D/S Hestmanden
Steamer Transport Ship
D/S Hestmanden
Hestmanden is the only preserved cargo ship that has sailed in convoys during both World War I and World War II. It is the only remaining ship of the more than 1,000 that were part of the Nortraship fleet during World War II, and therefore represents a central part of Norway's war history and maritime history. Called "the lucky ship", as it survived convoys in two world wars, Hestmanden is considered Norway's most valuable veteran ship.The ship is still sailing under its own power, to spread the history of the War Sailors effort.
Hestmanden was built in Laksevåg for the Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (VDS) in 1911 and was used on this company's costal cargo route between Bergen and Tromsø until 1915, when it began transporting coal between United Kingdom and France. In 1917, Hestmanden was leased by the British Shipping Controller and given a British crew. As such, the ship sailed in British coastal waters, but also in convoys to France as well as to Arkhangelsk in Russia, to support the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War.
During World War I, the ship was leased to the Allies and was used, among other things, for transporting coal from England to France.
In the interwar period, the ship resumed its operations on the coastal freight route, this time between Kristiania (now Oslo) and Kirkenes.
During World War II, it once again became an important part of Allied warfare, as part of Nortraship's large fleet. Nortraship was the Norwegian, state-owned shipping company established by the exiled government in London, consisting of approximately 1,000 ships.
Today, we know of eighteen British gunners who served on board Hestmanden. The ship is now the only preserved vessel from Nortraship's fleet. In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in 1995, the Norwegian Parliament decided that D/S Hestmanden would become the national war memorial for the war sailors.
It was relaunched in 2011 and reopened with exhibitions and storytelling in 2017. On both occasions, several war sailors participated in the ceremonies. In 2020, D/S Hestmanden was fully restored and certified to sail along the Norwegian coast on annual voyages, powered by its original steam boiler, engine, and auxiliary equipment from 1911.
Today, Hestmanden stands as a technical and historical museum, highlighting the efforts of war sailors with powerful exhibitions and storytelling on board. Hestmanden is owned by the Hestmanden Foundation, managed by the Vest-Agder Museum, and supported by the Friends of D/S Hestmanden Association. The association contributes thousands of volunteer hours throughout the year and mans the ship during its voyages.
