Manager: Alfred I. Thommesen, Arendal
Tonnage: 759 (799?) gt
Built by Hausweert, N.V.W. Zeeland in 1918. Previous name from 1925 Sortland (Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab), sold to Arendal in 1939 and renamed Royal.
This external page provides further information, saying that she was delivered in Jan.-1918 as Falkaas to D/S Vest Norge (H. Schnitler), Kristiansund. Owned from Febr.-1918 by N.V. Scheepsvaart Maatschappi Hollandia, Rotterdam, renamed Hollandia II. From Apr.-1923, sailed as Ferm for Skibs A/S Varild (Jakhelln & Prebensen A/S), Kristiania. From Febr.-1925, Alexander Prebensens D/S (Jakhelln & Prebensen A/S), Oslo, no name change. Owned by Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab, Stokmarknes from May-1925, renamed Sortland, then as Royal for Skibs A/S Royal (Alfred I. Thommesen), Arendal from Aug.-1939.
Captain: Harald Skaugen.
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 | Page 14
Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
Voyage Record
From March-1940 to Apr.-1945:
|
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).
Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each (it'll be noticed, that some of the listings are incomplete).
Errors may exist (this could also mean that she may not have sailed in all the convoys mentioned here, even though she's listed in them - where the "Convoy" column is left blank, it means that convoy is not known). Also, as can be seen, this record is incomplete.
| 1940 |
March 7 |
Norwegian Waters |
Methil |
March 10 |
HN 17 |
– |
| |
March 19 |
Methil |
Norwegian Waters |
March 23 |
ON 21 |
– |
| |
Apr. 4 |
Norwegian Waters |
Methil |
Apr. 7 |
HN 24 |
Missing voyages, Page 1 |
| |
Dec. 3 |
Clyde |
Methil |
Dec. 8 |
WN 49 |
Compare w/Page 1.
Convoy available at WN convoys
(external link) |
| |
Dec. 13 |
Clyde |
Methil |
Dec. 17 |
WN 53 |
Page 1 gives arrival Dundee, Dec. 17
(also, missing movements).
Convoy available at link above |
| 1941 |
Sept. 22 |
Southend |
Methil |
Sept. 24 |
EC 76 |
Earlier 1941 movements:
Page 1 & Page 2
Convoy available at EC convoys
(external link)
Arrived Leith Sept. 25.
Missing movements:
Page 2 above & Page 3 |
| ? |
Oct. 19 |
Southend |
Methil |
Oct. 21 |
EC 88 |
Compare w/Page 3
(also, missing movements).
Convoy available at link above |
| |
Dec. 18 |
Methil |
Inverness |
Dec. 21 |
EN 21 |
Convoy available at EN convoys
(external link)
Again, see also Page 3. |
| 1942 |
Aug. 7 |
Methil |
Holyhead |
Aug. 9* |
EN 121 |
Earlier 1942 movements:
Page 3 & Page 4
Convoy available at link above.
*Page 5 gives arrival Holyhead Aug. 14, via Ardrossan. |
|
Aug. 14 |
Holyhead |
Cardiff* |
Aug. 16 |
BB 209 |
*Arrived Swansea
(Page 5).
