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Life at Sea
Ships, engine rooms and journeys across a changing world.
Confirmed service, probable connections and unresolved leads are kept distinct. Passenger journeys appear separately from maritime employment.
Original & colorizedHans is in the top row, second from the right. Identification supplied by the family. Vessel, location and date remain unconfirmed.
Original & colorizedHans is on the right. Identification supplied by the family. Vessel, location and date remain unconfirmed. The colorized interpretation changes parts of the background; consult the original for the historical setting.
Original & colorizedHans is on the left. Identification supplied by the family. Vessel, location and date remain unconfirmed.
Ship-by-ship timeline
Open a vessel for service dates, occupation, locations, source documents and links to available ship photographs. Photograph links lead to the holding collection; reuse permissions remain to be confirmed.
D/S Dampfem — probable early vessel
Dates: 30 December 1924–19 January 1926, three recorded ranks; see the comparison below.
Occupation: Messboy to 21 February 1925; trimmer to 25 April 1925; greaser thereafter.
Route/location: Kirkenes sign-on and New York sign-off from endorsements; intermediate voyages not established.
Assessment: Probable vessel identification from supplied register screenshot; exact start/end agree with independent endorsements.
Hull — Probable hull: 1906 Doxford turret-deck cargo ship, yard 351, 4,136 grt, formerly Ryton / Hogland, Dampfem 1924–1926. Oslo, Rederi A/B Damp, LDHT; earlier British official number 122838 must not be called a Norwegian number. Later Erika Fritzen. Commons vessel reference. Not a later same-name ship.
Sources: Family archive: L046: Hans Harjo's Work History\Hans Letters 1_002.jpg; Family archive: L070: Harjo Album007.tif; Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: Two Louis Claes image leads in Wikimedia Commons; item-level rights still need verification. Image source.
| Register dates | Rank | Comparison with other evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 30 December 1924–21 February 1925 | Messboy | Ports unknown in register; Kirkenes endorsement independently supplies start location. |
| 21 February–25 April 1925 | Trimmer | Ports unknown. |
| 25 April 1925–19 January 1926 | Greaser | Register end agrees exactly with New York consular endorsement. |
Source: family copies of Ship Engagements 1 and 2, compared with the endorsements and employer references listed above. Uncorroborated register details remain probable.
D/S Papelera — probable service
Dates: 10 August–20 December 1926.
Occupation: Fireman.
Route/location: Ports not supplied.
Assessment: Probable from register screenshot; original card needed.
Hull — Probable hull: 1922 steam cargo vessel, 1,870 grt, D/S I/S Garonne / Fearnley & Eger, Kristiania. Registry/call sign not established. Fleet list.
Sources: Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: No verified image object yet; candidate 1922 vessel is distinct from 1908 ship lost in 1916.
Thuban — candidate
Dates: Arrival indexed 1 February 1927; joining and leaving dates unknown.
Occupation: Not confidently read.
Route/location: Indexed Port Salbot → New York. Port Talbot is a possible correction, not a verified reading.
Assessment: Possible Hans: name/age fit, but middle initial R differs; original manifest needed.
Hull — Probable hull; personal link Possible: 1915 Rotterdam-built steam cargo vessel, yard 49, 3,566 grt; Van Nievelt, Goudriaan & Co., Rotterdam; PTNL; national official number 9182 ROTT 1915. Marhisdata 6537. Later ships of this name are excluded.
Sources: Family archive: L096: Pasenger List 5.png
Images: No securely identified vessel photograph located.
Sarmatia — candidate
Dates: 22 March 1928 arrival; full service dates unknown.
Occupation: Possibly fireman by ditto marks; needs sharper original.
Route/location: Cienfuegos, Cuba → New Orleans.
Assessment: Probable Hans: age, name, nationality and career fit; no exact birth date in entry.
Hull — Hull unresolved: D/S Norden lists Sarmatia in its fleet for 1921–1933: fleet history, vessel ID 12863. A Finnish 1901 Sarmatia is another historical lead; ownership succession has not been reconciled. Do not attach its 1940 loss to Hans.
Sources: Family archive: L094: Pasenger List 3.png
Images: No securely identified vessel photograph located.
D/S Birk
Dates: 15 June 1928 – 28 February 1929.
Occupation: Donkeyman.
Route/location: Bergen is the stated home port; reference issued Pensacola, 1 March 1929. The reference does not supply a voyage-by-voyage route.
Assessment: Explicit employment period in J. Jørgensen’s reference.
Hull — Probable hull: 1920 steam cargo ship, Robert Duncan, Port Glasgow, yard 346, 3,664 grt; A/S Storli / Odfjell, Bergen. Warsailors. Period registry/call sign not established. Reported mined off Kirkenes 15 February 1942, long after Hans’s documented service.
