Latest news with #Hestmanden
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Historic Norwegian ship to visit to Newcastle's River Tyne
The visit of a historic Norwegian cargo ship to the River Tyne has a special significance for one local S/S Hestmanden, which served as a convoy vessel during World War Two, will be berthed in Newcastle until Thursday as part of a UK tour marking the 80th anniversary of VE Chris Flanighan, its arrival is a poignant reminder of his grandfather, Karluf Thorsen, who fled Nazi-occupied Norway and served throughout the war in the merchant navy. He said: "This ship symbolises the life he lived, and the risks he took". Built in 1911, S/S Hestmanden played a vital role in transporting medicine, food, fuel, ammunition, and weapons during the also formed part of a covert flotilla of fishing boats used to smuggle soldiers, agents and freedom fighters between Norway and Shetland, and on return trips helped to evacuate refugees and Allied a national treasure in Norway, it serves as a floating war sailors' museum, preserving the legacy of those who kept the supply lines open. Mr Flanighan, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, has spent years uncovering the legacy of his grandfather."He left Norway around the age of 17 or 18 and didn't return home until he was 22," he said."Germany had occupied Norway, and he was part of the convoys supplying the Allied effort from Britain."This ship symbolises the life he lived, and the risks he took". 'Coming home' In a tribute to his grandfather's legacy, Mr Flanighan has been invited to join the Maritime Volunteer Service on one of their vessels as part of a ceremonial escort up the river."When I heard the ship was coming to Newcastle - the last stop on her UK tour - I was over the moon," he said."It's not just a ship visit. For me and my family, it's like she's coming home." During the visit, people have a chance to go on board the floating museum until Wednesday and explore its interactive will also be events including a wreath-laying ceremony at Norwegian war graves in Stephen C. Healy of Trinity House, Newcastle, said: "This historic visit reaffirms the deep maritime bonds between Norway and the north-east of England. "It is a tremendous privilege to help honour the legacy of the war sailors." Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
The 114-year-old Norwegian war vessel and 'floating museum' that has berthed at Edinburgh docks
Built in 1911 and at the heart of supplying Allied forces during the two world wars, D/S Hestmanden has berthed in Leith this week. Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was one of more than 1,000 Norwegian merchant ships that provided critical medicine, food, fuel and weapons to the Allies throughout two world wars - and now remains the only one still sailing. D/S Hestmanden, known as 'The Lucky Ship', arrived in time to commemorate VE Day in the Shetland Islands earlier this month. And the vessel has now berthed at Leith docks as part of her voyage from Bergen to Newcastle, with the vessel to remain in Edinburgh until Thursday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Archie Borthwick and Ollie Little, from the Loretto School Pipe Band piping onboard D/S Hestmanden on Monday. | Contributed Visitors are welcomed to explore the quarters, tour the engine room, and learn the war stories of Norwegian sailors, while the vessel is in Edinburgh. Students from the Loretto School Pipe band played traditional Scottish music onboard D/S Hestmanden on Monday to welcome visitors. Hallvard Klungtveit, captain of D/S Hestmanden, said: 'It is an honour to bring Hestmanden to Edinburgh.' Built in 1911 in Laksevag, near Bergen, the cargo vessel originally served on the icy coastal route between Bergen and Tromso. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But with the outbreak of the First World War, Hestmanden's mission changed. She carried coal across the English Channel to fuel the Allied war effort, later serving under the British flag with a British crew, braving treacherous North Sea convoys to France and as far as Arkhangelsk in support of the Allies' Russian Intervention. Requisitioned once more during the Second World War, Hestmanden joined Nortraship - the Norwegian government-in-exile's vast merchant fleet, which supplied the Allies with critical cargo across perilous waters. She is the only vessel from that 1,000-strong fleet to survive. READ MORE: Why this VE Day story may be the happiest of all Norwegian historian Ragnhild Bie, whose two grandfathers were both war sailors, said: 'Hestmanden is a floating museum and tribute to the 30,000 Norwegian war sailors who served the Allied resistance during World War Two, alongside Britain's own mariners.' Following decades of neglect, Hestmanden was relaunched in 2011 and