D/S Sollund

To Sollund on the "Ships starting with S" page.

Some War Voyages:

Sollund is listed in Convoy HN 5 from Norway to the U.K. in Dec.-1939. She's also included in Convoy HN 10 from Norway in Febr.-1940, bound for Preston with pulp. She returned to Norway at the end of that month with Convoy ON 16, and towards the end of March-1940 (just a couple of weeks before Norway was invaded) she joined Convoy HN 21, cargo of talc for Manchester.

She was in Liverpool at the beginning of May-1941 during the 5 day air attacks there, which started on May 3. Sollund was right next to the Greek D/S Moscha D. Kydoniefs which was hit and on fire on May 7 (her crew had gone to the bomb shelters). Sollund had to move to the other side of the dock to avoid the flames, but 1st Mate Thomas Oftedal decided to row back with 5 others to try and save the Greek ship. They fought the flames for 5 hours, and were subsequently able to move her away from the quay and tie her alongside Sollund. (Other Norwegian ships in Liverpool during this 5 day bombing raid were M/S Bra-Kar, M/S Tai Yin, M/S Temeraire, M/S Mosdale, and D/S Stromboli).

Sollund took part in Operation Neptune, arriving Normandy with ammunition on June 13-1944, leaving the same day. It took her 4 days to get back to England, so she must have had some kind of problems. She was repaired, and resumed her service to Normandie a few days later, making 25 such voyages altogether.

Dave Napier, England came across a gravestone for a Norwegian seaman named H. A. Jæger Nilsen. He took this picture of it and sent it to me. I looked the name up in "Våre Falne", a series of 4 books listing all Norwegian casualties during WW II, and found a Håkon Arnfeldt Jæger Nilsen from Bodø who served as stoker on Sollund and drowned in Bristol after having stepped off the quay in the blackout on Sept. 1-1942 (birthdate is given as May 15-1904 in the book). He's buried in Arno's Vale Cemetery, Bristol. If a relative sees this and would like a larger, better quality picture, I'd be glad to pass it on; just contact me via the following address:

POST WAR:

Sold to Brødrene Anda, Stavanger in Oct.-1953, to be broken up.

Related external link:
Normandy - 6 June/24 July-1944

Back to Sollund on the "Ships starting with S" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Våre gamle skip" by Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn - and misc.