Boats escaping from Norway WW II

M/B Farmann (SF 19 D)

Departed Måløy on Aug. 26-1941 with 10 people, arriving Lerwick on the 28th.

On board were:
Skipper Sverre Lofnes, Ragnar Dyrstad, Ole Hamre, Hilmar Haug, Orvald Hesvik, Kolbjørn Kumle, Olai Leirgulen, Jostein Lofnes, Mathias Sande, and Berge Svarstad.

M/B Fei

Departed Bømlo in Apr.-1944; on board were Helmer Kulleseid and Konrad Møkster, who reached their destination safely.

M/B Feie (H 145 AM)

Left Fedje on Sept. 29-1941 with 24 people, arriving Lerwick on Oct. 1.

The following took part:
Skipper Emil Hansen, German Berg, Ingvar Berg, Norvald Kåre Berg, Aksel Blixt, Torbjørn Arne Brevig, Bjarne Bårdsen, Anders Dolve, Olaf Andreas Eide, Alette Hansen, Alf Husa, Bjarne Jakobsen, Anny Koppen, Erling Koppen, Trygve Moldøen, Asbjørn Mongstad, Norvald Magnus Nilsen, Andreas Ophaug, Johannes Ophaug, Sigurd Ophaug, Dorthea Rognsvåg, Jens Rognsvåg, Martin Straume, and Otilie Uthaug.

Post War: Sold in 1981 to Sweden, later to Finland. See this message on my Ship Forum for some more details. According to this she was built in 1932 and was previously named Kines.

Related external link:
Feie - As can be seen this ship still exists, and is owned by Saimaa Traditional Boat Association. Click on S/y Feie for some technical details and pictures.

M/B Feiøy (H 10 AM)

Left Fedje on Sept. 25-1941 carrying 15 people, among whom were 3 women and 3 children, and arrived Shetland on the 29th.

These were on board:
Skipper (and owner) Arthur Husa, Ansgar Hjønnevåg, Ragnvald Hjønnevåg, Edvard Eriksen Husa, Grete Olsen Husa, Johannes Olsen Husa, Albrekt Eliassen Storemark, Augusta Storemark, Georg Storemark, Karstein Storemark, Kåre Storemark, Magnus Storemark, Olaf Breivik Storemark, Reidun Storemark, and Therese Storemark.

Related External link:
The Shetland Bus - This page lists those who died in this service, including some of those from Feiøy. See also my own Shetland Bus Memorial page.

M/B Fernanda (H 9 S)

Departed Tælavåg on Sept. 21-1941 with 36 people (6 women, 3 children), arriving Lerwick on the 23rd.

These came along:
Hagbart Berglund, Leif Fosse, Arne Frøyland, Karoline Hunsgård, Erna Hægland, Leif Hægland, Odd Håvåg, Olaus Jørgenvik, Anna Midtvedt, Karl Midtvedt, Kjelaug Midtvedt, Mary Konstance Midtvedt, Franck Moberg, Osvald Myhr, Konrad Narvik, Lars Johannesen Nordvik, Oskar Nordvik, Trygve Pedersen, Magne Sekkingstad, Malfrid Sekkingstad, Martha Sekkingstad, Sigfried Sekkingstad, Arne Steffensen, Karl Bertin Steffensen, Knut Svendsen, Ansgar Andreas Søgne, Arnfinn Telle, Ella Telle, Martin Nilsen Telle, Philip Tråe and 6 more.

M/B Fiks (SF 334 SU)

Departed Solund on Oct 11-1941 with 17 people.

These were on board:
Skipper (and part owner) Karl N. Lambrechts, Oscar Carl Andersen, Bernhard Arthur Avløp, Erling Johan Eide, Ludvig Espeland, Olav Hans Gustav Espeland*, Trygve Hop, Oddvar Kvale, Erling Lambrechts, Fritjof Lambrechts, Karl Monrad Lambrechts, Kåre Ludolf Lambrechts, Leon Normann Lambrechts**, Paul Nesøy, Leif Johan Steinsund, Håkon Hansen and Sverre Ytreøy.

* Later joined M/S Kattegat - he's mentioned under the heading "Picked up by U-boat" in my text under Kattegat on the page "Norwegian Victims of Michel".
**Here's a Guestbook message from Leon Normann Lambrechts' granddaughter; see also this message.

Karl N. Lambrechts later joined the Navy's Special Services and made several trips back to Norway. In Jan.-1943 he was in Solund with M/B Gullborg (I assume this was the Gullborg I've linked to here) in order to find anchorages for the MTB's from Shetland, and at the same time he went home to pick up the rest of his family; his wife Petrine, sons Arne, Paul and Jon and his daughter Gudrun.

