D/S Sollund
Updated Apr. 28-2010

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

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). According to Page 5, Sollund had arrived Bristol that same day. 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:

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. Follow the links for more info; several Norwegian ships took part in all these convoys.

Judging from the information found on Page 1 of the archive documents, she was at Ayr, Scotland when Norway was invaded on Apr. 9-1940. She had arrived there from Fowey on Apr. 8. It looks like she was on her way to Sweden, but was diverted to Preston, where she later arrived from Ayr on May 23.

As can be seen from the images received from the Norwegian archives, Sollund was mostly in service around the U.K. during the war.

At the beginning of May-1941 she was in Liverpool during the 5 day air attacks there, which started on May 3. According to Page 2, she had arrived there from Holyhead on Apr. 30. 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 to 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 bombing raid were M/S Bra-Kar, M/S Mosdale, and D/S Stromboli. According to J. R. Hegland's "Nortraships flåte", M/S Tai Yin and M/S Temeraire were also there, but they were in another part of the world in this period. However, on checking further, I find that Tai Shan was in Liverpool at that time, having arrived from New York on Apr. 29, according to her Voyage Record for this period. Departure is given as May 24. Sollund left Liverpool again on May 16. (For info, the Greek ship shows up in Convoy OB 329, which left Liverpool on May 31-1941 - external link. See also Christian Krohg).

It'll be noticed, when going to A. Hague's Voyage Record, that Sollund is said to have been involved in a collision with Rolfsborg on May 7-1942, while in Convoy EN 81 (external link) - I have no further details on this. According to Page 4 of the archive documents, she arrived Kirkwall that same day, leaving again for Inverness 3 days later, so damages (if any) could not have been very serious.

The archive documents reveal some long gaps here and there in her voyages; I'm not sure whether some voyages are simply missing from the record, or whether this means she was in for various repairs etc. For instance, there's a particularly long gap on Page 6. She had arrived Leith from Inverness on Jan 22-1943 and departure date is given as May 12. See also Page 8, which shows she had arrived Hull on Dec. 24-1943, leaving again on March 6-1944, subsequently spending a month at North Shields. Also, Page 11 shows that she had arrived Hull on March 29-1945, with departure June 7. Similar gaps can be found all through her record.

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 the U.K., so she must have had some kind of problems. She was repaired, and resumed her service to Normandy a few days later, making 25 such voyages altogether.

From Page 12 of the archive documents, we learn that she got to go home to Norway already in July-1945, making several more voyages home before that year was over. In fact, it looks like Christmas may have been celebrated while in Norway (she had arrived Skien on Dec. 20, but departure date is not given - she arrived Tyne on Jan. 1-1946). See also Page 13.

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.