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Second World War Veteran HMS Cailiff Still Afloat (For Now) In Norway

by John M. MacFarlane and and Svein Ludvigsen 2012

Borgenes

The Norwegian Trawler Borgenes (ex-HMCS Cailiff) Awaiting the Breaker’ Torch at Kristiansund, Norway. (Photo from Svein Ludvigsen collection)

A Norwegian reader, Svein Ludvigsen, reports that the Norwegian trawler Borgenes is due to be scrapped in the near future at Kristiansund, Norway. He say that after being moored in Kristiansund for many years, she was given up by the owners and sold to scrappers for NOK 1,- a few weeks (October 2012) ago. He says that he knows from press reports that in the 1990s some Canadians were interested in preserving the vessel. He says that the owners at that time would not discuss such a venture and that they intended to rebuild the vessel as a working fish boat. This year the owners gave up on their scheme and she was towed to Kristiansund. She was towed to the scrappers in a place called Stokksund, about 100 nautical miles north east along the coast from Kristiansund. He says, "The reason for this notification is a last tip–off of where the boat is now and that if any Canadian interests want the hull, it's about to become a very urgent matter!"

HMCS Cailiff

HMS Cailiff in her Second World War configuration while on duty with the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMS Cailiff (as she was originally known) was built as one of sixteen Western-Isles Class Anti-Submarine Trawler for the Royal Navy. (164&rsquo: x 27.6’ x 8.5’. She carried one 12 pound gun and 3-20mm guns. She was manned by 4 officers and 36 hands.)She was one of eight loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy as escorts for coastal convoys. In spite of the loan she was not commissioned into the RCN but was manned by an RN crew. She was commissioned at Collingwood Ontario on September 17, 1942 and named for the Cailiff Rocks in New Brunswick. MacPherson & Burgess (in The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981) note that she was initially allocated to the Halifax Local Defence Force in December 1943, where she remained until the end of the war. She was returned to the RN on June 10, 1945 and sold into merchant service in 1947.

Borgenes

The Norwegian Trawler Borgenes (Photo from Svein Ludvigsen collection)

Borgenes

The Norwegian Trawler Borgenes (Photo from Svein Ludvigsen collection)

Borgenes

The Norwegian Trawler Borgenes (Photo from Svein Ludvigsen collection)


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John M. and Svein Ludvigsen (2012) Second World War Veteran HMCS Cailiff Still Afloat (For Now) In Norway. Nauticapedia.ca 2012. http://nauticapedia.ca/Articles/TITLE.php

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