Source: Karl Henrik Henriksen, who says the picture was taken in the fall of 1939.
His father paid off in Nov.-1939 (see his grandfather's story at M/S Vinni's Story).

This picture is from Bjørn Milde's postcard collection

Owner: Skibs-A/S Østheim
Manager: Halfdan Ditlev-Simonsen & Co.,Oslo
Tonnage: 6415 gt, 9835 tdwt., 11 knots.

Misc. Voyages:

As will be seen, some of the dates in this narrative, which is based on the captain's report (source at the bottom of this page) are slightly different from those found on the archive documents - I have left the captain's dates as they appear in his report (the discrepancy might simply be a matter of different time zones used). The captain's information has been supplemented with my own convoy information. Please follow the convoy links provided for more info on them, several Norwegian ships took part. More convoy information is shown in Hague's Voyage Record.

Vav unloaded cargo in Alexandria, Egypt on Febr. 11-1940, then headed for Constanza, Romania where she picked up petrol for the U.K. Due to the fact that several of her crew members did not want to go to England, she had to stop by Malta so that 13 men could be paid off and go home, before she continued to Liverpool in convoy. (She's listed in station 22 of Convoy HGF 22 from Gibraltar to the U.K., which arrived Liverpool on March 18). She departed again on March 24, again in convoy. In fact, the external website that I've linked to within the Voyage Record has her in Convoy OB 116, which left Liverpool on that date and dispersed on the 27th. See also Page 1. She arrived Port Arthur, Texas on Apr. 15, in other words, they must have been at sea on Apr. 9 when the news of the German invasion of Norway was received, though there's no mention in the captain's report of their reactions to this terrible news.

She picked up a cargo of oil and left Port Arthur on Apr. 17 for Belfast, where she arrived May 15, according to the archive document mentioned above (see Convoy HX 39 - left Halifax Apr. 30). Having unloaded in Belfast, degaussing and a 7.4" gun were installed before she left Belfast on June 11, joining Convoy OB 167. This convoy, which is also available via the external link in the table above, originated in Liverpool on June 13 and dispersed on the 17th, Vav arriving Aruba June 30. A cargo was loaded there and discharged in Dublin on Aug. 2 (she's listed as bound for Dublin with a cargo of gasoline in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 57 - she arrived Dublin July 26), then via Liverpool for convoy (A. Hague suggests OB 193) she headed to Abadan to pick up a cargo of petrol for the U.K., via Cape Town for instructions and Freetown for convoy for Methil (she's listed in Convoy SL 55 from Freetown on Nov. 12-1940 - ref. external link in the Voyage Record). Upon departure Methil in convoy (this was Convoy FS 356 - Dec. 8; again, see link above) Vav was involved in a collision (with St. Merriel), but could continue to Grangemouth to unload, arrival Dec. 19, and the collision damages were repaired. Compare these voyages and dates with Page 1.

Repairs were completed on Febr. 3-1941, and at the same time 4 Hotchkiss guns had been installed as well as concrete protection around the bridge. Around this time she shows up in Convoy OB 285, which originated in Liverpool on Febr. 11-1941 and dispersed on the 17th. Judging from the archive document, she joined from Loch Ewe. The captain says she was docked in New York, then returned to Aruba to pick up more cargo, with arrival there on March 17. (She was scheduled for Convoy HX 117 from Halifax back to the U.K. on March 27, but instead joined HX 118 on March 31). This cargo was discharged in Belfast on Apr. 20 where a new degaussing cable was also installed (the old one had been ruined). While in Belfast they endured a heavy bombardment on May 5. She left Belfast on May 31 (compare date with archive document - she's listed in Convoy OB 328) to pick up a cargo in New York and was back in Liverpool by July 12, having arrived with Convoy HX 135 from Halifax, then returned to New York for another cargo (Convoy OB 349, July 21-1941. Links to the OB convoys mentioned here have been provided in the Voyage Record above).

On Aug. 16-1941 we find Vav in station 114 of Convoy HX 145 from Halifax. On Aug. 31, while off Belfast, she was run into and damaged by another ship, so had to unload her cargo in Belfast then go in for temporary repairs (the degaussing cable had also been rendered useless in this collision) before proceeding to New York for more permanent repairs. In fact, she's listed as sailing in the westbound Convoy ON 15, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 11-1941, Vav joining from Belfast (this convoy also had 7 other Norwegian ships, as can be seen on my page about ON 15).