Convoy available at BB convoys
(external link)
Missing 1942 movements:
Page 5 & Page 6 |
| |
Her 1943 voyages also start on Page 6 and continue on Page 7, Page 8 and Page 9. |
| 1944 |
June 5 |
Barry |
Seine Bay |
– |
EBC 2Y |
Earlier 1944 movements:
Page 9 above & Page 10
Convoy available at EBC convoys
(external link) |
|
Most of these 1944 voyages are not detailed on the archive documents and, therefore, comparison cannot be made and accuracy confirmed. |
| |
June 24 |
Solent |
Seine Bay |
June 25 |
EBC 20 |
Convoy available at link above |
| |
June 28 |
Seine Bay |
Solent |
June 29 |
FBC 12 |
Convoy available at FBC convoys
(external link) |
| |
July 1 |
Barry |
Seine Bay |
July 3 |
EBC 28 |
Convoy available at EBC convoys
(external link) |
| ? |
July 9 |
Barry |
Seine Bay |
July 11 |
EBC 36 |
Convoy available at link above
(Page 10 gives departure Southampton, July 11). |
| |
July 15 |
Seine Bay |
Southampton |
July 16 |
FBC 28 |
Convoy available at FBC convoys
(external link) |
| |
July 28 |
Barry |
Seine Bay |
July 30 |
EBC 55 |
Convoy available at EBC convoys
(external link)
Page 10 gives departure Southampton, July 30. |
| |
Aug. 7 |
Seine Bay |
Southampton |
Aug. 8 |
FBC 47 |
Convoy available at FBC convoys
(external link) |
| |
Aug. 12 |
Solent |
Seine Bay |
Aug. 12 |
EBC 68 |
Convoy available at EBC convoys
(external link) |
| |
Aug. 17 |
Seine Bay |
Southampton |
Aug. 18 |
FBC 57 |
(Again, compare w/Page 10).
Convoy available at FBC convoys
(external link) |
| |
Aug. 25 |
Solent |
Seine Bay |
Aug. 25 |
EBC 81 |
Convoy available at EBC convoys
(external link) |
| |
Aug. 31 |
Seine Bay |
Southampton |
Sept. 1 |
FBC 69 |
Convoy available at FBC convoys
(external link) |
| |
Sept. 10 |
Solent |
Seine Bay |
Sept. 10 |
EBC 97 |
Convoy available at EBC convoys
(external link)
Missing movements:
Page 10 & Page 11 |
| |
Nov. 9 |
Plymouth |
St Malo |
Nov. 10 |
COC 4 |
Convoy available via this page
(external link) |
| |
Nov. 14 |
Granville |
Plymouth |
Nov. 15 |
Escorted |
Page 11 gives arrival Nov. 17
(also, missing movements) |
| |
Nov. 24 |
Plymouth |
Granville |
Nov. 26 |
COC 11 |
Convoy available via link above |
| |
Dec. 3 |
Granville |
Falmouth |
Dec. 4 |
Escorted |
– |
| |
Dec. 4 |
Falmouth |
Mumbles |
Dec. 5 |
EBF 55 |
Convoy available via link above.
Missing movements, Page 11 |
| |
Dec. 10 |
Plymouth |
Granville |
Dec. 12 |
COC 19 |
Convoy available via link above |
| |
Dec. 14 |
Granville |
Falmouth |
Dec. 15 |
Escorted |
Missing 1944 movements, Page 11 |
| 1945 |
Jan. 1 |
Plymouth |
Granville |
Jan. 2 |
COC 37 |
Convoy available via link above |
| |
Jan. 5 |
Cancale Roads |
Falmouth |
Jan. 6 |
– |
– |
| |
Jan. 7 |
Falmouth |
Cardiff |
Jan. 8 |
TBC 29 |
Convoy available at TBC convoys
(external link) |
| ? |
Jan. 12 |
Milford Haven |
Southend |
Jan. 15 |
BTC 36 |
Compare w/Page 11.
Convoy available at BTC convoys
(external link) |
| |
Jan. 14 |
Plymouth |
Granville |
Jan. 15 |
COC 50 |
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Left Granville Jan. 19
(Page 11) |
| |
Jan. 21 |
Cancale Roads |
Barry |
Jan. 23 |
TBC 44 |
A. Hague says:
Joined off Lizard.
Convoy available at TBC convoys
(external link)
Left Barry Jan. 31
(Page 11) |
| |
Febr. 2 |
Plymouth |
Granville |
Febr. 3 |
COC 68 |
Had arrived Plymouth, Febr. 1
(Page 12).
Convoy available via this page
(external link) |
| |
Febr. 6 |
Cancale Roads |
Milford Haven |
Febr. 8 |
TBC 60 |
A. Hague says:
Joined off Lizard.
