M/T Nyholm - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 (original) (raw)

M/T Nyholm Updated Aug. 6-2010

Manager: Christian Haaland, Haugesund
Tonnages: 5843 gt, 3294 net, 8265 tdwt.
Dimensions: 390.8' x 55.2' x 31.0'.
Machinery: 2 x 6 cyl. 4T EV B&W, 2125 bhp, 2 propeller, 11 knots.

Delivered in Nov.-1927 from Odense Staalskibsværft, Odense as Nyholm to D/S A/S Idaho, Haugesund (Chr. Haaland).

Some crew members:

Motorman Martin Tollaksen Motorman Sigfred Olsen Motorman Bjarne Lien 4th Engineer Olaf Håkonsen Cook Helge Hauge - Note that he's commemorated at the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway (external link). The Norwegian text says he died when Nyholm had a fire on board in Suez on Nov. 4-1940. From Page 1, we learn that she was indeed at Suez on that date, departing that same day for Abadan.
Able Seaman Martin Økland Able Seaman Jacob Eide
Oiler Magne Lilleaas
Petter Lie Thor Anker Aarvik Kristen Osnes.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5

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

Partial Voyage Record
From Oct.-1940 to May-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.

A story found in the book "Sjøfolk i krig" by Leif M. Bjørkelund, told by oiler Magne Lilleaas states that Nyholm had been on a voyage from Baytown, Texas via New Orleans to Genoa with a cargo of oil, arriving Genoa on Apr. 4-1940. In the evening of Apr. 7 the men on board were told by the mate to go and find everyone who had gone ashore and bring them back on board as quickly as possible. This was accomplished, whereupon the ship slowly and quietly departed, managing to avoid being stopped by Italian authorities. Not until the next day was the crew informed of the situation in Norway. On Apr. 9 they all got the news from BBC that Norway had been invaded.

Able Seaman Jacob Eide says they were stopped in the Mediterranean that day by a French destroyer telling them to proceed to a neutral port. At the time she was en route to Suez in order to take on a cargo of oil in Abadan. The voyage was continued with the destroyer following. They were delayed for a few days in the Suez Canal; at Port Said a great number of ships were anchored up, many of which were Norwegian, so while waiting Nyholm's men paid them a visit using the motorboat. According to Page 1 of the archive documents, she arrived Port Said on Apr. 13, proceeding to Suez on the 15th and from there to Aden and Abadan, with arrival the latter on Apr. 30.

As mentioned further up on this page, Cook Helge Hauge is said to have died when Nyholm had a fire on board in Suez on Nov. 4-1940. The archive document mentioned above shows that she was indeed at Suez on that date, departing that same day for Abadan. A. Hague has included her, together with the Norwegian Borgestad and Strix, in Convoy BS 8 for this voyage (external link).

Nyholm served as supply ship for The Royal Navy in 1941-1942, first at St. Helena and later Port Victoria, the Seychelles. According to Jacob Eide, she was at St. Helena from March until Aug.-1941, then proceeded to Durban for docking. Going back to Page 1 we learn that she had arrived St. Helena from Table Bay (Cape Town) on March 12-1941; departure is given as Aug. 5, when she returned to Table Bay, arriving Aug. 15, departing Aug. 20 for Durban, where she arrived on Aug. 26. He says they had been replaced at St. Helena by the British tanker Darkdale, adding that this ship was torpedoed soon afterwards in the very spot where Nyholm had previously been. I cross checked this information with J. Rohwer, who says Darkdale was indeed torpedoed and sunk at St. Helena, on Oct. 22-1941 by U-68 (Merten) - more information is available via the external link provided at the end of this page.

Nyholm departed Durban again early in Sept.-1941 for the Persian Gulf, made some voyages in the Indian Ocean, then arrived Mahe, the Seychelles at the end of Apr.-1942, supplying allied warships there for about 5 months; mostly destroyers and submarines according to Jacob Eide, who adds that they proceeded to Mombasa in Sept.-1942 for further orders. From Page 2, we learn that they had arrived Mahe from Trincomalee on Apr. 26, departing Mahe on Sept. 25, with arrival Mombasa Oct. 2, continuing to Abadan a few days later. Some of her 1943 voyages are also shown on this document and continue on Page 3, which also has some 1944 voyages (convoy info for some of them can be found in A. Hague's record above). It'll be noticed on the latter document that she appears to have spent quite a long time in Durban that year. She had arrived there from Table Bay on Febr. 9-1944; departure is given as July 6 when she proceeded to Abadan and Bombay - according to A. Hague, she had joined Convoy DN 66 for this voyage (external link).

The rest of her 1944 voyages and some 1945 voyages are listed on Page 4. As can be seen, she had arrived New York from Curacao on Jan. 1-1945 and having made a voyage to Boston, she headed to Halifax in order to join Convoy SC 165 to the U.K. on Jan. 16. Her destination is given as Shellhaven and she arrived there on Febr. 7. Follow the link for more convoy details; several Norwegian ships took part. She returned to the U.S. later that month, subsequently spending several weeks in Baltimore, before making a voyage to Curacao.

Page 5 has her voyages to Febr.-1946.