M/S Temeraire

To Temeraire on the "Ships starting with T" page.

A picture is available at the website of Lillesand Sjømannsforening (under the T's - external link)

Misc. War Details:

In Febr.-1940, Temeraire is listed in Convoy HG 18F from Gibraltar, bound for Swansea, station 34 - follow link for more convoy info. As can be seen, other Norwegian ships listed are Garonne and Bruse Jarl. The following month we find her in the Gibraltar convoy OGF 21, a combination of Convoys OB 103GF and OA 103GF, which joined up on March 5-1940, both having departed the U.K. on March 3. Temeraire's destination is given as Massava, station 75. The Norwegian Bur, Bruse Jarl and Einar Jarl are also listed. The external links provided at the end of this text has more info on the OB convoys.

According to the first external website that I've linked to below, she sailed in Convoy SLF 41, which left Freetown on July 28-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Aug. 14 (having joined up with Convoy SL 41 on Aug. 8). The company's Tricolor is also listed, while Tancred sailed in SL 41.

Temeraire was at Liverpool during the 5 day air attacks there at the beginning of May-1941, but escaped with minor damages (see also Tai Yin).

In Oct.-1941 she was in Convoy HX 153 along with the Norwegian Katy, Haakon Hauan, Sveve, Ferncastle, Bonneville, Lista, Santos as well as an unnamed tanker with a B on its stack (there were so many companies that had a B on the funnel, that it would be difficult to guess the identity of this ship). About a year later, in Sept.-1942 she's listed as sailing in Convoy HX 208, bound for Liverpool. Follow the links for more convoy details.

Rescued 42 survivors from the British liner Dunedin Star, north of Walvis Bay, coast of West Africa, in Nov.-1942. Temeraire's motor lifeboat, under the command of 1st Mate Jacob Brochmann was launched and 10 men were taken off Dunedin Star, but the boat took in a lot of water, causing the motor to stop, so that they had to row for an hour and a half before the rescued could be handed over to Manchester Division, which had also come to. The lifeboat crew was now too exhausted to continue, so the boat was hauled back on board Temeraire. The following morning a tug arrived from Walvis Bay, but in the end Temeraire's lifeboat had to be lowered again and the remaining 32 still on board Dunedin Star were taken off in 4 trips. Over 60 people (incl. women and children) from the ship had previously managed to get ashore, and had a trying time before they were rescued after 2 weeks. Captain Toft had considered it perfectly possible to rescue those as well, but was told by the Dunedin Star captain that a seperate rescue team from land would take care of them and Temeraire was sent on her way. When Toft later heard of their ordeal, he was quite upset. A book has been written about this event, see link to Skeleton Coast below.

In Sept.-1944, she sailed in Convoy HX 310 from New York, bound for Avonmouth with a general cargo and mail.

According to a posting to my Ship Forum from Temeraire's 2nd radio operator, Dave Jeanes Temeraire departed her anchorage off Southend on May 7-1945, to sail independently to Melbourne, via the English Channel and then Panama. (See also some notes in my text for Havfru).

POST WAR:

Sold on Jan. 28-1955 to H. Vogemann, Germany and renamed Vogesen. Arrived at Hamburg on Nov. 13-1958 to be scrapped by Eisen & Metall K.G., Lehr & Co.

Related external links:
SL Convoys - Mike Holdoway's section on the SL and SLF convoys (as will be seen, Temeraire is listed in SLF 41). He also has a section on the OS and OS/KMS convoys as well as the OB convoys. This is a great resource, and well worth a visit.

See also this
list of OA and OB convoys 1940

1 who died on board - Motorman Martin Anker Bjelkevik is said to have died on Oct. 11-1940 following a "war related act" against the ship. However, "Våre falne", which lists Norwegian WW II casualties, gives the date as July 4-1941, when Temeraire was in the Pacific, and was buried at sea. Cause of death is not provided.

The Australian War Memorial also has a picture of this ship. It can be found by running a search through their collection search page.

Skeleton Coast

Back to Temeraire on the "Ships starting with T" page.

Wilhelmsen had 3 ships by this name through the years, this was the 2nd one.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Skip og menn", Birger Dannevig, and misc. - (ref. My sources).