D/S Woolgar - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Built in Sunderland in 1914.
According to the external website that I've linked to above, she was delivered in Nov.-1914 as Woolgar to Melbourne S.S. Co. Ltd., Melbourne. Owned from 1931 by Hans Borge & Co. A/S (Hans Borge), Tønsberg, same name. Later that year, Hans Borge & Co. Ltd., St. Helier, Jersey, no name change. From 1932, Hans Borge, Tønsberg, same name. From 1936, Borges Rederi A/S (Hans Borge), Tønsberg.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2

Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.

Partial Voyage Record
From Febr.-1941 to Febr.-1942:

(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.

	Departure	From	To	Arrival	Convoy	Remarks
1941	Febr. 1	Aden	–	–	BN 14	Earlier voyages: Page 1 Dispersed 10 05N 40E, Febr. 3 (Page 1 gives arrival Suez, Febr. 7/8). Convoy available at BN 14 (external link)
	March 24	Suez	–	–	BS 21	For Colombo. Dispersed Apr. 1 (arrived Apr. 12). Convoy available at BS 21 (external link) Missing voyages: Page 1 & Page 2
	Dec. 7	Calcutta	Colombo	Dec. 14	Independent	A. Hague says: Previously traded I Ocean and Pacific
	Dec. 19	Colombo	Calcutta	Dec. 25	Independent	–
	Dec. 30	Calcutta	Colombo	Jan. 6-1942	Independent	–
1942	Jan. 13	Colombo	Calcutta	Jan. 19	Independent	–
	Jan. 29	Calcutta	Colombo	Febr. 4	Independent	–
	Febr. 23	Colombo	–	–	Escorted	A. Hague says: Escort to Febr. 25, then independent. Sunk - See D/S Woolgar's story

Notes:

Judging from the information found on Page 1 of the archive documents, Woolgar was in Halifax when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. She had arrived there from Louisburg on Apr. 8, and did not leave again until May 24. See my page about Nortraship for some details on the difficulties during those early days of war. It'll be noticed that she also spent over a month in Hong Kong later that year. She had arrived from Iloilo on Sept. 16; departure is given as Oct. 23, when she proceeded to Singapore. Her 1941 voyages also start on this document.

With a cargo of paint and timber, she's listed, together with Arena, Fagersten, Kronviken, Norse Lady and Solheim, in Convoy BN 14, which left Aden on Febr. 1-1941 and dispersed on the 3rd. As will be seen when going back to Page 1, Woolgar arrived Suez on Febr. 7/8. The following month, we find her in Convoy BS 21, departing Suez on March 24, dispersed Apr. 1, Woolgar arriving Colombo on Apr. 12. The Norwegian Corona and Wilford are also listed. Both these convoys are available via the external links provided in the Voyage Record.

Her 1942 voyages start on Page 2.

More information on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here is available via the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Final Fate – 1942:

Woolgar was bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft on March 7-1942, about 150 miles southwest of Tjilatjap. The survivors landed at Japanese occupied Port Blair, Andaman Islands after a harrowing 88 days in a lifeboat. Please continue to D/S Woolgar's story for a lot more information. The page includes an account on the weeks her survivors spent in the lifeboat, as well as details on their experiences as prisoners at Port Blair and later in Singapore. See also Merchant Marine Prisoners of War.