D/S Norefjord - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1945:

(More will be added).

Norefjord is listed in Convoy OA 174, which departed Southend on June 25-1940 and dispersed 3 days later. Her destination is given as St. Francis, C.B. and she had station 45 of the convoy. The Norwegian San Andres is also included; see external links at the end of this page. According to Page 1 above, Norefjord arrived Guysboro, N.S. on July 8. Later that month we find her going in the other direction with the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 58, pulp wood for Barrow, where she arrived July 30, subsequently joining Convoy OB 199, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 16, dispersed on the 20th, Norefjord arriving Halifax Aug. 28. She headed back to the U.K. on Sept. 13 with Convoy HX 73 from Halifax, again bound for Barrow with pulp wood, arriving Sept. 29. She now shows up in Convoy OB 231, which left Liverpool on Oct. 19 and dispersed on the 23rd. Her destination is given as Halifax, where she arrived Nov. 1. Again, see the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this page for more information on the latter convoy; the Norwegian Idefjord, Rena and Skaraas are also listed. Norefjord is also mentioned in connection with Convoy HX 95 in Dec.-1940; she's crossed out from station 62 of that convoy, but joined the next convoy on Dec. 14, HX 96, bound for Hull with a cargo of grain.

In Jan.-1941 she's listed in Convoy OB 279, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 28, dispersed Febr. 2. Norefjord arrived Halifax on Febr. 13, having started out from Loch Ewe Jan. 30. She was scheduled to return with Convoy HX 111 on Febr. 23, but instead joined HX 112 on March 1, bound for Swansea with a cargo of grain in station 82 - see also Page 2. We now find her in Convoy OB 311, bound for Halifax, where she arrived May 2, having sailed from Milford Haven Apr. 16 (convoy originated in Liverpool Apr. 16, dispersed Apr. 25), returning to the U.K. in May with Convoy HX 127, again with a cargo of grain (it looks like she had been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 126, in which John P. Pedersen and several others were sunk - follow the links for much more information). In June she shows up, with destination Montreal, in Convoy OB 338, which left Liverpool on June 21, dispersed on July 3. Norefjord arrived her destination on July 8, having sailed from Loch Ewe June 23. Again, see the external links provided below for more convoy information.

According to Arnold Hague, she returned to the U.K. in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 141 at the end of July. Norefjord joined this convoy from Sydney, C.B., having left that port on July 28, and arrived Loch Ewe on Aug. 9, according to the archive document mentioned above. In Sept.-1941 we find her in station 83 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 14, bound for Galveston, with arrival there on Oct. 3. The Commodore's narrative is also available for this convoy. Towards the end of that month, she joined Convoy HX 156 from Halifax to the U.K., returning across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 42* (originated in Liverpool Dec. 1, dispersed on the 14th). Norefjord's destination is given as New York, where she arrived Dec. 21, having sailed from Loch Ewe on the 3rd.

Early in the new year Norefjord joined Convoy HX 169, which left Halifax on Jan. 8-1942. She's said to have collided with the Dutch Palembang in this convoy and had to return to port (this is confirmed by the information found on Page 3). She joined Convoy HX 175 the following month, but again returned, later joining Convoy HX 176, which left Halifax on Febr. 19. In March that year she's listed as bound for Halifax in the westbound Convoy ON 79*, which left Liverpool on March 23 and arrived Halifax on Apr. 7 (her arrival Halifax is given as Apr. 5 on the above mentioned archive document). She went back to the U.K. in May with Convoy HX 188, returning to the U.S. at the end of that month with Convoy ON 99, and arrived New York June 15. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 203 on Aug. 16-1942, but did not sail - according to Arnold Hague, she had arrived Halifax that same day with Convoy BX 33 (external link), but was involved in a collision at Halifax and beached. Her next departure date given on Page 3 of the archive documents is Nov. 21, when she left Halifax for Loch Ewe, arriving Dec. 6. With a cargo of grain for London, she had joined Convoy HX 216, which had originated in New York City on Nov. 19, however, she lost touch in a gale encountered on Nov. 25 and was later reported to be in Convoy SC 110 which had started out from New York on Nov. 17-1942 - available via the external link at the end of this page. She subsequently returned to the U.S. with the westbound Convoy ON 157, and arrived Halifax Jan. 12-1943 (she had joined from Loch Ewe).

In Febr.-1943 she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 226, which originated in New York on Febr. 8, but Norefjord again joined from Halifax, bound for Liverpool, cargo of flour. Early in Apr.-1943 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 177* (originated in Liverpool on Apr. 6, arrived New York on the 23rd). Her destination is given as New York, but according to Page 4, she arrived Halifax on Apr. 21, having sailed from Belfast Lough on the 7th. She subsequently went back to the U.K. again in May in Convoy HX 237, joining with the Halifax portion, bound for Avonmouth with grain and general, arriving there May 18 (the Norwegian Sandanger and Brand were sunk). At the beginning of June we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 187*, which departed Liverpool on June 1 and arrived New York on the 15th, however, Norefjord is said to have gone to Belfast Lough only (arrived June 5, having sailed from Milford Haven May 31; she had experienced engine trouble and became a straggler), later joining Convoy ON 190* from there, and arrived Halifax on July 6 - ON 190 had originated in Liverpool on June 24. She returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 249, which also originated in New York (July 23-1943), but Norefjord again joined from Halifax, and again her cargo is listed as grain, destination Avonmouth, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on Aug. 7.

