M/S Geisha

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

Misc. War Details:

In "Sjøfolk i krig" by Leif M. Bjørkelund, there's a chapter related to this ship (this book is largely based on interviews with Norwegian seamen 50 years after the war, as well as diaries and ships' logs). She departed Tocopilla on March 22-1940 via Panama for Norfolk, Virginia for further orders and arrived Hampton Roads on Apr. 9, the date of the German invasion of Norway. As mentioned on my page about Nortraship the situation was rather chaotic in the beginning, with the result that the ships had to wait for long periods of time in allied and neutral ports all over the world, before the insurance question was cleared up and communications with Norway re-established. Several Norwegian ships were in Norfolk at this time, among them the Haugesund ships D/S Facto and the whale factory Suderøy, the latter on her way home from the Antarctic with a full load of whale oil.

This waiting, combined with the general worry for loved ones at home often caused great problems for the crew, as described in a personal story told by Johan Byrkja in this book (used here with permission of the book's author). Byrkja says that when the news of the invasion reached them, the initial reaction of the crew was to pay off and go home as soon as possible to fight for Norway. I've seen this mentioned very often, but in each case the majority of the men soon realized that the best way to serve their country would be to stay on their ships and uphold the lifeline for the Allies. The captain at this time was named Fjørtoft, and was rather unpopular on board, because the men had not been paid. This was another common problem occurring in those early days, which often caused suspicion among the men; some even went on strike, thereby further complicating matters for the captains.

No-one was allowed ashore while in Norfolk except for the captain and the radio officer. Captain Fjørtoft was able to get a hold of the Norwegian General Consul in New York, who in turn visited the ship and managed to convince the crew that by going home they would only end up in German hands. After his visit Geisha took on board a cargo of coal which the captain wanted to take to Rio de Janeiro, and only because he had a personal bank account in the US (used as lateral) was the ship cleared for departure by the American authorities. Geisha arrived Curaçao on Apr. 27 for bunkers, then continued for Trinidad 2 days later, arriving May. 1-1940. When she anchored up in Port of Spain, she was surrounded by British naval forces and boarded by several men who suspected she was German (due to her rather non-Norwegian sounding name). Johan Byrkja says they swarmed all over the ship and searched her from bow to stem; the captain and the radio officer were arrested and taken ashore with a gun to their backs. When they were returned they still had an armed escort. After a few days Geisha was finally cleared and could continue her journey. (Johan Byrkja was later on board Thorshavet when that ship was sunk).

Some Convoy Voyages – 1940-1945:

Geisha was scheduled for Convoy HX 99 in Dec.-1940 (Bermuda section, cargo of lumber and acetone for Liverpool), but did not sail. Instead she joined the next convoy, HX 100.

She was also schedulled for Convoy HX 129 in May-1941, but cancelled. She eventually got away in Convoy HX 131 on June 6, bound for Liverpool with a general cargo in station 92.

In March-1942 she sailed in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 76, general cargo and timber for Manchester, station 71.

About a year later, in Febr./March-1943, she acted as the Commodore's ship for the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 169, then returned to the U.K. with the slow Convoy SC 127 the following month (Apr.-1943). In Nov. that year she can be found among the ships leaving Halifax for the U.K. with Convoy SC 146, general cargo for Glasgow.

In Jan.-1944 she's listed in Convoy SC 151, general cargo for Liverpool, station 83. At the end of March she joined Convoy SC 156, in which the Norwegian Ruth I and South America were sunk - general cargo for Liverpool.

She was also in Convoy HX 294 from New York in June-1944, acting as the Vice Commodore's ship, again bound for Liverpool with general cargo. In Aug.-1944 we find her in the large New York-U.K. Convoy HX 303 with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Tanafjord, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Romulus, Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Fjordaas and Norse Lady, all listed on this website. Geisha, general cargo for Liverpool, was the Vice Commodore's ship again, with the Norwegian R. G. Bruusgaard as Vice Commodore. She's also listed in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 159 in Oct.-1944, general cargo for Glasgow.

At the very beginning of Jan.-1945 Geisha joined the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 164, bound for Liverpool and carrying a general cargo as well as explosives.

Follow the links for more details on the convoys mentioned here, in which several Norwegian ships took part.

POST WAR:

Geisha was on a voyage from San Antonio via Callao (outside Lima, Peru) to Antwerp with niter and zinc concentrate when an explosion occurred in her cargo in the Atlantic Ocean on April 11-1950, and was abandoned on fire in position 39 03N 41 37W. 1 man was killed, the others were picked up by the Italian Maria Paolina and taken to Lisbon.

Related external link:
Knutsen OAS Shipping today - with a brief history of the company.

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Våre motorskip", Leif M. Bjørkelund & E. H. Kongshavn, "Sjøfolk i krig", Leif M. Bjørkelund and misc. (ref. My sources).