According to the captain's report she had gone to Aruba for cargo after having been repaired in New York, the repairs having taken about a month - this agrees with the details on Page 1. This cargo was unloaded in the U.K. around Dec. 10, which fits in with the fact that she can be found in station 45 of Convoy HX 161, which departed Halifax on Nov. 21-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6; according to Page 2, she stopped at Loch Ewe on the 5th, proceeding to Methil Roads 2 days later. (It looks like Vav had originally been scheduled for the previous convoy, HX 160). On the 12th (should this be 22nd?), she was damaged in the Humber when touching an underwater wreck so had to go into Tyne for repairs, with arrival there on Dec. 27.

Repairs took a long time; at the same time more protection was built around the radio station. She's listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 65*, which originated in Liverpool on Febr. 8-1942 and dispersed on the 19th, Vav arriving Galveston on March 7, according to Page 2 (she had joined from Loch Ewe). Having picked up a cargo in Galveston, she was back in Avonmouth unloading at the beginning of Apr.-1942, having arrived with Convoy HX 181, which had left Halifax on March 21 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 2; Vav had arrived Avonmouth, via Belfast Lough, on Apr. 5. She subsequently returned to the U.S. with Convoy ON 87*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 16 and dispersed on the 26th; Vav arriving Galveston May 7, Baytown May 9, where a cargo was loaded. On June 7, we find her in Convoy HX 193 from Halifax, arriving Liverpool on the 19th. The cargo was discharged there, and she remained in Liverpool for close to a month while undergoing minor repairs (note that the archive document referred to above shows her making a voyage to Stanlow in between), then left Liverpool on July 16 (westbound Convoy ON 113*) for Baltimore and another cargo, again for Liverpool, where she arrived Sept. 4, Convoy HX 204.

She departed Liverpool on Sept. 11 (westbound Convoy ON 129*) for Caripito, Venezuela, via New York for convoy to Port of Spain - then on to Venezuela. According to Page 3, she arrived Caripito on Oct. 22. The captain says she left Caripito with a cargo of diesel oil on Oct. 28 (archive doc gives Oct. 24) and via the same convoy ports as well as Halifax (where she was delayed due to repairs - according to Arnold Hague, she had sailed from New York to Halifax in Convoy SC 110* on Nov. 17, and had arrived Halifax on Nov. 20), she headed back to the U.K. on Dec. 24 in the Halifax portion of Convoy HX 220, having previously been cancelled from HX 215 from New York on Nov. 11.

After having unloaded the diesel oil at Clyde she departed for Curacao on Jan. 12-1943, having started out from the U.K. with Convoy ON 161, detached Jan. 28, and arrived Curacao Febr. 8, again to pick up diesel oil for the U.K., with the return voyage via the same convoy ports as last time. According to the captain this turned out to be the worst voyage they had in the entire war. The convoy lost several ships and just before arrival U.K. Vav was run into by another ship and both were damaged but managed to get to port for their own power. This happened while in Convoy HX 228 from New York (in which Brant County was sunk), and according to the Commodore's notes for this convoy, 3 ships were involved, namely the American Samuel F. B. Morse (station 115), the British British Statesman (station 95) and Vav (in station 94). Here's a brief collision report. (Note that Vav is listed as cancelled from the earlier, slow Convoy SC 121, which had left New York on Febr. 23-1943, and in which Bonneville and several others were sunk. HX 228 sailed a few days later, on Febr. 28).

Vav's cargo was unloaded in Liverpool before she again went in for repairs, this time in Manchester - again, see Page 3. While there, on June 1, Captain Apall-Olsen was replaced by P. R. Paulsen, and on June 10 Vav departed for Philadelphia with the westbound Convoy ON 188* to pick up another cargo, which was discharged in Ellesmere Port and Manchester. She had been scheduled for Convoy HX 246 from New York on June 30 but instead joined the next convoy on July 8, HX 247. By the middle of Aug.-1943 she was back in Baltimore (having arrived in the U.S. with westbound Convoy ON 195*, which had left Liverpool on July 31) at which time she had a brief stay in dock, then at the end of that month she headed to Philadelphia to pick up another cargo for Manchester, later joining Convoy HX 255, for which Abraham Lincoln acted as Commodore Ship. It'll be noticed that Vav is listed in the Halifax section on Sept. 4, but this must be an error; according to Page 4 of the archive documents, her voyage started in New York on Sept. 2, and she arrived Manchester, via Liverpool and Eastham, on Sept. 18.