Sources: Family archive: L051: Hans Harjo's Work History\Hans Letters 1_007.jpg; Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: A painting by Jan Goedhart is available through Warsailors; it is NOT a photograph. The 1920 Bergen vessel is a candidate visual match pending registry confirmation. Image source.
S/S Hvoslef
Dates: 1 March 1929 – 1 April 1930 (13 months).
Occupation: Donkeyman.
Route/location: Oslo stated as home port; employment reference issued New York, 1 April 1930. Full route not given.
Assessment: Explicit employment period; handwritten reference and certified copy are one underlying source.
Hull — Probable hull: 1927 steam fruit carrier, Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson; 1,630 grt; LCOP; A/S Hav, manager Helmer Staubo & Co., Oslo. Warsailors. Sunk 10 March 1942, after Hans’s 1930 departure; this is not his casualty experience.
Sources: Family archive: L054: Hans Harjo's Work History\Hans Letters 1_010.jpg; Family archive: L057: Hans Harjo's Work History\Hans Letters 1_013.jpg; Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: Vessel-history page available as an illustration-research lead; no image reproduction or reuse permission established here. Image source.
S/S Harpon
Dates: Contemporary reference: 21 June 1930–11 April 1932; 3 August 1932–1 May 1933; 5 September 1933–26 April 1934; 18 August 1934–1 May 1936. Register adds 10–29 August 1936 and subdivides/changes some earlier periods; see the comparison below.
Occupation: Respectively: fireman; greaser; engineer’s assistant; engineer’s assistant.
Route/location: Compañía Argentina de Pesca, Buenos Aires; reference issued Sandefjord, 2 May 1936. Summer boiler/engine maintenance also mentioned. Employer address and certificate location are not a complete route.
Assessment: Confirmed core service from employer reference; additional register dates are Probable pending personnel card. Both conflicting versions are retained.
Hull — Probable hull; service Confirmed: 1897 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, yard 118; 4,940 grt cargo/whaling transport; LOFQ; Compañía Argentina de Pesca, Buenos Aires. Ex Wally / Silesia / Zaandijk; Harpon from 1923. Krigsseilerregisteret 341488. Not the earlier Harpon lost in 1917. Typical company South Georgia routes are context, not proven voyages for Hans.
Sources: Family archive: L055: Hans Harjo's Work History\Hans Letters 1_011.jpg; Family archive: L056: Hans Harjo's Work History\Hans Letters 1_012.jpg; Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: No securely identified vessel photograph located.
| Register dates | Rank | Comparison with other evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 21 June 1930–11 April 1932 | Fireman | Agrees with reference. |
| 3 September 1932–1 May 1933 | Fireman | CONFLICT: contemporary reference says 3 August 1932 and greaser. |
| 5 September 1933–26 April 1934 | Engineer’s assistant | Agrees with reference. |
| 18 August 1934–20 July 1935 | Engineer’s assistant | Splits interval grouped in reference as 18 August 1934–1 May 1936. |
| 17 September 1935–25 April 1936 | Engineer’s assistant | Second part of split interval; end differs from reference’s 1 May 1936. |
| 10–29 August 1936 | Engineer’s assistant | Additional period not in reference issued the previous May. |
Source: family copies of Ship Engagements 1 and 2, compared with the endorsements and employer references listed above. Uncorroborated register details remain probable.
D/S Foca
Dates: Register reports 10 September 1936–28 May 1937; 3 September 1937–23 May 1938; 19 September 1938–23 May 1939; 21 September 1939–April 1941. Contemporary 1939–1940 correspondence independently confirms association.
Occupation: Fireman according to register screenshot; rank not stated in family letter.
Route/location: South Georgia postmarks; letter headed Foca. Other 1940 letters give Grytvika via Buenos Aires as a mailing address. Postal routing does not establish every port call.
Assessment: Confirmed ship association; Probable precise register periods and rank pending underlying record.
Hull — Probable hull; association Confirmed: 1921 Bokerøens, Svelvik, yard 9; 210 grt steam whale catcher; Compañía Argentina de Pesca. Historical calls WQFN / LIGQ / LDWK need period matching. Later database number 5117779 is not a verified 1940 official number. Skipshistorie.
