M/S Ferncliff - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 (original) (raw)

M/S Ferncliff Updated Aug. 7-2011

To Ferncliff on the "Ships starting with F" page.

Source: Bjørn Milde's postcard collection (also provided the Post War details).

Another picture is available on this external page (click in the photo to make it larger).

Owner: A/S Glittre
Manager: Fearnley & Eger, Oslo
Tonnage: 4333 gt

Built by Deutsche Werft AG, Betrieb Finkenwärder, Hamburg, Germany in 1924.

Captain: Olav Severin Apold.

This ship at some point in the war had a female Canadian radio operator named Josephine Ryan. She later married Alf Sverre Fredriksen, who's mentioned in the crew list for Fernhill. Several female Canadian radio operators sailed on Norwegian ships. A list of their names (and ships) can be found towards the end of my page about M/S Mosdale.

Related items on this website:
A Guestbook message from the grandson of Captain Apold, saying that he later commanded the Norwegian MTB squadron in Shetland towards the end of the war.
A Guestbook message from the son of Josephine Ryan and A. S. Fredriksen, and right underneath it, there's a message from their nephew. According to the latter message, it looks like Josephine Ryan also sailed on another Norwegian ship.
Guestbook message from the son of someone who served on Ferncliff in 1945, Ken G. Sollows.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
(unfortunately, Page 2 has dates missing in the margin)
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5

Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.

Voyage Record
From July-1942 to Dec.-1945:

(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.

Errors may exist, and several voyages are missing.

For information on voyages made in between those discussed here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details on them; several Norwegian ships took part.

Her 1940 and 1941 voyages are shown on Page 1 and Page 2 of the archive documents.

Ferncliff was one of several Norwegian ships sailing in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 99 in Sept.-1942. She arrived Liverpool on Sept. 20, and returned across the Atlantic the following month with Convoy ON 138*, together with Evanger (Commodore Vessel), Harpefjell, Henrik Ibsen, Lista, Maloja (detached, sunk - follow link for details), Norheim and Petter II. This convoy left Liverpool on Oct. 11 and arrived New York on Nov. 3. According to Arnold Hague, she subsequently headed back to the U.K. on Nov. 17 in the slow Convoy SC 110* from New York. The Norwegian Fana, Gezina, Hallfried, John Bakke (in collision), Meline, Norbris (Panamanain flag), Norefjord, Tanafjord and Vav are also included. Ferncliff had a general cargo, as well as aircraft, sailing in station 101 of the convoy, which arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6. Ferncliff's voyages in this period are shown on Page 3.

She was later used as military transport for the Torch operations (the invasion of North Africa, which had commenced on Nov. 8-1942 - Athos has a list of Norwegian ships taking part in these operations). With Kong Sverre and Troubadour, Ferncliff is listed in Convoy KMS 8*, arriving Oran on Febr. 7-1943, having left Clyde on Jan. 21. From Oran, she later joined Convoy MKS 8, again with Kong Sverre, as well as Jenny (also, other Norwegian ships, but not in the U.K. portion - follow the link for more details). Ferncliff was bound for Clyde, where she arrived on March 2, according to Page 3. From there, she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 171* two days later. She was again in the company of a number of other Norwegian ships, namely Henrik Ibsen, Iron Baron, James Hawson, Maud and Norfalk. Ferncliff arrived Halifax on March 23, later continuing to New York.

Having made a voyage to Casablanca and back to the U.S. (convoy info in Voyage Record), she's listed in Convoy SC 137 from Halifax on July 19-1943, arriving Liverpool on Aug. 3, later joining the westbound Convoy ONS 16* on Aug. 19, general cargo for New York, station 34, arrival Sept. 4. Fjordheim, Heimgar, Henrik Ibsen, Lago, Ravnefjell and Sommerstad are also listed. On Sept. 28, we find her in station 91 of Convoy SC 143 from Halifax, arriving Liverpool on Oct. 12, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ONS 21* on Oct. 22, together with Gausdal, Henrik Ibsen, Maud, Norhauk, Para, Petter II, Sommerstad and Suderøy. Ferncliff arrived New York Nov. 8. Christmas that year was celebrated while in the slow Convoy SC 149 from Halifax - general cargo for Liverpool, with arrival Dec. 30.

