D/S Roy - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Owner: D/S A/S Ask
Manager: August Kjerland, Bergen
Tonnage: 1768 gt, 969 net, 2500 tdwt
Signal Letters: LJBY

In June-1940 she shows up in Convoy OA 169, which left Southend on June 17 and was dispersed 2 days later. Her destination is given as Falmouth, cargo of coal. The convoy was composed of 2 parts, OA 169(1) and OA 169(2), Roy being in station 45 of Part 2, which had several Norwegian ships (see the external links below).

In Aug.-1940 we find her in station 62 of the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HG 41, bound for Garston with pyrites. Around the time of her arrival, she lost a crew member to drowning. The 21 year old Paul August Henriksen is commemorated at the Seamen's Memorial in Stavern, Norway - ref. external link at the bottom of this page. According to the book "Våre falne", which lists Norwegian WW II casualties, he served as a stoker on Roy when he drowned in Garston on Aug. 26-1940, and is buried there. He had previously served on Kongsgaard from 1939.

In Oct. that same year Roy is listed in Convoy HG 45 from Gibraltar, bound for Swansea, cargo of pit props.

Final Fate - 1941:

Caused 3 mines to detonate at once (Humber inlet?) on Jan 11-1941, but damages were not serious. She anchored at a buoy in the channel overnight, and was towed to Hull the next morning for repairs.

Later that year, on Oct. 12 she departed London in ballast for Blyth. North of Great Yarmouth (according to "Nortraships flåte") the convoy she was in was attacked by several E-boats. Jan-Olof, Sweden has told me that "Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-45" by Rohwer and Hummelchen states the convoy was attacked north of Cromer by the 2nd MTB Flotilla (Lt-Cdr Feldt) comprising S41, S47, S53, S62, S104 and S105. Another visitor to my site says that "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles" gives the location as 12 miles east/northeast of Happisburgh Sands, Norfolk. The boats, some damaged, were eventually chased off by the escort, but not before Roy had been hit aft on the starboard side at 23:45 by a torpedo from S-53 (Commander Block), blowing away the whole of the poop above water. The hatch coaming of No. 4 hatch was gone and water could be heard pouring into holds No. 3 and 4. The captain's report states they had just passed Buoy No. 56 B about 15 minutes before the explosion occurred.

The starboard and port lifeboats were launched, and hearing shouts all around them they went off to assist survivors from the British freighter Chevington which had also received a torpedo (from S-105, Howaldt). The captain heard shouts from Roy, and sent the 1st mate's boat alongside the ship, which was still afloat, whereupon H. Ditlefsen and Olaf Hella reboarded to find the British stoker trapped and seriously injured, but they managed to free him and place him in the boat. The British trimmer was seen in the same situation, but by now the ship was sinking rapidly by the stern so they had to leave him. Roy sank about half a minute after they had gotten away, at 24:10, Oct. 13 and 20 minutes later the survivors in Roy's port lifeboat, including the 2 they had rescued from Chevington were picked up by the motor torpedo boat ML 145. They were landed in Grimsby at 09:30 where they were taken to the Seamen's Home. The captain's boat arrived Grimsby 2 hours later, carrying the rest of Roy's survivors as well as Chevington's captain, 1st mate and others, whom they had rescued from the water.

George Monk, England has told me that Able Seaman Hilmar Ditlefsen, Donkeyman Olaf Hella and 1st Mate Simon Holmedal later received British "Commendations" for their actions (his source: Seedies List of awards to the British Merchant Navy which includes awards to Allied merchant seamen).

The maritime inquiry was held in Newcastle-on-Tyne on Oct. 17-1941 with the captain, the 1st mate, the 1st engineer, Able Seaman Ditlefsen (helmsman) and Able Seaman Yttrelie (lookout) appearing. The captain believed that those who died had either been in their cabins or in the messroom, all of which were blown away by the explosion.