transformed into Norway's official national war memorial for seafarers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Students from the Loretto School Pipe band played traditional Scottish music onboard D/S Hestmanden on Monday to welcome visitors onto the vessel. | Contributed Defying all odds, the vessel powered through and continues to at her own discretion today. This month highlights the first time Hestmanden has left Norway in 60 years. The ship's voyage from Bergen to Newcastle has taken the vessel from Shetland to Orkney, Aberdeen and now Edinburgh. The vessel's arrival in Leith on Monday forms part of a wider mission to honour the international brotherhood of wartime sailors and commemorate the 80th anniversary of peace in Europe, honouring the close relationship between the UK and Norway. Captain Klungtveit said: 'She is a proud vessel, a survivor of two world wars, and a floating memorial to thousands of Norwegian sailors who risked everything for freedom. And now she is opening her decks to a new generation. May her stories remind us of courage, resilience, and the enduring friendship between Norway and Britain.' Scout groups and schools are welcome aboard Hestmanden from 9am to 11am until Thursday. The open ship hours start from 11am until 5pm, for the public and self-guided visits.
Edinburgh Reporter
26-05-2025
- Edinburgh Reporter
Liberation Convoy – S/S Hestmanden opens to the public on Monday
The Norwegian War Sailor Museum arrived in Leith on Saturday and will open to the public on Monday morning. Stian Lunde, Museum Mediator, S/S Hestmanden, and a team of volunteers will show people round the ship. One story is of a young teenager who joined the ship for two weeks, but meantime Germany invaded Norway, and the young man did not return home for six years. There are many stories of sailors who were exiled from their homeland, and much to see on board the vessel which is travelling to a number of ports. The steamer, first coal-fired and now equipped with diesel engines may be seen from Ocean Terminal and is lying in front of Britannia. The Norwegian War Sailor Museum, is the last surviving vessel from Nortraship's extensive fleet. Hestmanden is one of about 1,000 Norwegian merchant ships that supplied food, medicine, fuel and arms to the Allies throughout the Second World War. From Monday morning the ship is open for guided tours and onboard exhibitions including films in two audio visual areas below decks where documentaries will be screened. Monday 26: 11am – 5am Tuesday 27: 11am – 5am Wednesday 28: 11am – 5am Thursday 29: 11am – 5am S/S Hestmanden the only ship to survive both world wards in the 20th century A flotilla of ships recreating the bravery of merchant war sailors and secretive special forces in a Liberation Convoy of historic vessels that once sailed as part of the daring 'Shetland Bus' during WWII was greeted with a floating salute as it arrived at Lerwick in time for the 80th anniversary of VE Day. This celebration of peace is considered by the organisers behind the convoy to be even more important than ever given the presence of war in Europe once more. The vessels included four wartime fishing boats – S/S Hestmanden, M/K Erkna, M/K Andholmen, M/K Heland, M/B Arnefjord – that were used to ferry refugees from Norway to the UK, before returning with radios, explosives and British-trained Norwegian special forces soldiers ready to sabotage the occupying Nazi regime. On arrival in Shetland the local lifeboat, and water jets fired into the air from other vessels and a replica Viking longboat were among those joining crowds of people at Lerwick Harbour as part of the special journey to commemorate the heroics of the 'Shetland Bus' crews. From there the convoy sailed on and the Hestmanded visited Stromness in Orkney and Aberdeen en route to Edinburgh. From here the ship sails to Newcastle and then back to Norway. The convoy's aims are to commemorate the 80th anniversary of peace in Europe with a grand tribute to the heroic war sailors who risked or lost their lives during WW2, and to celebrate the close relationship between the UK and Norway. About half Norway's merchant ships were torpedoed and sunk by German submarines, killing some 4,500 of the 30,000 Norwegian war sailors, while 44 of the Shetland Gang's members went down with boats sunk by fighter planes, submarines or harsh winter storms. The convoy has been organised by an informal group of individual volunteers, maritime enthusiasts and wartime historians, museums and organisations. The project is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, the Norwegian Navy, the Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce and several charitable foundations and Companies. Norwegian and British dignitaries laid wreaths at The Shetland Bus Memorial in Scalloway today to commemorate