M/S Bernhard
Updated March 29-2011

To Bernhard on the "Ships starting with B" page.

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

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

It'll be noticed, when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, that Bernhard spent a long time in New York, where she had arrived from Sagua on June 6-1940. Departure is given as Oct. 7, when she proceeded to Halifax, with arrival Oct. 12 - the reason for this long stay is unknown. As can be seen, she also spent a long time in Halifax. With a cargo of steel and trucks for Ardrossan, she was scheduled for Convoy HX 80 from there on Oct. 12, but did not sail. On Nov. 11, she sailed to Sydney, C.B. where she arrived Nov. 13 and was scheduled for the slow Convoy SC 12, which left Sydney, C.B. that same day, but again cancelled. She finally got away with Convoy SC 13 on Nov. 22, and rescued 16 shipwrecked men from Lisieux on November 28. This convoy had encountered bad weather 200 n. miles east of New Foundland. Bernhard had heard the distress signals from the ship and went out of the convoy to search for them. The men in the lifeboats, 15 in one and 1 in the other, had left their ship in such a hurry they were barely dressed, and wouldn't have lasted much longer in the storm and terrible cold. Bernhard turned back and landed the survivors at St. John's, N.F. on Dec. 1.

The Greek ships Eugena Cambanis and Kolchis also foundered in this storm, with the latter losing 23 men. "Nortraships flåte" says Lisieux was French and had lost 10 men, while Arnold Hague says she was British, and states there were no casualties from this ship. She had foundered on Nov. 27, while the Greek ships foundered on the 28th and 23rd respectively.

After having landed the survivors at St. John's, Bernhard left again the following day for Sydney, C. B. with arrival Dec. 6, and was now scheduled for Convoy SC 15 on Dec. 8, but did not join. She left Sydney again on the 10th for Halifax, arriving on Dec. 12 with a cracked cylinder head. This was presumably repaired there, because she did not leave again until Jan. 22-1941 with Convoy SC 20, but returned to Halifax with a sick seaman on Febr. 3, as well as damage to davits, deck rail and degaussing gear. She's said to have joined Convoy SC 22 (Febr. 8), only to return to port, but note that she's not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram for this convoy. She left Halifax for Ardrossan in Convoy SC 24 on Febr. 28, but again put back to Halifax for repairs to engines and dynamo on March 1. She was scheduled for SC 26 on March 20 (Helle was sunk; follow links for details), but did not get away until Apr. 9, when she left Halifax for Ardrossan with Convoy SC 28, but returned to port, arriving Halifax on May 4. There's a note in the report for SC 28 saying that she hoisted "Not Under Control" balls, but hauled them down and appeared to be coming up well (date given as Apr. 18). However, she disappeared during the night. She's said to have been scheduled for SC 29 on Apr. 19, but she's not mentioned in the original documents for that convoy.

Following repairs to engines and steering gear, she departed Halifax again on May 19, arriving New York on the 23rd, where cargo was discharged and where she was dry docked for a complete overhaul (A. Hague says her cargo had been unloaded at Halifax). Having been repaired, she finally left New York on Aug. 31 for Sydney, C.B, arriving there on Sept. 5, joining Convoy SC 43* that same day, arriving Ardrossan on Sept. 20 (Page 1). Astrell, Atle Jarl, Bonde (returned), Bjørkhaug, Erica, Fjord, Fjordheim, Galatea, Ingerfem, Solstad, Torfinn Jarl and Vigsnes are also listed. With Bello, Daghild, Gefion, Helgøy, James Hawson, Kollbjørg, Lise, Nueva Granada, Orwell, Slemmestad, Solstad, Thorsholm and Vivi, Bernhard subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 22*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 2, Bernhard arriving Galveston independently on Oct. 27 after having straggled from the convoy on Oct. 12 (according to A. Hague). Eglantine is named among the escorts (see ON convoy escorts). Bernhard headed back to the U.K. on Nov. 16 with Convoy SC 55 from Sydney, C.B., cargo of sulphur for Glasgow, where she arrived Dec. 5.

At the beginning of 1942, she took station 101 of Convoy OS 16, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 5 and arrived Freetown on the 23rd, but Bernhard had detached on the 13th and arrived Tampa on Febr. 3. See the external link provided in the table above; Brønnøy, Kattegat, L. A. Christensen, Rio Branco and Slemmestad are also listed, as is the Panamanian Norvinn, which had Norwegian managers and is, therefore, included under the N's on this website. Bernhard was later scheduled for Convoy SC 71 from Halifax on Febr. 22, but instead joined Convoy SC 77 on March 30 (having been in Halifax since Febr. 19 - again, see Page 1), cargo of phosphates for Tyne, station 42. It'll be noticed, when going to Page 2, that she later had a long stay at Tyne.