M/B Fiskaren (M 25 U)

Skipper: Gunnar Gauslå, Askim (see also G. C. Brøvig).

Departed Ulsteinvik on Sept. 29-1941 and arrived Lerwick on Oct. 3.

The following people came along:
Mandor Barsten, Mathias Sperre, Kolbjørn Bredesen, Magnus Øyen Florvåg, Arne Øystein Fossum, Rolf Sigurd Gjeldsten, Hildur Jacoba Heltne, Ingeborg Sofie Ingebrigtsen, Perry Herley Jensen, Leif Løseth, Ivar Moldvær, Johan Moldvær, Ågor Nerem, Ludvig Rinde, Ivar Røe, Johan Solvåg, Anny Stavik, Liv Sætre, Jørgen Alexander Søme, Ragnvald Gustav Tveit, Gunnar Ulvenes, Gunder Vinje, Peder Fritz Waage, and Christian Fredrik Fasting Aall.

M/B Fisken (H 135 F)

Left Sotra on Aug. 11-1941 with 5 people and arrived Lerwick on the 13th.

On board were:
Skipper Henrik Nikolai Sandtorv, Trygve Berven, Håkon Bjorøy, Johannes Svend Vaksdal and Tor Vik.

M/B Fiskergutten (M 88 H)

Departed Steinshamn on Apr. 20-1940 and arrived Lerwick the following day. A previous attempt to get to Shetland had been made by 5 young men at the end of March, but they experienced engine failure and bad weather. They eventually ran aground near Godøy and were towed back home. The owner had the engine repaired at Finnøy, before taking her to Lerwick himself.

These people were on board:
Skipper Ragnvald K. Fjørtoft, Brattvåg, Elias Brunvold, Ragnvald Knutsen Fjørtoft, Alf Olsen Harnes, Norvald Harneshaug, Ivar Raymar Harneshaugen, Nils Lorentz Huse, Jostein Husøy, Alf Haavik, Tolleif Misund, Alf Martin Sandnes, Johnny Elias Walle, and Inge Øvstedal.

M/B Flink (SF 248 A)

Left Bulandet in Askvoll on Aug. 8-1941 with 9 people, arriving Lerwick on the 10th.

On board were:
Skipper Alfred Strandenes, Harald Dahle, Albert Richard Hole, Johan Alfred Mathias Hope, Arthur Hovland, Modleif Hovland, Knut Kristiansen, Peder Sundal and Svein Voldvik.

M/S Flink (SF 7 S)

Departed Selje on May 16-1940 with 5 people, arriving Shetland 23 hours later.

These took part:
Jakob Bakke, Bernt and Meinart Eide (brothers), Meinart Hjertnes and Arthur Torheim. The oldest one among them was 22 years old, 3 of the boys were sons of the owners.

M/B Forsøk (M 52 S)

Departed Kvamsøy on May 11-1941 and arrived Thorshavn on May 14.

The following came along:
Karl Johan Bolstad, Kolbjørn Dagfinn Bolstad, Erling Karl Brekke, Edvin Carlsen, Harry Elias Karlsnes, Inge Karlsnes, Einar Johannesen Kvamme, Magne Kvamme, Oddmund Johan Andreasen Simones, John Volsnes Skåre, and Gudmund Vestnes.

M/B Forsøk (SF 32 G)

Departed Utvær in Solund on May 8-1941 with 11 people, arriving Lerwick on the 9th. One of those on board had been "kidnapped", suspected of being a nazi and an informer.

The others were:
Alf Bergsvik, Ola Nicolay Bergsvik, Gustav Olai Hauge Bjerknes, Olav Karlsen, Karsten Børhaug, Adolf Daae, Sverre Hogstad, Arne Harald Langeland, Jacob Lindø and Ivar Merkesdal.

M/B Forsøk (SF 79 SV)

Left Måløy on July 27-1942 and arrived Baltasund, Shetland after 25 hours.

On board were:
Skipper (and owner) Jeremias Støylen, his son Per Ivar Støylen (who was 8 years old and had hidden himself in the boat before they were about to depart and was allowed to come along), and Kristoffer Nore, the owner's brother-in-law who was a student at the university in Oslo and had gotten into trouble with the Nazis there.

M/B Fram (H 90 K)

This was a 24' motor boat with 3 people which headed into the Hardangerfjord to Melandsvågen, Bremnes on Apr. 27-1942 to pick up a 4th person, but as he did not show they continued westwards. However, due to bad fuel and oil, the motor stopped the following day, and though they were able to get it restarted that night it only ran for about 5-6 hours before it failed again. With misc. available equipment (like a blanket and other items for sails) they managed to keep going, aided by the motor in between, until they on May 1 were spotted by a British minesweeper and taken in tow to Scapa Flow after 5 days at sea.