the brave efforts of the British-Norwegian resistance during World War II. Those attending included the Lord Lieutenant of Shetland, Norwegian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shetland Islands Council Convener and Norwegian Military Attaché. During WWII, the Shetland Bus – a lifeline of Norwegian fishing boats and submarine chasers – smuggled agents, refugees, and supplies between Shetland and Nazi-occupied Norway. The memorial includes a metal sculpture representing one of these fishing boats, placed on top of rocks gathered from the birthplaces of the 44 Norwegian crew members who died during the Shetland Bus operation. It's a poignant reminder of their sacrifices, and testament to the historical significance of Scalloway. S/S Hestmanden the only ship to survive both world wards in the 20th century Like this: Like Related
Press and Journal
20-05-2025
- General
- Press and Journal
A look inside S/S Hestmanden - the Norwegain warship berthed in Aberdeen this week
Anyone passing Port of Aberdeen yesterday may have noticed an almost-200ft warship sailing into the harbour. The impressive S/S Hestmanden is visiting the Granite City as part of Liberation Convoy – a month-long journey across the North Sea. She is one of five Norwegian vessels taking part in the project to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day. 'This is the first time she has left Norway in 60 years,' historian Ragnhild Bie told The Press and Journal. Hestmanden has visited Lerwick, Stromness and Kirkwall in recent weeks with almost 10,000 people taking the opportunity to step onboard. Now, those in the north-east can immerse themselves in the merchant cargo ship's 114-year history. The P&J was invited along for a tour led by Ragnhild and the ship's captain, Hallvard Klungtveit. 'As far as we know, it's the first time the ship has been in Aberdeen since during the war in April 1944,' he said. 'She knew her way in, she was steering perfectly, and we were met by dolphins.' As we arrived, several people were already making their way around the vessel – soaking in the history and the sunshine. Hestmanden is the only preserved Norwegian cargo vessel to have sailed in convoys during both the First World War and Second World War. She now operates as a floating museum which is open during the summer in Norway. 'This is not just a museum building,' Captain Hallvard said. 'This is a living museum. 'We have people living onboard, we have food cooking in the galley, we have heat in the engine room. 'She's alive.' The crew carry out maintenance during the winter, including on the engine which was built in Scotland in 1911. 'We try to keep everything as original as we can, all of the equipment and the engine,' Ragnhild said. 'We just have to update the radios and electronic maps to be safe and secure.' Each year, volunteers dedicate around 18,000 hours to keep Hestmanden running smoothly. Since the late 1940s, she has been fuelled by diesel which is manually fired up in the engine room. 'Per hour, she burns around 280 litres of diesel,' the captain shares. 'She's an expensive lady.' From the wheelhouse and sailor's cabins, to the lounge for first-class passengers and the captain's salon, the public have access to much of the ship. Visitors can truly immerse themselves in Hestmanden's history, spending hours making their way around all of the displays. One of the sections is dedicated to the Shetland Bus – the perilous route which Hestmanden travelled during the Second World War. She and a group of fishing boats were used to smuggle soldiers, secret agents and freedom fighters between Nazi-occupied Norway and Shetland. Ragnhild said: 'For many Norwegians, Scotland became a home away from home.' 'We hope visitors leave the ship having learnt something, Catain Hallvard added. 'A lot of young people were sailing during the war, some as young as 14, and we want to share that history with young people today.' Captain Hallvard, Ragnhild and all the other crew members are looking forward to welcoming more visitors onboard and sharing more of Hestmanden's stories. Early in her life, the merchant cargo ship gained the nickname: 'the lucky ship'. The historian explained: 'Hestmanden was attacked outside of Swansea by a German bomber that flew so low it knocked out the mast. 'They dropped several bombs but they all missed, so Hestmanden has been called 'the lucky ship' since.' Hestmanden is open to the public on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week between 11am and 5pm. 'The convoy has been great,' Ragnhild said. 'Aberdeen and Norway still have a very close connection today. 'We're honoured to come here and continue that relationship. 'It's been so much fun having school children and visitors onboard. 'Hopefully we'll be able to come again – sooner than another 80 years!'