She went back across the Atlantic in Convoy ONS 27*, which departed Liverpool on Jan. 13-1944 and also included Fjordheim, Iron Baron (returned), Maud, Norse Lady, Orwell, Petter II, Stirlingville, Suderøy (Commodore Vessel - also returned) and Vinland. Ferncliff 's destination is given as St. John, N.B., but this appears to be an error; she arrived New York on Febr. 3 (Page 3). On the 28th of that month she joined Convoy SC 154 from Halifax, but returned to port (St. John's, N.F., March 5), subsequently joining the Newfoundland portion of the next convoy on March 16, SC 155, general cargo for Swansea, where she arrived on March 29. She returned to the U.S. again with Convoy ON 233*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 20 and arrived New York May 8 (Ferncliff joined from Belfast Lough - see Page 4). Atlantic, Elg, Kaia Knudsen, Norsktank, Olaf Bergh, Slemmestad and Thorhild are also named. Later that month, Ferncliff joined the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 292, general cargo for Liverpool, and towards the end of June she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 242*, together with Fernmoor, Fjordheim, Havkong, Marit II, Molda, Peik, Samuel Bakke (Vice Commodore's Ship), Skiensfjord, Solstad, Solsten, Stirlingville, Tercero, Thorshov and Vera. ON 242 originated in Liverpool on June 25 and arrived New York July 11 - Ferncliff had sailed from Belfast Lough June 26.

She headed back to the U.K. on July 25 in Convoy HX 301 from New York (Commodore in Reinholt, Vice Commodore in Samuel Bakke), again bound for Liverpool with general cargo, and at the beginning of Sept.-1944 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 251*, but only sailed as far as Belfast Lough, later joining Convoy ON 254* from there on Sept. 16, arriving New York on Oct. 5. Both these convoys had several Norwegian ships, namely Bernhard, Elg, Evanger, Fjordheim (sunk - follow link for details), Germa, Grey County, Heimgar, Henrik Ibsen, Rutenfjell, Snar, Thorhild, Tungsha (Commodore Vessel), Veni and Vera, as well as the Panamaian Norbris (Norwegian managers, listed under the N's on this website) in ON 251, while Brasil, Emma Bakke (Commodore Vessel), James Hawson, Norefjord, Norse Lady, Sommerstad and Stirlingville are listed ON 254. In the middle of the following month, we find her in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 161, carrying a general cargo and mail, destination Liverpool, with arrival Dec. 5 (Page 4). The dawning of a new year took place while in the westbound Convoy ONS 39*, which departed Liverpool on Dec. 28, and also included Annik, Cetus, Germa, Mui Hock, Novasli and Tercero (some of which had previously been in SC 161). Ferncliff arrived New York on Jan. 16-1945.

She was scheduled for the slow Convoy SC 167 from Halifax on Febr. 16-1945 (see also Novasli), but instead joined Convoy SC 168*, which left Halifax on Febr. 25, arrived Liverpool March 13 and also had Iron Baron, Kristianiafjord, Lago, Marie Bakke, Peik, Torborg and Vera among its ranks. On Apr. 1, we find her, with general and explosives for New York, in station 41 of the westbound Convoy ONS 46*, together with Alaska, Hardanger, Lago and Sommerstad. In fact, Ferncliff served as the Commodore Vessel on this occasion. She arrived New York on Apr. 22.

Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 4 and Page 5 of the archive documents; convoy info for a couple of them can be found in the table above.

* The ON and ONS convoys mentioned here 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 ships in all ONS convoys. The KMS, MKS and SC convoy series will also be completed, but for now, see the section listing ships in all KMS convoys, ships in all MKS convoys and ships in all SC convoys.

More information on all the other Norwegian ships named here is available via the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Sold in 1950, renamed Reg II. Sold in 1953, renamed Carl Julius. Sold in 1957, renamed Gunther Schulte. Broken up in 1962. (This external page has more detailed post war info).

Back to Ferncliff on the "Ships starting with F" page.