Sources: Family archive: L022: Hans Harjo Letters\09172026_012.jpg; Family archive: L023: Hans Harjo Letters\09172026_013.jpg; Family archive: L033: Hans Harjo Letters\Hans_Harjo_Letters_006.jpg; Family archive: L034: Hans Harjo Letters\Hans_Harjo_Letters_007.jpg; Family archive: L029: Hans Harjo Letters\Hans_Harjo_Letters_002.jpg; Family archive: L030: Hans Harjo Letters\Hans_Harjo_Letters_003.jpg; Family archive: L031: Hans Harjo Letters\Hans_Harjo_Letters_004.jpg; Family archive: L032: Hans Harjo Letters\Hans_Harjo_Letters_005.jpg; Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: Historical Foca photograph on Skipshistorie, credited via facebook.com/DSForlandet. Rights and precise photo date unconfirmed; linked as a candidate vessel image. Image source.
Kemi
Dates: Engaged 2 June 1941; present on crew list arriving 4 July 1941. Leaving date unknown.
Occupation: Fireman (ditto entry).
Route/location: Engaged Norfolk; arrival Boston from Liverpool N.S. Norfolk VA is crossed out in the departure field. Do not substitute Liverpool, England.
Assessment: Probable Hans: name, nationality, age 39 and 17 years at sea agree with family chronology; exact DOB absent.
Hull — Possible hull / alias: Candidate 1900 Rostock-built Finnish steamship later Olivia, associated with Gustaf Erikson, Mariehamn. Finnish register lead surfaced Olivia (ex Kemi), but full register was not accessible. Call/official number and 1941 renaming date not settled. Oliver may be a misindexing of Olivia; hypothesis only.
Sources: Family archive: L088: Pasenger List 12.png; Family archive: L089: Pasenger List 12_2.png; Family archive: L092: Pasenger List 15.png; Family archive: L102: Pasenger List.png
Images: No securely identified vessel photograph located.
S/S Gunvor
Dates: Register: 3 January 1942 Boston–14 June 1942 (mined). Administrative shore-leave requests continue August–September 1942.
Occupation: Third engineer in supplied register and Ságat; second engineer in Warsailors roster. Exact rank unresolved.
Route/location: Candidate sign-on form: Georgetown B.G. → Everett/Boston, arrival 30 December 1941; planned 5 January sailing to Baltimore. Later correspondence is administrative evidence, not voyages.
Assessment: Confirmed identity in Ságat article (full name, DOB, parents and Tana); strongly Probable loss/survival account and register period. Original inquiry remains the best check; published sources may share the same underlying evidence.
Hull — Probable hull: 1935 Trondhjem yard 204; 1,942 grt steam cargo; LIWO; A/S Herdis / Bachke & Co., Trondheim. Krigsseilerregisteret 311682. Incident and survivor assessment: R11.
Sources: Family archive: L091: Pasenger List 14 (I am not sure about this one because the middle initial is wrong).png; Family archive: L093: Pasenger List 2.png; Family archive: L104: Shore Leave Card 2.png; Family archive: L105: Shore Leave Card 3.png; Family archive: L106: Shore Leave Card 4.png; Family archive: L108: Shore Leave Card.png; Family archive: L107: Shore Leave Card 5.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png; Family archive: Ságat, 10 January 2020, pp. 12–13
Images: Krigsseilerregisteret provides a photograph of the 1935 D/S Gunvor; photographer unknown. This is the likely vessel match; use the ship’s call sign LIWO to check against further crew records. Image source.
M/T Evita
Dates: 29 October 1942, New York–4 June 1945, Houston, according to register. Joining date independently repeated in manifests; discharge date Probable until original card checked.
Occupation: Pumpman on manifests and Port Said pass. Port ID dated 28 October 1942 says donkeyman but does not name Evita.
Route/location: Bristol → New York, 12 Dec 1942; Liverpool → New York, June 1943; Greenock → New York, 24 Sep 1943; Port Said, date uncertain; Curaçao → New York, 10 Apr 1944; Clyde → New York, 3 Jul 1944; Toulon → apparent Houston, 2 Jun 1945.
Assessment: Confirmed repeated service. Register clarifies June 1943 movement, and supplies discharge; date distinctions noted in voyage tables.
Hull — Strong hull match: 1927 Götaverken yard 406, motor tanker, 6,346 grt; Evita from 1936, formerly Dagland; Skips A/S Uglands Rederi (J. M. Ugland), Grimstad; Nortraship wartime control. Historical calls LGHK / LCGV, dates of change unverified. Krigsseilerregisteret 9119. No Hans-specific casualty established.
