D/S Nesttun
Updated July 15-2010

To Nesttun on the "Ships starting with N" page.


Source: Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
Another picture is available on this external page (click in the thumbnail).

There's a message with regard to this ship in my Guestbook, saying the following (there's no year mentioned, possibly 1939? It's an abstract from the Cromer Lifeboat records):

"The No. 1 Life-boat was launched at 11.12 am., on the 16th of November and proceeded towards the casualty reported by Haisborough Light Vessel. (Wireless communication was installed with the Light Vessel). She arrived around 12.55 p.m. and found the S.S. 'Nesttun' flying distress signals and aground. The Coxswain went on board and offered assistance to the Captain, which he accepted. Two Tugs were sent for from Yarmouth, and on arrival were connected by the Life-boat, but failed to re-float the Vessel at first tide. The Life-boat continued to stand-by, and two more tugs arrived during the night, and were also connected by the Life-boat. Further attempts to re-float the Vessel on the morning tide were unsuccessful. At 6.45 p.m., on the 17th the Vessel was re-floated and was towed by the Tugs round Haisborough Light Vessel. At the Captains request the Life-boat transferred 6 Salvage men from the Vessel to the German Tug 'Simson'. The time was then about 9.30 p.m. The wind had freshened considerably from W.N.W., but the Coxswain decided that it was best to try to return back to his Station. When off Mundesley he tried to establish wireless communication with Cromer Coastguard for instructions, but was unsuccessful. The Life-boat at the Slipway about mid-night, but found conditions too bad for re-housing. He decided to wait for low water, but at 2.30 am., further waiting being useless, he started for Wells, his petrol supply being low. At 3 a.m. he met the full force of the gale, and knowing that it would be difficult to make Wells Harbour, he turned back towards Gorleston. The Mechanic ran the engines at half speed to save petrol, and the Life-boat reached Gorleston Harbour at 8 am. with only 3 gallons of petrol left in the tanks. Just before day-break, on arrival at Gorleston, the whole of the Crew, many of them, including the Mechanic, having been wet through for nearly two days, returned to Cromer for change of clothing and rest."

The poster of this message is looking for more details about the captain and crew, so if anyone can help, please contact me at the e-mail address provided at the bottom of this page. (I've suggested he contact the Norwegian Maritime Museum and/or the National Archives. The addresses can be found towards the end of the main page of my ship lists).

Nesttun's captain for a while (from Sept.-1942) was Einar Apeland (see Kongshaug).

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.

Errors may exist, and several voyages are missing.

Nesttun is listed as sailing in Convoy HN 17 from Norway to the U.K. in March-1940, bound for London with pulp. Judging from the information found on Page 1 of the archive documents, it looks like the intention was to head back to Norway the followig month, but she was detained at Methil Roads, the Germans having invaded Norway on Apr. 9. In May, she made a voyage to France, and that summer we find her, together with Havtor and Måkefjell, in Convoy OA 186, which left Methil on July 18 and dispersed on the 21st. Her destination is given as Sydney, C.B., where she arrived on Aug. 3. Having made a voyage to Pugwash, she returned to Sydney, C.B. in order to join the slow Convoy SC 2 on Aug. 25, in which the Norwegian Gro and others were sunk - follow the links for more details. Nesttun had a cargo of lumber for Swansea, arriving there (via Barrow) on Sept. 15. The following month she appears among the ships in Convoy OB 224, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 5 and dispersed on the 12th. Corvus, Inger, Notos and Salonica are also listed in this convoy - see also Touraine. Nesttun's destination on that occasion was St. John, N.B., where she arrived, via Halifax, on Oct. 29. (OA 186 and OB 224 are available via the external links provided in the Voyage Record). She now made a voyage to Digby, N.S., before returning to Sydney, C.B., joining Convoy SC 12 from there on Nov. 13, cargo of pit props for Sunderland.

In Jan.-1941 she's listed, along with Brisk, Egda, Facto, Hallanger and Senta, in Convoy OB 268, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 1 and dispersed on the 4th, Nesttun arriving Halifax on Jan. 19 (she had started out from Milford Haven on Dec. 31-1940 - again, see Page 1). With a cargo of lumber for Wisbech, she headed back across the Atlantic on Febr. 8 with the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 22, and arrived Wisbech, via various other ports, on March 17, according to Page 2. With Brisk, Bruse Jarl, Marga, Marita, Polyana (sunk, follow link for details), Senta, Star and Torfinn Jarl, she's subsequently listed in Convoy OG 58*, a Gibraltar bound convoy originating in Liverpool on Apr. 6. Nesttun, however, was bound for Halifax so would have left this convoy at some point to proceed to that destination, where she arrived Apr. 22, having sailed from Oban on Apr. 7. From Halifax, she now made a voyage to Parrsboro, then returned to Halifax in order to join Convoy SC 31 on May 9 (see also Orders for Local & Ocean Escorts). She had a cargo of lumber for Milford Haven and Poole, arriving Milford Haven on May 31, Poole on June 3, via Falmouth and Dartmouth. In July we find her, together with Arosa, Evviva, Fanefjeld, Ferncourt (bombed, follow link for details), Grado, Henrik Ibsen, Idefjord, Måkefjell, Slemdal, Spurt, Star, Suderholm and Taborfjell, in Convoy OB 343, originating in Liverpool July 6, dispersed July 21 (link in table above). Her destination is again given as Halifax, where she arrived on July 23, having started out from Milford Haven.

A week later, she made a voyage to Montreal, then proceeded to Sydney, C.B., and Arnold Hague has now included her in Convoy SC 40*, departing Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 10-1941, arriving Liverpool on the 29th. Nesttun, however, stopped at Reykjavik on Aug. 25, later joining Convoy SC 41* from there, and arrived Belfast Lough on Sept. 11 (this convoy had originated in Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 24, Nesttun sailed from Reykjavik on Sept. 5). Both these convoys had several Norwegian ships, namely Brisk, Henrik Ibsen, Ingerfire, Novasli, Selvik, Spurt and Suderholm in SC 40, and Akabahra, Astra, Audun, Balduin, Blink, Carrier (returned), Einvik (sunk, follow lik for more info), Evviva, Fagersten, Fanefjeld, Grado, Gudrun, Heien, Hestmanden, Hildur I, Ledaal, Leka, Lom, Marga, Orania (returned), Reiaas, Siak and Spes in SC 41 - like Nesttun, some of them had joined from Iceland. This was her last Trans-Atlantic voyage, as will be seen when going to Page 2 through Page 13.

She took part in Operation Neptune in June-1944 (the maritime side of the invasion of Normandie), arriving with ammunition on June 13, according to J. R. Hegland's "Nortraships flåte". She was damaged at Omaha, probably by a mine, but was beached while the unloading of cargo continued. The damages were temporarily repaired before she went back to the U.K. on July 17. Page 11 has no voyages listed between Aug. 9-1944, when she's said to have arrived North Shields in tow, and March 9-1945, when she left for Plymouth - perhaps she was repairing all that time? According to A. Hague, she had also been towed to Southend the previous month by the American Trinidad Head which had been in the same convoy as Nesttun (FTC 45 - external link; Lysland is also listed).

The rest of her voyages (to Apr.-1946) are shown on Page 11 above, as well as on Page 12 and Page 13. It looks like she finally got to go home to Norway in Jan.-1946, but arrival there is not given.

Related external links:
Omaha Beachhead

Omaha Beach - includes several Maps

Back to Nesttun on the "Ships starting with N" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland and misc. - (ref. My sources).