Henrik H. Grimsland
The information on registered seafarers is not in all cases complete. As new sources are studied, information on engagements and medals etc. will be added to some of the already registered seafarers.
Date of birth
Date of death
Parents
Gender
Nationality
NorwayBirthplace
Place of living
County
Enlistment district
Rank
Has sailed for shipping company
Maritime inquiries 1940 - 1945
Other
- Participant in WW2
- Served in the Merchant Marine Defence department
Henrik H. Grimsland
Copyright: Privat/NSK, ARKIVET
Image 1 of 2
Ex gratia-arkivet:
Registernummer under krigen: London 7912, NY 23570.
Sjøforsvarets londonarkiv:
Antatt i Marinen: 20.8.1941, som: U.d.m.
Sivil stilling: Matros.
Sivil utdannelse: Snekkerkurs.
Militær spesialutdannelse eller kurser: Art.kurs.
Dimittert fra Marinen: 21.9.1945. S.S.H.
"Survival at Sea, My Father's WWII Story", by Henry "Hank" Grimsland (se Dokumenter)
Henrik H. Grimslands beretning fra torpederingen av Davanger:
“We were part of a sixty-ship convoy from Halifax, Nova Scotia on our way to Liverpool, England. On the night of October 11, we were the first ship in the convoy to be hit by a torpedo. Four men were able to launch a lifeboat. I jumped overboard with my heavy boots on and swam towards the lifeboat. It was very hard to swim as the sea was rough. Thankfully I was able to make it to the lifeboat. When we pulled in the 15-year-old English cabin boy, he said to us, “I’m all set now, I’ve made my peace with my Lord”. We headed east and began rowing very hard. The sea was rough and the vessel was small. I was not a praying man, but I know my mother was praying for me. After the war, she told me that she prayed for me every day of the war.
Seven days later, we saw land. It was Ireland. Some people were on the mountainside and they came out with their tarpaper boat and assisted us in getting to shore. We were exhausted and covered with the black crude oil. It felt great to finally be rescued. However, as soon as I got out of the lifeboat, I fell down. My legs were not used to standing after sitting for seven days straight. The Irish people were very kind and fed us tea and sandwiches. They transported us to the nearest hospital in Bellmullet. After cleaning the dark crude oil off of our skin, the hospital staff was surprised to find that we were light-skinned, blond Norwegians. After 16 days in Bellmullet, we were sent to Liverpool.”Videre framgår det at Grimsland emigrerte til USA i 1955 og ble amerikansk statsborger i 1960.
Sources
Nortrashipflåtens Skyttere 1941 - 1946. Skytter nr. 26, Henrik Grimsland.
RA/S-3545/G/Gg
Sjøforsvarets londonarkiv ved Marinemuseet i Horten: P.11. kort 317-318.
RA/RAFA-5156/G/Gb/Gbb/Gbba/L0001
"Survival at Sea, My Father's WWII Story", by Henry "Hank" Grimsland
