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Nortraship (Norway)

Last modified: 2004-09-24 by phil nelson
Keywords: norway | nortraship | world war ii | cross: scandinavian | anchor |
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[Nortaship flag] by Zeljko Heimer

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About Nortraship and its Flag

I read an interesting story about Norwegian flag during WWII used by merchant fleet that remained loyal to the king in exile in London. An accompanying photo show the flag – unusual for Norway – a swallow tailed (but without the tongue!) Norwegian flag with a golden anchor in canton. (The anchor is different in some minor details, and the top part of it is not visible on photo)

I give some extracts from the text, issued in article "Last of a Valiant Breed" in "Norway Now" Nytt fra Norge's fortnightly review no. 10 - Ultimo May 1999, Oslo, page 12.

When the Germans invaded Norway in 1940, Norwegian authorities in exile in London established Nortraship (The Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission) in order to control the 806 Norwegian vessels which at the time of the German invasion were outside Norwegian waters. This fleet totaled 4 million gross tons: 36,000 Norwegian seamen manned the vessels, running the gauntlet of German warships and submarines and constantly risking their lives to bring vital supplies from the USA to free Europe and the former USSR. Nortraship operated mainly out of London and New York. At the end of the war, it was disbanded and the vessels returned to their owners: the undertaking had made a handsome profit of 110 million pounds sterling.

Not until 1969 did they [the veteran seamen] establish their first local association an