M/S Helgøy

To Helgøy on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Misc. War Voyages:

Helgøy, general cargo for Liverpool, was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 66 in Aug.-1940 (joining from Bermuda), in which the Norwegian Norne was sunk. However, she (Helgøy) later lost touch with the convoy.

Towards the end of that year she's listed in Convoy OB 259, which left Liverpool on Dec. 14-1940 and dispersed on the 17th. Her destination is given as New Orleans - see the first external link to the OB convoys at the end of this page for the names of other ships in this convoy, some of which were Norwegian.

In the middle of Apr.-1941 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 121, but cancelled. She was also cancelled from HX 122, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of general, supercargo and 6 bombers, but eventually got away with HX 123 on Apr. 25. In July that year we find her in station 77 of HX 140, together with the Norwegian Skiensfjord (97), Boreas (16), Velox (56), Velma (96), Alaska (106), Stiklestad (95), Vardefjell (84), Evita (114), Olaf Bergh (124), Thorshov (83), Ferncastle (113), Bonneville (82), Thorshavet (43) and Madrono (112). Beth and Petter were also initially in this convoy but left due to engine problems. Helgøy was bound for Ellesmere Port with general cargo on that occasion. Helgøy later joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 12, which left Liverpool on Sept. 1-1941, but returned to port, and does not show up again in an ON convoy until ON 22 in Oct.-1941 (will be added to my Convoys section).

She's also listed among the ships in Convoy HX 185 in Apr.-1942, then at the end of June that year she was in Convoy HX 196, and in Oct. she sailed in HX 212, in which Kosmos II was sunk. Helgøy was bound for Cardiff with general cargo in station 114 of this convoy, having joined with the Halifax portion on Oct. 21 (HX 212 had originated in New York on the 18th).

The following summer she's listed in Convoy HX 248, which had originated in New York on July 15-1943, but Helgøy, bound for Glasgow with general cargo, again joined from Halifax a few days later, together with the Norwegian California Express, Bajamar and Bañaderos.

In Jan.-1944 she was scheduled from the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy MKS 37, but instead joined the next convoy, MKS 38 (will be added).

Follow the links for more info on these convoys - as will be seen, several Norwegian ships sailed in them.

Marek Twardowski, Poland has told me she was damaged in a collision at some point during the war - I have no further info on that.

POST WAR:

Purchased by GAL in Aug.-1950 and renamed Mikolaj Rej. Transferred to PLO, Gdynia Jan. 1-1951. Chartered to Chipolbrok (joint Polish-Chinese shipping company) June-1951. Grounded in Suez Canal on Apr. 13-1954 whilst on voyage from Taku Bar, India, to Gdynia. Refloated by use of local tugs and towed to Great Bitter Lake. Sold in 1960 to PR of China and renamed Nan Hai 148. Presumed broken up 1970.

Back to Helgøy on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Other ships by this name: Norway had another, much smaller Helgøy after the war, delivered in Dec.-1951 from A/S Seutelvens Verksted, Fredrikstad as Helgøy to Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap, 285 gt, local passenger/cargo vessel. Sold in June-1972 (Åsmund Bjørkmo, Kvaløsletta near Tromsø), converted to refrigerated cargo vessel at Svolvær, renamed Polar Trans upon completion in March-1974. Sold in 1980 to Curaçao, registered in Anquilla and in service in the Caribbean, still around in 1995 (199 gt). Another Helgøy was built for Troms Fylkes D/S in 1978, 476 gt, still in service in 1996. (Info from company fleet list, Finn R. Hansen).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Pre war and post war details were received from Marek Twardowski, a Polish visitor to my website.