norske Skip" by Lise Lindbæk these survivors had spent the 22 days on a raft, and were too exhausted to move when they were found, so that 2 men from Gallia had to jump overboard in order to save them. The following month she was in Convoy HX 188, which departed Halifax on May 3, in July/Aug. that year she sailed in Convoy HX 200, and in Oct. we find her in Convoy HX 210, bound for Stanlow with a cargo of gasoline in station 43. Christmas that year was spent in Convoy HX 219, leaving New York on Dec. 13, arriving Liverpool on the 29th. Gallia was bound for Manchester with aviation fuel, station 82.

She returned to the U.S. early in Jan.-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 159, station 91, and at the end of that month she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 225 from New York, cargo of aviation fuel for Avonmouth, station 73. In Apr.-1943 she's listed in HX 234, and the following month she sailed in HX 241, leaving New York on May 25-1943, arriving Liverpool on June 10. Gallia's destination is given as Swansea, and she had station 72 of the convoy. By the first week of July, she was back in New York, joining Convoy HX 247 on July 7 - destination is given as Stanlow. Towards the end of Aug. she's listed as sailing in Convoy HX 253 from New York, destination Avonmouth, station 113.

There's also a ship by this name listed in Convoy GUS 33, which departed Port Said on March 5-1944 and arrived Hampton Roads on Apr. 4. Gallia was not present from Port Said, but joined GUS 33 from Bizerta on March 12, arrived New York from Casablanca on Apr. 3. She was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 286 a couple of days later, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 287. She's also mentioned in connection with Convoy GUS 46 and is said to have arrived New York from Naples on Aug. 8-1944.

By the spring of 1944 Gallia had made 50 Atlantic crossings and transported 330 000 tons petrol to the U.K. King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav visited the ship while in an English port, and on that occasion 3 men on board were awarded medals, nameley 1st Mate Kåre Hjalmar Vøllen, Radio Operator Finn Ove Andersen and 1st Engineer Barthold Seines. Assistant Egil Melsom and Captain Henriksen already had the same medals. This info was found in Issue No. 4/1975 of "Krigsseileren", which says they were given the "Olav's Medal". I thought this might be an error and should perhaps be Krigsmedaljen(?), but the daughter of Egil Melsom has told me in a Guestbook message that her father did receive the St. Olav's Medal w/Oak Branch, follow the link to the Guestbook for more details. All the Norwegian war medals are described and pictured on my War Medals page.

POST WAR:

Sold to Piræus in Nov.-1958 and renamed Elias. Sold for breaking up 1961.

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. as mentioned within above text - (ref. My sources).