Convoy available at TBC convoys
(external link)
Page 12 gives arrival Port Talbot
(also, missing movements) |
| |
Febr. 13 |
Plymouth |
Granville |
Febr. 14 |
COC 78 |
Convoy available via this page
(external link) |
| |
Febr. 16 |
Cancale Roads |
Falmouth |
Febr. 17 |
– |
– |
| |
Febr. 19 |
Falmouth |
Cardiff |
Febr. 20 |
TBC 71 |
Convoy available at TBC convoys
(external link)
Missing movements, Page 12 |
| |
March 20 |
Plymouth |
Granville |
March 20 |
COC 110 |
Convoy available via this page
(external link) |
| |
March 24 |
St Malo |
Mumbles |
March 26 |
– |
Again, see also Page 12
(missing movements) |
| |
Apr. 11 |
Granville |
Falmouth |
Apr. 12 |
– |
– |
| |
Apr. 12 |
Falmouth |
Newport |
Apr. 13 |
TBC 124 |
Convoy available at TBC convoys
(external link)
Left Newport, Apr. 17
(Page 12). |
| |
Apr. 21 |
Falmouth |
Granville |
Apr. 22 |
COC 142 |
Convoy available via this page
(external link) |
| |
Apr. 25 |
Cancale Roads |
Falmouth |
Apr. 26 |
– |
Compare w/Page 12 |
| |
Apr. 26 |
Southend(?) |
Port Talbot |
Apr. 27 |
TBC 138 |
Convoy available at TBC convoys
(external link)
Subsequent voyages:
Page 12, Page 13 & Page 14 |
With a cargo of paper pulp for Granton, Royal is listed in the original Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy HN 17 from Norway to the U.K. early in March-1940, returning to Norway later that month with Convoy ON 21, according to A. Hague (see also Svinta, Erling Lindøe and Tora Elise). The following month, she joined Convoy HN 24, which arrived Methil Roads from Norway on Apr. 7; in other words, she got out of Norway just before the Germans invaded (Apr. 9). Follow the links for more convoy details - several Norwegian ships took part.
Apart from a couple of voyages to France (see Page 1), she was subsequently in service around the U.K., manned mostly by Lithuanians and Estonians early in the war, except for the officers and 2 men who were Norwegian. As mentioned, when Norway was invaded on Apr. 9-1940, Royal was in a British port and the intention was to go to Gothenburg with coal, but this did not come to pass. She was requisitioned by the Navy and used for a while as "landing vessel", stationed in the Leith fjord, Scotland, where soldiers were trained in landing maneuvers.
It'll also be noticed, on the archive document referred to above, that she appears to have remained in Port Talbot for a long time in the summer of 1940, with another long stay at Gt. Yarmouth early the following year. Similar long stays in port are shown all through her record.
She later took part in the Normandy invasion, arriving with ammunition, food and 60 soldiers on June 6-1944, departing on June 17, according to "Nortraships flåte", then made numerous trips back and forth to Normandy (these voyages are not detailed on Page 10 of the archive documents).
Arrived Arendal with a cargo of coal at war's end (according to
Page 14, she went home to Norway in Febr.-1946). Her double decks, which had been removed when purchased in 1939, were re-installed at Pusnes Mek. Verksted, Tromøy, after she had been chartered to a Danish company for use as horse transport Denmark-Poland. After being in this service for about a year, carrying around 200 horses each trip, she made a few voyages transporting cows from Denmark to Leningrad, before being sold to Sweden in 1949(?). Ran aground near Trelleborg shortly afterwards.
This external page says she was owned from Febr.-1947 by Rederi A/B Egon (E. Stjerna), Malmø, Sweden, renamed
S. M. Stjerna. Sank on July 7-1955 near Gedser following a collision with the steamer
Korsø when on a voyage Hernøsand to Wisbeck with lumber.
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