[Fraser2011]

Did you ever manage to find a suitable image of the Noordehaven? My father was also on this ship during ww2 December 1943 to December 1944. I have drawn a blank, in fact your post was the first trace I could find on line that this ship existed at all.

 

[Fraser2011]

Hi Fraser2011. Thanks for your reply.
For some odd reason the first few years of this ship are a complete mystery as far as I can see. Try to find pictures of her but as you already mentioned it looks like she never existed at all. Had contact with Gainsborough,( the old Watson shipyard is closed), were she was build. Found two pictures just after the launch of her and her sister. Can't tell which one is the one though. She had a real miserable start. Ran aground, re floated, grounded again and sank, re floated, and so on. Sold to the Dutch government in 1943 renamed NOORDERHAVEN.
So far no pictures of the NOORDERHAVEN. In 1947 she was sold, by Dammers en van der Heiden as agent to France (Senegal) and renamed SAINT HONORAT.
What happened between 1943 and 1947, except that she was laid up for some period after the war, is a picture less mystery. I've joined many ship groups where they post pictures of old ships. No success, so far.
BTW My dad was on her as mate from August till December 1943.
View attachment 687842 View attachment 687843 View attachment 687844

Good photos, thanks, you have helped me writing / illustrating my family history. my late father was one of the DEMS gun team. We speculated how the ship got here name. The Dutch crew and skipper were from

Hi Fraser2011. Thanks for your reply.
For some odd reason the first few years of this ship are a complete mystery as far as I can see. Try to find pictures of her but as you already mentioned it looks like she never existed at all. Had contact with Gainsborough,( the old Watson shipyard is closed), were she was build. Found two pictures just after the launch of her and her sister. Can't tell which one is the one though. She had a real miserable start. Ran aground, re floated, grounded again and sank, re floated, and so on. Sold to the Dutch government in 1943 renamed NOORDERHAVEN.
So far no pictures of the NOORDERHAVEN. In 1947 she was sold, by Dammers en van der Heiden as agent to France (Senegal) and renamed SAINT HONORAT.
What happened between 1943 and 1947, except that she was laid up for some period after the war, is a picture less mystery. I've joined many ship groups where they post pictures of old ships. No success, so far.
BTW My dad was on her as mate from August till December 1943.
View attachment 687842 View attachment 687843 View attachment 687844

Good pictures, thank you. My late father was a member of the DEMS gun team. We speculated how the ship got her name following transfer to the Dutch Government in exile. The Dutch skipper and crew were from Groningen in NE Holland, Noordehaven was there home port. Were skippers given the option to name their own ship? Who knows?

I can say that my father enjoyed his time on the ship and got on well with the skipper, learned a bit of Dutch plus his interest in the ship resulted in him being taught to steer the ship by the stars at night. He was certainly aboard he on D Day when the ship was anchored off of Southend pending instructions to offload supplies for the invasion beaches. I do wonder if the British gave this ship to the Dutch as it had such a chequered early history. From my research I believe the engines used were poor and had a reputation for breaking down, which may explain a lot. Thanks again.