D/S Norjerv
Updated Jan. 28-2009

To Norjerv on the "Ships starting with N" page.

Crew List

Some Convoy Voyages:

(More will be added).

Shortly after having been taken over by Nortraship, Norjerv joined the westbound Norh Atlantic Convoy ON 90*, which departed Liverpool on Apr. 28-1942 and arrived Halifax on May 15; Norjerv was bound for Philadelphia, where she arrived on May 21, having started out from Loch Ewe on Apr. 28. She was scheduled to return with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 87 in June-1942, but instead joined the next convoy on June 19, SC 88, steel and cotton for Liverpool. The following month we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 112*, departing Liverpool on July 13. Norjerv arrived New York on Aug. 1. In Sept.-1942 she's listed in Convoy SC 99 from Halifax, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 140* (originated in Liverpool Oct. 17, arrived New York Nov. 7). This time she was bound for Baltimore, where she arrived on Nov. 9, having started out from Oban Oct. 18 - see also Page 1 above.

According to Arnold Hague she now joined Convoy SC 111, which left New York on Nov. 25-1942, but returned to port (Halifax), later joining SC 112, which had originated in New York on Dec. 4 (Norjerv joined with the Halifax portion a few days later). These convoys are not available among the SC convoys included on my own website, but I've linked directly to Hague's listing below.

In Febr.-1943 she's listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 165, bound for Philadelphia, station 22 (Commodore's narrative is also available). She arrived her destination on March 1, having sailed from Loch Ewe on Febr. 2. At the end of March we find her in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 125. However, according to A. Hague, she returned to port (arrived St. John's, N.F. on Apr. 6, according to Page 2) and later joined Convoy SC 127; as will be seen when following the link, she's not mentioned on my own page for this convoy, but Halifax ships only are listed there (Norjerv joined from St. John's). In May she's listed in the westbound Convoy ONS 8*, which left Liverpool on May 17-1943 and arrived Halifax on June 1. Norjerv's destination is given as Hampton Roads; she arrived New York on June 4, Hampton Roads June 7. In July that year she sailed in Convoy SC 136 from Halifax - follow the links for cruising orders.

She subsequently made a voyage to Buenos Aires. The external website that I've linked to at the end of this page has Norjerv in Convoy OS 53/KMS 23, which left Liverpool on Aug. 8 -1943. She had a cargo of chemicals sailing in station 123 of the convoy, and arrived Buenos Aires on Sept. 12. She's also said to have made a voyage from Freetown to Gibraltar in Convoy SL 138, which left Freetown on Oct. 13-1943. This convoy joined up with MKS 28 from Gibraltar on Oct. 24, before proceeding to the U.K. as a combined convoy (Hallfried was sunk), but as mentioned, Norjerv had stopped at Gibraltar, arriving Oct. 25, according to the archive document mentioned above. She later made a voyage to Alexandria, having joined Convoy KMS 30*, which left Gibraltar on Oct. 31-1943; she arrived her destination on Nov. 11.

In Apr.-1944 she shows up in Convoy SL 154/MKS 45. The SL portion of this convoy, in which Norjerv took part, left Freetown on Apr. 1-1944 and joined up with the MKS portion from Gibraltar en route, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on Apr. 23. Norjerv was on a voyage from Rosario to Mersey with a cargo of wheat, corned beef and general. Again, see also Page 2.

* All the ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys and the page for ships in all ONS convoys. As will be seen, several Norwegian ships sailed in all of them. The MKS and KMS convoys will also be added; for now, please see ships in MKS convoys and ships in KMS convoys.

Last Voyage - 1944:

Norjerv was sunk as blockship at Normandy in 1944. I've come across conflicting dates, Aug.-1944, June 26, July 20, and July 16. I'm inclined to lean towards the latter date as it comes from the diary of Hjalmar Holthe (see crew list below), which can be found on this page (external site - text is Norwegian). He says they departed Barry in the evening of July 6, anchored up for the night, then continued the next morning, joining a large convoy and arriving France on July 10 - note that she's listed in Convoy EBC 34 (external link); see also Page 3. They remained there for several days enduring many air attacks, before Norjerv was eventually sunk on July 16, whereupon those who had been on board were taken aboard a landing craft and landed in Southampton on July 18.

Crew List:
* Hjalmar Holthe also shows up in the crew list for Brant County and Vest
(his diary also describes the loss of these ships, and has a list of the other ships he sailed with).

Captain Karl Johan Hamre	1st Mate Helge Slettingdalen	2nd Mate Arnfinn Larsen	3rd Mate Sigvald Mikalsen	Radio Operator Johannes Askeland	Radio Operator George C. Gill (British)
Radio Operator John Shackleton (British)	Carpenter Oskar Johansen	Boatswain Herman Hansen	Able Seaman Thor Antonsen	Able Seaman Odd Hansen	Able Seaman Henry Christiansen
Able Seaman Jakob Størøy	Able Seaman Leif Selstrøm	Ordinary Seaman Tellef Hansen	Ordinary Seaman Kaare Myhre	Ordinary Seaman Kaare Arthur Olsen	Ordinary Seaman Harald Hansen
Deck Boy John Preston (British)	1st Engineer Hamrik (Henrik?) Andersen	2nd Engineer Laurits Melkevik	3rd Engineer Even Evensen	4th Engineer Hjalmar Holthe *	Donkeyman Herman Johansen
Stoker Gunnar Amundsen	Stoker Bjarne Clementsen	Stoker Olaus Jørgenvik	Oiler Ingolf Reiersen	Oiler Agnar Vik	Oiler Morten Kristoffersen
Steward Knut Haugsland	Cook Ludvig Meland	Galley Boy Sivert Paulsen	Mess Boy Anthony Richards (British)	Mess Boy Dennis Williams (British)	Mess Boy James Thomas (British)
Saloon Boy Rodney Reynolds (British)

POST WAR:

as per "Empire Ships"

Raised in 1949 but broke in two on June 3-1949 while in tow of tugs Tradesman (ex Empire Julia) and Rifleman (ex Empire Vera) bound for Strangford Lough, N. Ireland, for scrapping. Both parts sank.

External websites with info related to the text on this page:
The Empire Ships - On the "Mariners" website. Empire Eagle can be found on this page. This site says she was sunk on June 26-1944.

Mulberry - From the comprehensive website Skylighters.

Back to Norjerv on the "Ships starting with N" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume II, and misc. (ref. My sources).