DS Stalheim

DS Stalheim

The Norwegian ship DS Stalheim, carrying a crew of 21, arrived at Port Talbot on July 24^th, 1940, transporting coal. On July 31^st, shortly after departing and approximately 100 meters from shore, the Stalheim struck a magnetic mine while en route to Barry, resulting in the deaths of five crew members.

The Stalheim, carrying a cargo of coal to Cardiff, was scheduled to travel from Barry to New Brunswick, Canada. While at Barry, the vessel was scheduled for the installation of a degaussing system, but did not have this protection against magnetic mines at the time. The ship sank within four minutes; thirteen crew members sustained serious injuries, and three were uninjured. The captain, Holger Jensen, lost consciousness and later awoke in a hospital, where he remained for three weeks.

Five crew members died while they were in the engine room.  

The Mumbles Lifeboat was initially deployed; however, the operation was cancelled upon notification that an RAF rescue team would be retrieving the survivors.

Before the Second World War, the Salheim operated primarily on routes between Norway, the United States, and Canada. At the onset of the war, the vessel was in Montreal. She then travelled toward Norway but was intercepted by British authorities and brought to the Orkneys for a contraband inspection. After several days, the ship returned to Moss, Norway, continued to Drammen, and subsequently proceeded to the United Kingdom. Following several trips between Norway and the United Kingdom, the Salheim began transporting fruit between Palestine and Norway in early 1940.

Beginning in March 1940, the Stalheim participated in Convoy HGF21, departing from Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. Later that month, she joined Convoy OB 115, which sailed from Liverpool and subsequently merged with Convoy OA115. The vessel arrived at Gibraltar by the end of the month.

In April 1940, when hostilities commenced in Norway, the Stalheim was stationed in Tel Aviv, loading oranges intended for Oslo. However, she was subsequently directed to deliver the cargo to Liverpool instead.

Stalheim departed Tel Aviv for Gibraltar in April. Later that month, Stalheim joined Convoy HGF28 and arrived in Liverpool in May.

June Stalheim joined Convoy OB160, departing from Liverpool with an unspecified destination and later arriving at Sydney. The ship subsequently travelled to Caraquet and Halifax before returning to the United Kingdom on 25 June 1940 with Convoy HX53. At the end of July, it was ordered to return across the North Atlantic, but did not progress far.

The crew members were

Survivors
Captain Holger Jensen	1st Mate Leif Ludviksen	2nd Mate Jørgen Iversen	Able Seaman Lion Zabari (Palestinian)	Able Seaman John Hagstrøm	Ordinary Seaman Walter Martinsen
Ordinary Seaman Thorbjørn Berg	Ordinary Seaman Kåre Forsland	Ordinary Seaman Dagfinn Karlsen	1st Engineer Karl Olsen	Stoker Arthur Gabrielsen	Trimmer Tor Lund
Steward Trygve Hansen	Cook Johannes Johansen	Mess Boy Magnus Indrevold	Pilot Bert Gunn (British)
Casualties
2nd Engineer Albin Andersen	3rd Engineer Georg Hill Olsen	Donkeyman Ragnvald Hansen	Stoker Anker B. Bernhardsen	Stoker Jørgen Andreassen

 

Albin Anderson

Albin Anderson
Goytre Cemetery, Port Talbot
credit - findagrave

Albin Anderson, who was 68 years old, came from Tønsberg, whose body was the only one to have been recovered, and he was buried at Goytre Cemetery, Port Talbot.