Sources: Family archive: L059: Hans1.jpg; Family archive: L060: Hans2.jpg; Family archive: L061: Hans3.jpg; Family archive: L062: Hans4.jpg; Family archive: L065: Hans_Harjo_Shore_Leave_Pass_Back.tif; Family archive: L066: Hans_Harjo_Shore_Leave_Pass_Front.tif; Family archive: L086: Pasenger List 10.png; Family archive: L087: Pasenger List 11.png; Family archive: L090: Pasenger List 13.png; Family archive: L097: Pasenger List 6.png; Family archive: L098: Pasenger List 7.png; Family archive: L099: Pasenger List 7_2.png; Family archive: L100: Pasenger List 8.png; Family archive: L101: Pasenger List 9.png; Family archive: L063: Hans_Harjo_ID_Front.tif; Family archive: L064: Hans_Harjo_ID_Front_Back.tif; Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: Photograph available in Krigsseilerregisteret, labelled Evita 1927 and credited © Ugland Management Co A/S. 1927 is a vessel identifier in the listing, not established here as the exposure date. Publication permission not established. Image source.
D/S Thorshammer — probable homeward service
Dates: 15 June–13 July 1945; voyage New York 20 June → Clyde 4 July.
Occupation: Messboy as displayed; needs original verification.
Route/location: New York → Clyde → Sandefjord; final interval ending 13 July is register statement.
Assessment: Probable personal engagement from screenshot. Do not convert the unexpected rank to passenger without evidence.
Hull — Probable hull: Whaling factory ship operated by Bryde & Dahls Hvalfangstselskap, Sandefjord. Registry/official number not established in this pass. Krigsseilerregisteret 29677; Sandefjordshistorie 541. The source lists a 20 June 1945 manifest as a further lead, not yet inspected.
Sources: Family archive: Ship Engagements 1.png; Family archive: Ship Engagements 2.png
Images: Krigsseilerregisteret and Sandefjordshistorie have vessel/image leads; permission not verified. Image source.
Stockholm — passenger journey
Dates: Departed 12 March 1953; arrival header 21 March, database index 22 March 1953.
Occupation: Passenger, not documented crew.
Route/location: Gothenburg → New York; Kristian H. Harjö, 51, with Hans F., 13, and Liv, 9. Destination c/o Mr. Horgen, 65 Eldridge Avenue, Staten Island.
Assessment: Documented family passenger journey; one-day arrival discrepancy retained.
Hull — Probable hull; passenger journey Confirmed: 1948 Stockholm motorship, Swedish American Line; Mariners’ Museum ARI64108. Official number not established in this research.
Sources: Family archive: L076: Harjo.jpg; Family archive: L078: Harjo2.jpg; Family archive: L095: Pasenger List 4.png
Images: The Mariners’ Museum catalogs a photograph of STOCKHOLM (MOTORSHIP: 1948), object ARI64108. Appropriate vessel-era candidate; photo date and reproduction terms require the catalog/holding institution. Image source.
Stavangerfjord — family connection
Dates: 7–16 May 1953 voyage; Hans is not listed on the reviewed page.
Occupation: Alfhild and children traveled as passengers, tourist class.
Route/location: Oslo → New York; Alfhild, Solveig, Johnny, Kjell, Knut and Lillian; destination 65 Eldridge Avenue, Staten Island.
Assessment: Include as family migration context, not Hans’s own passage or employment.
Hull — Probable hull; family journey Confirmed: 1918 Stavangerfjord, Norwegian America Line; SNL ship article. Official number not established here. Hans is not a passenger on the reviewed page.
Sources: Family archive: L085: JOhnny Harjoe.jpg
Images: SNL reproduces a photograph at Oslo in the 1920s, credited Narve Skarpmoen/Nasjonalbiblioteket and marked public domain. Historical illustration, not a photograph of the 1953 voyage. Image source.
Oliver / Empire Gannet — unconfirmed index labels
Dates: Oliver index: 4 July 1941. Empire Gannet index: 31 December 1941. Neither is a secure period aboard.
Occupation: Unknown.
Route/location: Oliver-labelled continuation matches Kemi-associated names; Empire Gannet-labelled image actually names Gunvor in its body.
Assessment: Excluded from established service list. No vessel photograph assigned because the underlying service association is unresolved.
Hull — Unconfirmed / excluded from established vessel list: Oliver and Empire Gannet are conflicting index labels. No separate employment or hull assigned.
Sources: Family archive: L092: Pasenger List 15.png; Family archive: L102: Pasenger List.png; Family archive: L091: Pasenger List 14 (I am not sure about this one because the middle initial is wrong).png; Family archive: L093: Pasenger List 2.png
Images: No securely identified vessel photograph located.
Reading the evidence
The engagement screenshots omit their name and URL headers. Repeated agreement with independent references supports attribution to Hans, but new dates and ranks remain probable until the original cards are checked. Photographs of crew groups have not yet been assigned to a specific ship.
Oliver and Empire Gannet are conflicting index labels and do not establish additional employment. Ship movements alone do not prove Hans was aboard on every leg.
Biography sources and research notes →