Manager: Nortraship
Tonnage: 7247 gt

Delivered in May-1945 from Todd Houston Shipbuilding Co., Houston as Alfred L Baxley (204) to US War Shipping Administration, Houston (Liberty Ship). "Våre gamle skip" gives tonnages as 7542 gt, 3377 net, 10 731 tdwt, 441.5' x 57' x 34.9', Triple exp. 2500 ihp (Houston Hendy Iron Works). On bareboat charter to Nortraship with the name Lektor Garbo, taken over in Houston on March 7-1945.

She was 1 of 5 ships that were taken over by Nortraship from American shipyards in 1945. The others were T/T Finnmark, D/S Carl Oftedal, T/T Honningsvaag and T/T Hammerfest (all discussed on this website; see the Master Ship Index).

Some Voyages:

Following delivery in Houston, Lektor Garbo sailed to New York, then joined Convoy HX 347, which left New York for the U.K. on March 29-1945. She carried explosives and gliders, and had station 62. This convoy is not included among the HX convoys listed on my own site, but I've linked directly to it at the end of this page. The Norwegian Brasil, Buenos Aires, Dalfonn, Fenris, Marit II, Roald Amundsen, Sophocles, Sverre Helmersen and Thorsholm are also listed, as is the Panamanian Norlys, which had Norwegian managers and is, therefore, listed under the N's on this website.

Lektor Garbo headed back to New York at the end of the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 299, which departed Southend on Apr. 26-1945 and arrived New York on May 13; in other words, VE Day was celebrated while at sea. This convoy will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section in due course; in the meantime, the ships sailing in it are named on this page. As can be seen, Buenos Aires and Sophocles were again in company, as were Fagerfjell, Glarona, and Kaldfonn. (For more information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here, please see the Master Ship Index, which I've linked to above).

On her return voyage to the U.K. no convoy was necessary; she left New York again on May 29-1945, arriving Downs on June 10, subsequently proceeding to Antwerp the next day. From there she sailed to New York and Baltimore (June/July), back to Antwerp (arrived Aug. 5), again to New York and Baltimore, on to St. Nazaire (Sept.-1945), then back to Antwerp again, with arrival Oct. 14, and from there to New York, where she arrived Nov. 17-1945.

POST WAR:

Purchased by A/S Theologos (Nils Røgenæs), Haugesund in Sept. (Oct.?)-1946 and renamed N. O. Røgenæs in 1947. In worldwide tramping. Sold in Febr.-1960 and renamed Kalu, Namdal Shipping & Trading Co. (Carl Aune & Cia. Lda., Rio de Janeiro), Liberian flag. To Companhia Nav. e Comercio Pan-American, Rio de Janeiro 1961, Brazilian flag. Broken up in Brazil Apr.-1973.

Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Alphabetical list. Alfred L. Baxley is listed on this page.

Misc. convoys - By clicking on "Ship Search", using "Lektor Garbo" as keywords, some convoys will appear. Here is HX 347, mentioned above.