The 1st external website that I've linked to at the end of this page has Norefjord in Convoy OS 54/KMS 25 later that month, voyaging from Milford to Freetown with a cargo of coal in station 114. This convoy left Liverpool Aug. 27-1943 and split up Sept. 8, with the KMS portion* arriving Gibraltar on Sept. 10, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown, where it arrived Sept. 17; the archive document mentioned above gives her arrival as Sept. 18. The same website has her returning to the U.K. with Convoy SL 138/MKS 28 in Oct.-1943, in which the Norwegian Hallfried was sunk. Norefjord was on a voyage from Freetown to Mersey, cargo of groundnuts. SL 138 left Freetown on Oct. 13, joined up with MKS 28 from Gibraltar on the 24th, and arrived Liverpool Nov. 5. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Kristianiafjord and Lisbeth. (The Gibraltar portion is also available on my own site at MKS 28, which also adds the Norwegian Spurt). She later joined Convoy OS 60/KMS 34*, voyage Liverpool-Philippeville with vehicles and coal in station 83. This convoy departed Liverpool on Nov. 25-1943 and split up Dec. 7, the Gibraltar portion arriving there Dec. 9, the OS convoy arriving Freetown Dec. 18. Norefjord, in the KMS convoy, arrived her destination Philippeville on Dec. 12.

Arnold Hague has also included her in Convoy OS 62, which had started out from the U.K. on Dec. 15-1943 as the combined OS 62/KMS 37, split up on Jan. 2-1944, the KMS convoy* arriving Gibraltar on Jan. 3, while the OS convoy proceeded to Freetown, with arrival there on Jan. 11. Norefjord, however, was not present from the U.K.; she joined the OS convoy off Gibraltar and was bound for Dakar, where she arrived Jan. 8-1944. From Dakar, she later joined Convoy SL 147, which had started out from Freetown on Jan. 22 and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 13, having joined up with Convoy MKS 38* from Gibraltar on Febr. 2. Norefjord had sailed from Dakar on Jan. 25 and arrived Loch Ewe Febr. 12. In March she can be found in Convoy OS 71/KMS 45, on a voyage from Oban to Lisbon with coal in station 14. This convoy departed Liverpool on March 14, split up on the 25th, KMS 45* arriving Gibraltar on March 27, while the OS convoy arrived Freetown Apr. 4; Norefjord, in the KMS portion, had left Oban March 15 and arrived Lisbon on the 27th. Follow the link provided for further info on these convoys, they all had other Norwegian ships as well. The following month, Norefjord appears in Convoy MKS 46*, departing Gibraltar Apr. 22. This convoy joined up with the Freetown Convoy SL 155 the next day before proceeding to the U.K., arriving Liverpool on May 3; Norefjord stopped at Loch Ewe that day.

Later that month we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 237*, leaving Liverpool on May 19-1944, arriving New York on June 3. Norefjord arrived Baltimore June 5, having left Loch Ewe May 19 - see Page 5. In Aug.-1944 she's listed in Convoy HX 304 from New York, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of sugar, returning across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 254*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 16 and arrived New York on Oct. 5 - her destination is given as Pugwash, N.S. on that occasion, and she arrived there on Oct. 6. She subsequently went back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 315, bound for Sharpness with a cargo of lumber, arriving Nov. 5, having joined this convoy from Sydney, C.B.

Going back to the external website already mentioned, she's listed in Convoy OS 98/KMS 72*, voyage Milford-Freetown with coal in station 101. This convoy left Liverpool on Dec. 13-1944 and dispersed on the 17th, Norefjord arriving Freetown on the 29th.

In Febr.-1945 she's listed in Convoy MKS 81*, departing Gibraltar Febr. 5, arriving Liverpool on the 13th. In March we find her in Convoy KMS 91*, which arrived Gibraltar on March 26, having started out from the U.K. as the combined Convoy OS 117/KMS 91 on March 17. Norefjord's destination is given as Cette (or Sette); according to Page 5 of the archive docs, she arrived Oran on March 27, proceeding to Marseilles that same day, with arrival March 31, returning to Gibraltar the following month. She also made a voyage to Freetown and Takoradi, then headed back to Gibraltar, with arrival May 21. She now appears in Convoy MKS 103*, which sailed from Gibraltar on May 25 and arrived Liverpool June 1 - Norefjord arrived Hull on June 3 - again, see Page 5, as well as Page 6. The latter page also tells us that she went home to Norway in Oct.-1945.

* All the ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. The KMS and MKS convoys will also be added; for now, they are available in the section listing ships in all KMS convoys, and ships in all MKS convoys. (As will be seen, Norefjord appears in KMS 34, KMS 45 and KMS 91, and MKS 46, MKS 81 and MKS 103).

POST WAR:

Sold in 1949 to F. N. Nordbø A/S, Haugesund and renamed Ryvarden. Later registered owners A/S Ryvarden (F. N. Nordbø, manager). Laid up at Haugesund in 1953, and later that year sold to Rolf Wigands Rederi, Bergen. Sold in 1955 to Halvorsen Shipping Co. A/S, Bergen. Sold in 1958 to Pan Norse Steamship Co. S.A., Panama and renamed Norse Lady. On Aug. 14-1958 she ran aground near Parigi, Celebes. Seized on Aug. 16 by Indonesian rebels, who got her afloat and took her to Belang, where she was beached. Sighted by the Indonesian Navy on the 18th. Set on fire by shelling on the 22nd and totally burnt out. The wreck was sold in March-1966 to Hong Kong buyers, then sold on to Taiwan shipbreakers for scrapping, arriving at Kaohsiung that same month.