She headed back to New York on Sept. 22 with Convoy ON 203* to pick up another cargo, which was unloaded in Ellesmere Port around Nov. 10. For this eastbound voyage she's listed in the slow Convoy SC 145, which left Halifax on Oct. 24-1943 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 7 (according to Arnold Hague, she had initially started out from New York on Oct. 11 in the earlier Convoy HX 261*, but returned to port - going back to the archive document we see that she had indeed left New York on Oct. 11, but put back to Halifax on the 15th). Captain Appall-Olsen now resumed command. She subsequently proceeded to Greenock and Manchester where she was fitted out to replenish the escorts at sea*, arrived Clyde Nov. 12, departed on the 20th in Convoy ON 212 for New York, where Captain Knut Bringedal briefly took over the command, whereupon Vav loaded a cargo in Philadelphia for the U.K. (She's listed among the ships leaving Halifax with Convoy SC 151 on Jan. 14-1944, with arrival Liverpool Jan. 31).

*I suspect this may have taken place somewhat earlier; for one thing, Manchester is not mentioned for this period on Page 4 (though granted, this does not necessarily mean she did not go there), for another, she had served as Escort Oiler prior to this, according to A. Hague - see Voyage Record.

On March 5-1944, she was again in Philadelphia to pick up a cargo - she had arrived U.S. with the westbound Convoy ONS 29*, which had sailed from Liverpool on Febr. 12, and for which Acanthus, Eglantine and Rose are named among the escorts. This cargo was unloaded in Manchester (she's listed as bound for Barton in the slow Convoy SC 155, which left Halifax on March 14-1944 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th - see also Page 5) before she headed back to the U.S. on Apr. 7 with Convoy ON 231*, along with 14 other Norwegian ships, namely Bernhard, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Spinanger, Østhav, Solstad, Idefjord, President de Vogue, Heranger, Kong Haakon VII, Thorsholm, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger. Vav's destination was Boston, where she arrived Apr. 23, and where she was docked, but she later went to New York and Captain Apall-Olsen came back on board again on Apr. 27.

A cargo loaded in New York was discharged in Glasgow; she had arrived with the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 291, which also included the Norwegian Heranger, Høyanger (Vice Commodore ship), O. B. Sørensen, Para, Villanger, Stirlingville, Minerva, Velox and others. This convoy had departed New York on May 10 and arrived Liverpool on the 27th; Vav stopped at Clyde on the 26th. Again Captain Apall-Olsen had to leave and Captain Olav Skaar took over meanwhile. Vav then returned to New York (with Convoy ON 239*, June 3-1944) where a minor damage had to be repaired - something had gone wrong with her steering mechanism on this voyage and she had touched another ship in the convoy. Another cargo was loaded there before she on July 3 headed back to the U.K. where Apall-Olsen came back on board. The latter voyage had been made with Convoy HX 298, which left New York on July 3 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th; Vav stopped at Loch Ewe on the 17th (she had been scheduled for the previous convoy on June 24, HX 297, but did not sail).

She later departed Loch Ewe as Commodore Vessel for Convoy ON 248S* on Aug. 10-1944, arriving New York Aug. 28, proceeding the next day to Puerto la Cruz, where she loaded a cargo which was discharged in Philadelphia, and she now made some voyages on the U.S. coast - again, see Page 5. Around Christmas-1944 she discharged a cargo in Mobile, Al. before heading to a yard for misc. repairs etc., and she was not ready to sail again until July-1945. In Sept.-Oct. that year, while in Baltimore, the various guns and other war related equipment that had been installed in the course of the war years were removed. Page 6 has information on voyages to Apr.-1946.

* The ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. ONS 29 can be found on the page listing ships in all ONS convoys. The SC series and HX series will also be updated and completed, but for now, please see ships in all SC convoys and ships in all HX convoys for the names of ships in SC 110 and HX 261.

For more information on all the Norwegian ships named on this page, please see the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Back to M/T Vav on the "Ships starting with V" page.

Norway had lost a steamship by the name Vav to WW I, built 1916, 1255 gt - torpedoed and sunk off the Lizard by the German UB-80 on Dec. 4-1917, while on a voyage from Glasgow for Havre with a cargo of steel.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, the captain's report is from "19 Oslo-skips historie under verdenskrigen, fra April 1940 til krigens slutt i 1945" (The story of 19 Oslo ships during WW II), Harald Nicolaisen - 1945, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague and misc. - (ref. My sources).

Aa–Al	An–Ar	As–Av	Ba	Be	Bi–Bl	Bo	Br–Bu	C	D
E	F	G	Ha	He	Hi–Hy	Hø	I	J	K
L	M	N	O	PQ	R	Sa–Sc	Se–Sj	Sk–Sn	So
Sp–St	Su–Sø	Ta–Te	Th–Ti	To	Tr–Tø	U	V	W	Ø