M/S Norma
Updated Aug. 9-2010

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


Source: Scanned from a book about Akers mek. Verksted, 1931.

From Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
Another picture is available on this external page (click in the small thumbnail to enlarge).

Some Convoy Voyages:

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

As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Norma was en route from Buenos Aires for Oslo, Norway when war broke out there on Apr. 9-1940, but was diverted to Hull. She went to Dakar on Apr. 15, proceeding to Gibraltar on May 3, and on May 12 she headed to the U.K. in Convoy HGF 30, bound for Falmouth with general cargo, arriving there on May 19. The Norwegian Thorshavn is also included in this convoy. Norma left Falmouth again on May 21 and arrival Hull on the 24th.

According to a story found in "Krigsseileren" No. 1 for 1974, Norma also sailed in the convoy in which M/S Tudor was sunk in June-1940, namely Convoy HGF 34, along with Nina Borthen, John P. Pedersen and Kollskegg. However, as will be seen when following the link, Norma is not included in the convoy document; the only other Norwegian ship listed, in addition to those already mentioned, is Svein Jarl. Besides, when going back to the archive document, we see that Norma was still in the U.K. at that time.

Norma transported some of Norway's gold to the U.S.A. (my page about M/S Bomma has more information on this). She's listed in Convoy OB 175, originating in Liverpool on June 27-1940, dispersed June 30 - ref. external link provided in the Voyage Record. This may have been the voyage on which she transported the gold. Belita, Egda, Solstad, Sveve and Vestland are also listed in this convoy, as is Bra-Kar, which was also involved in the gold transport. Norma's destination is given as Montreal. From Page 1 we learn that she arrived Halifax on July 10 (having started out from Clyde June 27), later continuing to New York and Baltimore (she either did not go to Montreal, or the voyage might simply be missing from the record - as can be seen, A. Hague suggests that she may have made a voyage Halifax/Montreal/Halifax, before proceeding to New York). Her 1941 voyages also start on this document.

The external website that I've linked to at the end of this page has Norma (and the Norwegian Velma) in Convoy SL 72, which departed Freetown on Apr. 17-1941 and arrived Liverpool on May 13. However, I believe this is an error, as it does not agree with the information found on the archive document mentioned above, which says she sailed from Suez on Apr. 14 and arrived Busreh on the 27th, continuing from there to Table Bay on May 15. (It may be a mix-up with Norman Star, which Arnold Hague has included in this convoy; see link to his listing at the end of this page).

Skipping now to Jan.-1942, when A. Hague has included her, with a cargo of tea, iron and jute, in station 12 of Convoy SL 99, departing Freetown Jan. 27, arriving Liverpool Febr. 16; Norma arrived Oban on the 17th. Elg, Fana, San Andres and Vest (returned) are also named in this convoy. Together with Acasta and K. G. Meldahl, she's also listed in station 84 of Convoy OS 24, voyaging from Oban to Capetown with stores. This convoy departed Liverpool on Apr. 2 and had Freetown as its final destination, arriving there on the 22nd; Norma sailed from Oban Apr. 3 and arrived Table Bay (Capetown) May 3, having been detached from the convoy around Apr. 18, according to A. Hague. Her voyages in this period are shown on Page 2, convoy info for some of her subsequent voyages can be found in the table above. See also Page 3.

In July-1943, she's listed in Convoy SL 133/MKS 18, the SL section of which left Freetown on July 13, joined up with MKS 18 (from Gibraltar) on the 26th, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on Aug. 5; Norma stopped at Loch Ewe the day before, continuing to Dundee the next day. Her voyage information is given as Calcutta/Madras/Capetown for Loch Ewe, general cargo and 6 passengers, station 33 - again, see Page 3. More details on the combined convoy are available via the external link provided in the table above; the Norwegian Cypria and Star are also listed (Star joining with MKS 18 from Gibraltar). Norma subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 199*, which originated in Liverpool on Aug. 26 and arrived New York Sept. 9 and also included Cypria, Haakon Hauan (returned), Høyanger, Kaldfonn, Kronprinsessen, Molda, Solsten, Spinanger and Stiklestad. It now looks like Norma remained in New York for several weeks - see Page 3, which also shows some of her 1944 voyages.