Forbes
08-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Why The Quiet Heroism Of Norway's War Sailors Is As Relevant As Ever
D/S Hestmanden, one of Norway's many cargo ships that played a key role in the Allied war effort. On the Shetland Islands today, a poignant 80th commemoration of Victory in Europe Day in 1945 has been going on all day. Alongside the harbour in Lerwick are five fishing boats, once part of the clandestine Anglo-Norwegian Shetland Bus mission, and the wartime cargo ship Hestmanden. Among the Norwegians who have sailed the boats over to thank the people of Scotland for their help in the World War II are the descendants of crews from the Shetland Buses and many other Norwegian war sailors. The story of the Norwegian war sailors is one of courage, resilience and humility. Although Norway's population was fewer than 3mn when the war began, it had the fourth largest merchant naval in the world. Norwegian ships carried oil, coal, wool, food, medical and other essential supplies from the Arctic to the Antarctic. 'Britain and Norway have always had a close friendship," observes Jorn Madslien, the grandson of a Norwegian war sailor. 'It's particularly relevant today when maritime co-operation is essential. But without the Norwegian merchant navy, the U.S. could not have got involved in the war." Over the Second World War, more than 4,000 ordinary Norwegian sailors - mostly men - were killed. Yet they went unrewarded and unrecognised even by their own government. Many died before an incremental pension contribution was made many years later while the government only issued an official apology in 2003. Many of the survivors remained deeply traumatised by what they saw and experienced during the war. Most barely spoke about it, some never. Besides, few Norwegians wanted to talk much about the war, with recriminations over collaboration fresh. Today, however, with the help of service archives, the families involved and tales handed down from survivors, we know more. More recently, War Sailor, the most expensive Norwegian film ever made, has told the story on Netflix. Jorn Madslien, grandson of Norwegian war sailor Jorge Maslien. Jorgen Madslien was a policeman in the Norwegian police force when Germany invaded Norway. When he was offered promotion to a senior level, he chose to go to sea rather than remain in the police force under the Nazis. Sailing may have been helpful in his work with the Norwegian Resistance; only last summer did the family realise that Madslien had played a far greater role in the than he had let on. Madslien became the commander of a small local group. Archives reveal Madslein's cell was betrayed. He was arrested, tortured and imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp until the end of the war, when he weighed just 42 kilos. 'We only know this because he wrote a letter to my grandmother when he was freed,' his grandson Jorn Maslien says.'He never spoke about it to anyone other than his next-door neighbour.' In total, over 2,000 men and women from the Resistance were executed or died in died concentration camps. Reprisals against civilians following Resistance Operations were also often harsh. Yet theirr activities forced Germany to keep as many as 300,000 - 350,000 men in Norway, preventing them from fighting elsewhere. When German troops landed in Norway's key ports in April 1940, the command was given that all Norwegian sailors should sail their boats back into Norwegian waters or German ports. None did. Most of the Norwegian fleet was at sea, and so beyond German control. Many sailors initially headed for Norway's northern ports, which were close to an early counteroffensive brought to an end by the fall of France and the Allied withdrawal. The King, Crown Prince and government escaped to London, where they set up the Norwegian government in exile. Crown Prince, later King Olav, was appointed Chief of Defence. Throughout the war, the Norwegians worked closely with the British government and Allied forces. Control of the merchant fleet was vested in the Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission, Notraship, a joint organisation run from the