That summer she shows up, together with Ada, Boreas, Grey County, Inger Elisabeth, Ingerfire, Norse King, Para, Rena, Rio Branco, Solitaire, Trolla and Vest, in the westbound Convoy ON 102*, which originated in Liverpool on June 9-1942 and arrived Halifax on the 25th, Bernhard proceeding to her destination New York, where she arrived on June 28. Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 2, with convoy information in the Voyage Record.

With destination Newport, she was scheduled for Convoy HX 208 from New York on Sept. 17-1942, but did not sail. Arnold Hague has instead included her in the slow Convoy SC 104*, which departed New York on Oct. 3, and in which Fagersten and Senta and several others were sunk - follow the links for details. Other Norwegian ships in SC 104, which had Acanthus, Eglantine, Potentilla and Montbretia among the escorts, were Bonde (returned), Boreas, Garnes, Gudvor, Inger Lise, Ingerfem, Lido, Nea, Suderøy and Vinga. Note that my page about Potentilla has an account on the battle for SC 104. Bernhard arrived Newport (via Belfast Lough and Barry Roads) on Oct. 24, later proceeding to Cardiff, where she also had a long stay (Page 2). Christmas that year was celebrated while in the westbound Convoy ON 150*, which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 1 and arrived New York on the 25th. The archive document mentioned above gives Bernhard's arrival New York as Dec. 27 and she had started out from Milford Haven on Nov. 30. She had again been in the company of other Norwegian ships, namely Carrier, Rio Branco, Sirehei and Snar.

With a cargo of bauxite for Newport, she was scheduled for the slow New York-U.K. Convoy SC 121 on Febr. 23-1943, but did not sail. This is the convoy in which the Commodore Vessel Bonneville and several others were sunk; follow the links for more info (see also Analysis of attacks). As will be seen when going back to Page 2, Bernhard spent quite a long time in New York, where she had arrived from Trinidad on Febr. 21. Departure is given as March 24, when she proceeded to Boston, later to Halifax in order to join Convoy SC 126 from there on Apr. 8. She arrived Loch Ewe on Apr. 23, continuing to Dundee that same day.

It'll be noticed, when going to Page 3 of the archive documents, that she also spent a long time in Grangemouth that year. She had arrived there from Leith on May 18 and did not leave again until Sept. 7, when she went back to Leith. Later that month we find her, together with Acasta, Astrid, Hiram, Norse Lady, Novasli, Rena (Commodore Vessel) and Titanian, in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ONS 19*, originating in Liverpool on Sept. 26, arriving Halifax on Oct. 14. Bernhard joined from Clyde and was bound for New York, where she arrived on Oct. 17, remaining there until Dec. 13.

Page 3 shows another long stay in New York at the beginning of 1944. With a cargo of sugar for London, she later sailed in Convoy SC 154, which departed Halifax on Febr. 28 and arrived Liverpool on March 15; Bernhard stopped at Loch Ewe, before continuing to London. The following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 231* along with Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Heranger, Høyanger, Idefjord, Kong Haakon VII, Nordanger, President de Vogue, Skaraas, Solstad, Spinanger, Thorsholm, Vav and Østhav. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Apr. 7 and arrived New York on the 24th (Bernhard joined from Loch Ewe and subsequently remained in New York for about a month). On July 17 we find her in the large Convoy HX 300 from New York, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of sugar, arriving Aug. 3. She returned across the Atlantic about a month later with Convoy ON 251*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 1. Bernhard's destination is given as Sydney, C.B. and she had station 151 of this convoy, which also included the Norwegian Elg, Evanger, Ferncliff (returned), 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). According to A. Hague, Bernhard had 19 passengers on board on this voyage; she arrived Sydney, C.B. on Sept. 15.

She was scheduled to go back to the U.K. in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy SC 158, which originated in Halifax on Oct. 4, but instead joined the next convoy on Oct. 19, SC 159, cargo of pulp for London (Page 3). She can later be found in the westbound Convoy ONS 37*, together with Arosa, Norse Lady and Toledo. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Nov. 28 and arrived Halifax on Dec. 21. Bernhard sailed from Loch Ewe on Nov. 29 and her destination is given as New York, station 35. As can be seen in her Voyage Record, and on Page 4, she made a stop in Baltimore for a few weeks first, then arrived New York on Jan. 22-1945.

A little over a week later she shows up, with a cargo of corn for Hull, in the slow Convoy SC 166, departing Halifax on Jan. 31-1945. She arrived Hull, via Loch Ewe and Methil, on Febr. 20. In March she's listed in the westbound Convoy ONS 44*, which left Liverpool on March 12 and arrived Halifax on the 31st, and included the Norwegian Mui Hock, Orwell and Stirlingville (Commodore Vessel). Bernhard joined this convoy from Belfast Lough and arrived New York on Apr. 8, according to Page 4 (again remaining there for several weeks).

She subsequently made some voyages to Puerto Rico, and in the fall of 1945 she could finally go home to Norway. See also Page 5.

Back to Bernhard on the "Ships starting with B" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, E-mail from Tony Cooper, England re some of the ship's movements following the rescue of survivors, probably from Bernhard's movement card - and misc. other.