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LOST SAILOR
The true and tragic story of Hilmar Marcelius Pareli Rasmussen and the SS Nordnorge
Gallery
SS Nordnorge built for Motala Co. in Motala, Sweden, in 1883 and originally named "Wisingso".
Bodo, Hilmar's 1893 place of birth in northern Norway
The ship was rebuilt in 1902 by Bergsunds Mek, Stockholm on Finnboda wharf.
Nordnesgaten (Rasmussen family neighborhood as of roughly 1919)
SS Nordnorge remodeled and extended by De Nordiske Fabriker A/S in 1944.
Profile drawing of SS Nordnorge by Mike Bent for the Shipbucket Project
S/S “Nordnorge" departed from Fredrikstad, Friday, March 17, at noon, loaded with 100k tons of building boards, as well as 50 barrels of margarine oil, destined for Tromso.
The ship anchored in Helgeroa, around 6.00, March 17, and continued from there Thursday.
They arrived in Kristiansand at 5.00 March 18 and lay at the quay overnight. Got a new pilot on board there. Then continued on Sunday morning, March 19, at 6.00 from Kristiansand.
The Nordnorge came to Flekkefjord March 19 at 6.00 pm, where they anchored for the night. We left Flekkefjord on Monday morning, March 20, at 6.00...
They arrived in Egersund March 20 at 4.00-5.00, where they docked, stayed for an hour, then went out on the road, and anchored for the night.
The Nordnorge went to Leirvik in Stord, where they arrived March 21 around 7.30 pm, and stayed at the dock at night. Continued from Leirvik on Wednesday morning March 22 at 6.00...
The ship arrived in Bergen March 22, a little before noon, went to the coal crane, took bunkers, and filled water. Then went from the coal crane and onto the road where they anchored. Hilmar was on shore in Bergen and got hold of a fire boat, as they needed one. They stayed in Bergen until Thursday morning March 23 at 8.30.
The SS Nordnorge continued on and arrived at Floro the evening of March 23 at 9.00, where they spent the night at the dock there. It was nice weather.
HMS Satyr torpedoed SS Nordnorge at approximately 10.00 am off the coast of Honningsvag when they believed the Nordnorge had become German-occupied.
A fisherman from Honningsvag, Jakob Strand, heard the explosion while fishing in the harbour. He headed to the noise and came upon the survivors in about 30 minutes. Jakob Strand took off his own clothes and let the two sailors have them. They lay like that for a while in the boat, but there was nothing to see, said Strand. They then went towards the shore, and he got them ashore, and to his home, where they got dry clothes and warm milk, and the "very best" food and lodging.
Newspaper excerpt from "Fritt Folk": a Norwegian newspaper, published in Oslo. It was the official organ of the fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and came to prominence during the Second World War.
Victory celebration in Norway
CREW OF THE SS NORDNORGE
Gunnar Jakobsen
Per Jacobsen
Sigurd Leif Gabrielsen
Lars Larsen
Otto Kvitvik
Captain Andreas Liland
Ole Menssen
Pilot Bertheus Nyborg
Anton Nyborg
Cook Arne Pauli Hermansen
Chief Engineer Hilmar Marcelius Pareli Rasmussen
Members of the Royal Norwegian Air Force special division. They were located in "Little Norway" in Canada 1941-1945 while unable to return to their home country.
MS Estrella Voyage Record
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