U.K. by Norwegian and British officials. An encounter between the factory vessel "Jan Wellem" of the German whaling fleet and the "Norvinn" ... More of the Norwegian merchant fleet, 1930s. (Photo by: United Archives/M-Verlag Berlin/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) In June 1940, the Allies requested that Norwegian boats outside Norway sail to Allied or neutral ports if safe to do so. Not all, but the majority did. Several Norwegian ships were in Swedish ports. Among them were vessels containing steel and ball bearings, badly needed by the U.K. to make aircraft and tank parts. Germany demanded that Sweden seize the ships, but Sweden, a neutral country, replied that it had no powers to prevent these ships from sailing to England. Between 1940 - 41, five ships made the voyage successfully. Swedish and British lawyers also strengthened the law concerning vessels from an occupied country sailing from a neutral third country. Germany tried to put a kvarstad (stay put in Swedish) order on the remaining vessels. Operation Performance, the second effort to get the ships out of Sweden was however a disaster. Many of the ships sunk as soon as they reached Karingon, the last island in the Gothenburg archipelago. Ragnhild Bie's grandfather was on board only one of the two out of ten British and Norwegian ships that made it. 'They were called the Lucky Ships.' Her grandfather then returned to for the third and final operation. This time, his ship was hit and sunk. He escaped on a lifeboat to Norway and made it back to neutral Sweden, from where he flew to England, where he spent the remainder of the war running refugee camps as well as working for the Special Operations Executive (who masterminded the Shetland Bus missions). 'In 1943, the U.S. government donated three submarine chasers, cutting losses on Norwegian cargo ships and ensuring the rest of the Shetland Bus missions were successful," says Bie, a war historian. The Berganger, torpedoed later in the Atlantic In 1940, Harald Lunde was a young Norwegian merchant navy sailor on board D/S Davanger when it was struck by a German U-boat (U-48) as it sailed from Curaçao on September 14 1940, carrying nearly 10,000 tons of fuel oil en route to Bermuda. The ship sank within four minutes. Lunde managed to escape onto a lifeboat, which drifted in the Atlantic for a week before reaching Ireland. Lunde saw friends die on the raft. Only 12 men out of a crew of 29 survived. He went back to sea, but on June 2 1942, his ship the Berganger was torpedoed en route from Buenos Aires and Santos to New York and Boston. This is the report he gave his superiors. By today's standards, it's a model of understatement. After a day, the two consignments of surviving crew were picked up by Norwegian cargo ship and a U.S. destroyer. Chart showing the position where Berganger was sunk Lunde had joined the merchant fleet as a seaman in 1934. He did not return home until 1946. From 1948 - 1973, he sailed for Westfal-Larsen, often as captain on the South American route. Communication between those at sea and their families was almsost entirely through letters. 'It could take months between each message,' says his granddaughter Vilde Regine Villnes. His sons, Oddvar and Gunnar, were only around two and a half years old when they first met their father. 'Of the 25 years he worked at sea, he was away for 20. The older children describe him as somewhat of a stranger, while my mother, the youngest, has a very different and more personal memory of him,' she says. The Norwegian government only officially acknowledged his wartime service in 1973. Lunde was given nothing by the Norwegian government until 1973. ''He received 9,000 NOK in compensation (equivalent to 180 kroner per month), which felt like a token sum considering the sacrifices he had made.' 'Whenever I face doubt or fear, I think of him — a young man adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, holding on to hope and refusing to give up,' Vilde says. The story of these quiet war heroes is about humility, courage and resilience - all qualities that make great leaders. Their history is as relevant today as ever.