In Febr.-1944 we find her in Convoy SL 148/MKS 39, cargo of chrome ore, copper and general, bound for Loch Ewe, where she arrived Febr. 23. SL 148 had departed Freetown on Febr. 1, joined up with the MKS convoy* from Gibraltar on the 12th, and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 24 (Norma arrived Loch Ewe the day before, then proceeded to London). Again, follow the external links in the Voyage Record for more details, Alaska, Mathilda, Norbryn and San Andres are also listed.

Norma was commodore ship in a convoy that had reached the Thames Estuary on March 9-1944 when a mine detonated close to her (this would have been while in Convoy FN 1291, in which she's listed - external link, incomplete listing). She started taking in water, and was taken in tow to Gravesend the next day. According to Page 3, she had initially left Gravesend for New York on March 8. Departure Gravesend (probably following repairs?) is given as May 13, and about a week later she's listed, along with Brimanger (Commodore Vessel), Emma Bakke, Ferncourt, Glarona, Herbrand, Laurits Swenson (Vice Commodore), Maud, Mosli, Norefjord, Noreg, Pan Scandia, Skaraas and Velma, in the westbound Convoy ON 237*, originating in Liverpool May 19 (Norma sailed from Loch Ewe that day), arriving New York June 3.

Having made a voyage to Macoris and back to New York, she headed back to the U.K. on July 17 in the largest convoy ever to cross the Atlantic, namely Convoy HX 300. She was bound for Liverpool with a cargo of sugar, and later returned to New York with Convoy ON 249*, departing Liverpool Aug. 18, arriving New York Sept. 2. She served as the Vice Commodore Vessel for this convoy, and had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Frontenac, Gylfe, Høyanger, Høegh Hood, Kaia Knudsen, Laurits Swenson, Lista, Maud, Minerva, Norden, Skaraas, Skiensfjord, Torborg and Velma. On Sept. 28, she joined Convoy HX 311, again bound for Liverpool with sugar, and together with Anna Knudsen, Dalfonn, Fosna, Skotaas, Somerville and Spinanger, she returned across the ocean with Convoy ON 262*, which left Southend on Oct. 24 and arrived New York Nov. 10. A few days later, she proceeded to Philadelphia, later to Hampton Roads, and from there she now made a voyage to Augusta - A. Hague's Voyage Record and Page 4 have info on her subsequent voyages.

Arnold Hague has also included her, along with Egda, Laurits Swenson (Commodore Vessel), Skaraas and Villanger, in Convoy HX 351*, departing New York on Apr. 18-1945, arriving Liverpool May 3; Norma stopped at Clyde that day. As will be seen when going back to Page 4 of the archive documents, she got to go home to Norway already in June-1945, making another voyage home that fall, and again in Dec.-1945, as well as in Febr.-1946 (see Page 5).

* The ON convoys 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 MKS convoys will also be added; see the section listing ships in all MKS convoys. Note also that the entire HX series will eventually be updated and completed, including the already existing convoys (some have already been updated), but for now, see ships in all HX convoys.

More details on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found via the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Renamed Norma County in 1959. Sold in 1960 to Kieler Howaldtswerke A/G, Kiel, converted to barge and used for storage and as accomodation vessel. Sold for breaking up in 1969 to Eckhardt & Co. GmbH, Hamburg, sold again to Spanish breakers. Arrived Santander in tow on Apr. 16 that same year.

Related external link:
SL convoys - As can be seen, Norma is listed among the ships in Convoy SL 72, but as mentioned above this was probably not Norma. Here is A. Hague's listing for SL 72, where Norman Star, not Norma, is listed.

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

Other ships by this name: Mowinkels later had another ship by this name, 5854 gt, launched at Helsingör on Febr. 28-1963, delivered as Norma on June 28 that same year. Purchased by Wilh. Wilhelmsen in March-1980 and renamed Tijuca (III). Sold to Uruguay in Dec.-1980, renamed Lucero del Mar. Broken up in 1987. Johan Chr. Gjertsen, Bergen, had also had a ship named Norma back in the 1880's, built in 1872 (originally Swedish), 285 gt, purchased by Johan Chr. Gjertsen, Bergen in Aug.-1879. Ran aground off Montrose, Scotland on March 9-1881. Another Norma was originally delivered as Swedish Bohus in 1874, purchased by Johan Chr. Gjertsen, Bergen in Dec.-1881 and renamed Norma. This ship disappeared at the end of 1882.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan, "Krigsseileren", Issue No. 1 for 1974, and misc. (ref. My sources).