On board were:
Anders Kirkhus, Jens Linga and Bjarne Skaale.

M/B Fred (H 136 H) - renamed Fri

Departed Blomvåg on Sept. 26-1941 with 11 people, arriving Lerwick on Oct. 4. Due to rough weather and a faulty compass they had to turn around en route and head back to the Norwegian coast (to Utvær in Solund). The boat was repaired and the compass corrected, more fuel was brought on board, the boat was painted and renamed Fri, and 6 days later they made an another attempt, arriving a spot near Lerwick, where the boat stranded.

These came along:
Fredrik N. Båtvik, John L. Fredriksen, Anton M. Harkestad, Bjarne Kr. M. Harkestad, Elias M. Harkestad, Karl B. Harkestad, Nils A. E. K. Harkestad, Paul Harkestad, Vilhelm Joh. K. Harkestad, Hellemann Herdlevær and Olai E. Steffensen.

Elias Harkestad joined the merchant marines, became ill and died at a hospital in the U.S. on March 18-1945 (ship not named). See "Norwegian War Graves - Saranac Lake on my Memorials page. His brother Anton joined the navy, died in England on Apr. 7-1944. Paul Harkestad may be identical to the Paul Harkestad who was killed when D/S Victo was sunk. Additionally, Nils A. E. K. Harkestad was killed when Sneland I was sunk on May 7-1945, listed as Nils A Konradsen in my crew list (his father's name was Konrad, hence the Konradsen). Vilhelm Harkestad may be identical to the able seaman by that name who survived the sinking of Ruth I in 1944?

"(Våre falne" - ref. My sources).

M/B Fremad II (SF 94 SU)

63 feet.

Left Solund on Oct. 5-1941 with 10 people, arriving the north point of Shetland the following day.

These came along:
Skipper Sverre Trulsen Pollen (son of one of the two owners), Trygve Brandanger, Magnus Mathisen, Håkon Nesøy, Arne Ytreøy Nordanger, Leif Nikolai Monssen Pollen, Severin Trulsen Pollen (brother of the skipper), Johan Sognnes, Trygve Sognnes, and a fellow by the last name of Sørnes from Joa, Stavanger.

M/B Fri (M 19 G)

Departed Valderøy on Oct. 15-1940, picked up by a British trawler and taken to Thorshavn.

The following also came along:
Skipper (and owner) Knut J. Skjong from Valderøy, Karsten Devold, Rolf Eriksen, and Kåre Grøntvedt, all in their early twenties.

M/B Fri (M 21 G)

Departed Godøy on Oct. 23-1941 and arrived Lerwick on the 26th, having stopped by Fetlar, north Shetland.

On board were:
Harald Dyb, Johan Ragnvald Godø, Leif Ragnar Godøy, Ludvig Luna Jakobsen, Gunnar Jyssum, Peder Severinsen, Ole Strandkleiv, Kåre Støbakkvik, Andreas Peter Tunheim, and Harald Wiese.

M/B Fri

Open boat of 22'. Departed Søgne on Sept. 26-1941 with 5 people, arriving Sunderland on Oct. 6 after a harrowing journey. On the Doggger Banks they encountered bad weather and 2 men were washed overboard by the heavy seas, but they were pulled back aboard again. The boat was bailed, but later the motor failed so they raised a small sail. On Oct. 5 they were spotted by an allied aircraft which dropped emergency supplies down to them, and the following day they kept drifting westwards with the wind and current until they were picked up by a patrolboat which took them to Sunderland. By then they were all in a bad condition, especially from lack of water.

More will be added about this journey.

These made the journey:
Skipper Waldemar Lund (later joined O. A. Knudsen, see text under the heading "Interview with a Survivor" on that page), Einar Kristiansen, David Skråvik, Håkon Stenmo and Frank Åvik.

M/B Frimann (SF 85 SV)

Left Måløy on Febr. 16-1941 with 8 people, arriving Lerwick on Febr. 17, having encountered a full storm on the crossing.

These came along:
Skipper Roald Tennebø, Odd Hunvik, Ottar Johnsen, Emil Madsen, Erik Stokke, Birger Sumstad, Magnus Sørvik, and Einar Vedvik.

Fritjof Wiese

This was a rescue vessel which was en route from Risør to Tromsø in order to enter German service together with other rescue vessels, but was stopped on the southern coast of Norway by people who felt the German order should not be followed, and shortly afterwards, on Oct. 23-1944 she headed out with 5 people, arriving Lerwick the next day.

On board were:
Skipper Ingvald Farstavoll, Johannes Eike, Harald Evensen, Gunvald Garvik and Arthur Sundøy.