Built as a steel hulled escort steam trawler under yard No 7 by the G.A. Foundation Co. yard at Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A. for the French Navy.
Launched under the name FLEURUS. (Most probably named after the Battle of Fleurus on 26 June 1794)
Tonnage according Lloyd’s 1921/22, 355 gross, 102 net.
One triple expansion 3 cyl. steam engine, 89 nhp.
August 1919 delivered.
I think the French Navy did not needed the vessel more after World War I, they sold the vessel to Huret Sauvetage at Boulogne, France, in 1922, not renamed. Not sure in what roll she was then used, most probably as fishing vessel.
In 1904 Capt C.A.Larsen (on British Antarctic Terr. s g 70) from Norway founded the Compania Argentina der Pesca, and started a whaling station at Grytvikken, South Georgia, this was followed by other whaling companies. The whaling stations employed many men and the need for a good mail service arose.
When the A/S Tønsberg Hvalfangeri the owner of the Husvik whaling station got a contract with the Falkland Island Authorities to commence a mail service between the Falkland Islands to South Georgia, they needed a new vessel.
Sept. 1924 (other source April 1924) they bought the FLEURIS, registered her at Tønsberg, Norway, and converted her to a cargo-passenger vessel. Not renamed.
Tonnage 406 gross. Dim. 140.1 (length pp.) x 25.1 x 13.2ft.
On December 1924 she achieved 2 “firsts”, on board she had the first wireless radio station for South Georgia, and she began the first regular service between the Falklands and South Georgia.
The FLEURUS was chartered for 2 seasons (1924-26) with 5 sailings each season between Grytviken and Port Stanley and 1 sailing between Port Stanley and Port Foster.
The FLEURUS carried stores, spare parts and live animals as well the mail to South Georgia. The company lost money on the first charter, on renewal the charter hire was increased with £300 for a round trip, thereafter the company made a small profit.
When the contract was finished in 1933 the FLEURIS sailed to Bergen, Norway, and was sold in Jan. 1933 to Einar Veim at Bergen for 30.000 Nkr. (approx. £1.650).
June 1935 Sold to A/S Thorodd (R.J.Falkevik, Ålesund, and renamed THORODD.
1939 Chartered by the Den Kongelige Norske Marine (Royal Norwegian Navy), fitted out as a patrol vessel with a crew of 23 and an armament of 1 – 96mm gun. Used by 3 SFD (Hammerfest) as guard vessel.
When Norway was occupied by Germany in June 1940, the THORODD with 11 other Norwegian naval vessels crossed the North Sea to Britain, and these 12 vessels formed the first units of Norway’s exile navy.
14 June 1940 arrived at Lerwick, and from there she sailed to Rosyth where she arrived the 17th June, she was converted in a minesweeper in Rosyth from 30 June 1940. Due to shortage of materials (the British requiring all available material for their own vessels) rebuilding and outfitting was slow. On 14th March 1941 the THORODD was ready for her new duty, being used by 71st Minesweeper Group, Dundee. She was crewed by men from Norway under command of Erling Hafto. Not renamed, pendant No. FY-1905.
Many mines were dropped in the North Sea and minesweeping was a dangerous task.
From 6th May 1942 she served in the newly formed First Mine Clearance Flotilla of Norway’s Navy ( 1st Minesweeper Division, Dundee) with home base Dundee.
17 May 1944 she cleared mines on the East coast of Scotland, the logbook stated for this day, heavy rolling in high seas.
For her thereafter the war was over, when the Norwegian Navy got 6 new minesweepers, and she was taken out of service on 13 Sept. 1944 and laid up at Burntisland, where she stayed for the rest of the war.
The crew were transferred to the new vessel due to shortage of men.
As with all Norwegian naval vessels the THORODD had a ships post mark from 1st January 1943 with the serial number 113 (if you are lucky you can still find one) till she was laid up.
August 1945 returned to the Norway owners in the U.K. She was on a British yard converted to a motor vessel. Fitted out with a Crossley 600 bhp diesel engine.
1951 Towed to Ålesund, and laid up.
June 1952 sold to A/S Grindhaugs Fiskeriselkap (Govert Grindhaug Åkrehamn, Karmøy). She was converted in a seiner at A/S Haugesund Mek. Verksted, Haugesund, fishmark (R-73-A). She was lengthened by 11 feet.
Tonnage 452 gross, 158 net, 575 dwt., dim. 151.2 x 25.1 x 13.4ft. (draught).
Powered by a Ruston diesel engine of 408 bhp, the engine was manufactured in 1945 and first powered the motor vessel LIHAUG.
After her conversion she was Norway’s largest herring seiner. Between the herring seasons used as a cargo vessel.
She was lost on a voyage Visnes (Karmøy) to Tofte with a cargo of pyrites, when on 06 October 1955 during bad weather her cargo shifted and she developed a list near Høybeån south of Risør. She sank, crew were taken of by the cutter GRANT and landed at Risør.
Falkland Island 1978 6p 336A, scott?. South Georgia & The South Sandwich Islands 2006 £1.05 sg?, scott?
Translated mostly from Navicula August 1992, from an article written by Capt. B. Tandberg, his sources were: Norsk Sjofahrt Museum N-0286 Oslo. Hvafangsmuseet N-2300 Sandefjord. Marinemuseet N-3191 Horten and Norse eksilpost 1940-45 Karl U.Sanne, Oslo 1981.
http://www.warsailors.com/freefleet/norfleett2.html
