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M/S Margrethe Bakke To Margrethe Bakke on the "Ships starting with B" page. Owner: D/S A/S Golden Gate Delivered in July-1938 from A/B Götaverken, Gothenburg as Margrethe Bakke to D/S A/S Golden Gate (Knut Knutsen O.A.S.), Haugesund, 5478 gt, 3280 net, 8420 tdwt, 453.2' x 58.8' x 26.0', 6-cyl. 2 tdv Götaverken B&W, 6900 bhp, 16 knots. Related item on this website: On my Memorials page, which has a section naming some Norwegians buried at Saranac Lake, there's a John Otto Svendsen. According to "Våre falne", a series of 4 books naming Norwegian WW II casualties, he served as ordinary seaman on Margrethe Bakke until he contracted tuberculosis in the winter of 1942 and was sent to a sanatorium. Died at Saranac Lake on Febr. 4-1943. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Margrethe Bakke, with a general cargo for Liverpool, was one of several Norwegian ships sailing in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 40 in May-1940 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 39). In July she's listed in Convoy OB 178, which left Liverpool on July 3-1940 and dispersed on the 7th. Her destination is given as Panama, and as can be seen when following the first external link provided at the end of this page, the Norwegian Austvard, Benjamin Franklin, Hellen, Ingerfem, Senta, and Skrim are also listed in this convoy. According to Page 1 of the archive documents, Margrethe Bakke arrived Cristobal on July 17. She rescued the 25 survivors from the American Alcoa Shipper on June 1-1942 and landed them in New York on the 3rd (7 had died). This ship had been sunk by U-404 on May 30. In Nov./Dec.-1943 we find Margrethe Bakke in Convoy MKF 26 (Oran-U.K.) as the only Norwegian ship - follow the link for names of others taking part. However, she was not bound for the U.K. on that occasion, but had started out from Port Said and detached from the convoy at some point (ref. external website that I've linked to below). According to Page 3 of the archive documents, she arrived New York on Dec. 12. In Jan.-1944 she shows up in Convoy UGS 31, departing Hampton Roads on Jan. 25, arriving Port Said (Margrethe Bakke's destination) on Febr. 21. The Norwegian Audun, Dux, Granville, Katy, Nueva Granada, Solør, and Strinda are also listed, but note that they were not all present from the U.S. - again, see the external link provided at the end of this page. In May-1944 she's listed as bound from Alexandria to the U.S. in Convoy GUS 39, which originated in Port Said on May 4 and arrived Hampton Roads on the 29th. Going back to the archive document referred to above, we see that she arrived New York on May 28, having sailed from Alexandria on May 5. In Oct. that same year she appears in Convoy GUS 56, leaving Port Said on Oct. 22-1944, arriving Hampton Roads on Nov. 19. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Buccinum, Egda, Evita, Fenris, Fernbrook, Gallia, and Kong Sverre - ref. external links below. Also, Page 4. In March-1945 she sailed in the fast eastbound North Atlantic Convoy CU 62, together with Finnmark, Hegra, Karsten Wang and Martin Bakke, returning to the U.S. the following month with the westbound Convoy UC 64A*, which left Liverpool on Apr. 16 and arrived New York on the 28th. She subsequently went back to the U.K. with Convoy CU 69, which departed New York on May 10-1945 and arrived Liverpool on May 20. As will be seen when going back to Page 4 of the archive documents, she got to go home to Norway in Oct.-1945, making another voyage to Norway in Nov.-1945 (see Page 5).
Collided on Febr. 22-1954 with the French Capitaine St. Martin off Folkstone and was badly damaged. Caught on fire on Febr. 20-1956 while repairing at Kieler Howaldtswerke. Laid up at Haugesund Nov. 25-1969. Sold that same month to I/S Margrethe (Torvald Klaveness), Oslo as Margrethe. In the Concordia Line in 1970 as Concordia Margrethe. Sold in June-1970 to Iokasti Shipping Co. Ltd., Cyprus as Iokasti of Famagusta. Laid up at Piræus July 31-1976. Arrived Split, Yugoslavia for breaking up on March 11-1977. Related external links: 1 who died on board - This able seaman, Arnt Thorbjørnsen, is said to have died at sea on Aug. 2-1941 following illness, and is commemorated at the Stavern Memorial for Seamen. Knutsen OAS Shipping today - Includes a brief history of the company, as well as a fleet list. Back to Margrethe Bakke on the "Ships starting with B" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Våre motorskip" by Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn, and misc.
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