Whaling

It was established many companys the following years that started hunting in the southern areas. Everyone hoped to make good money in a hunting that seemed to be inexhaustible. During the First decade after the opening of the hunting areas at South Georgia, many new district became available; deislands to South – Shetland, Falkland Islands, Orkney Islands, Kergeulen and along the coast of Africa and South-America. It was often in Norwegian owner in almost every whaling company. They all have one thing common; everyone came one of tree small towns in the country of Vestfold ( South Norway ) – Sandefjord, Larvik or Tønsberg. Like the vikings did, the vessels where loaded up with people, one by one, and sent to the southern hunting areas. South Georgia  Most of the hunting in the south was base don South – Georgia, mostly because of the high number os whales. In 1904 did C.A.Larsen establish one station in Gryteviken for the Argentine company “Compana Argentina de Pesco SA “. A few ye...

  Post routes Mail was using 4-6 weeks one way before World war II started. It was opened for air mail at the Falkland Islands after the war, but still it was a high rate of predictability in mail transport. It was always anounced in the local newspapers when a vessel was planed to sail to the south, and then it was at the same time a deadline for mail. It was different in South-Georgia. No newspapers where available and all news came through rumors. When people hear that a vessel planned to sail against Europa did every whaling station send a ship to mGryteviken with Mail. This because of that the only post office in South-Georgia was placed here, and every vessel that arrived or planned to leave the Islands had to stop here for toll decleration and inspection. Whaling season 1935/36.  correctly postage letter from a whaler sent to his wife in Holmestrand Norway. He was employed at Leith Harbor station, and the letter was deleverd at the post office in Gryteviken and cancel...

  Post routes II Most of the mail to Norway was loaded into the transport vessels to the other stations. Up to the end of the 1920’did theese ships normally stop at St. Vincent or Las Palmas for supplies and fuel. The vessels did not go directly to Norway, but stopped First in other harbours in Europa for unloading   the oil. Mail from Norway to South-Georgia did also leave with the vessels. First stop for theese was Great Britain and loading of coal to the whaling stations. From here the ship went to Las Palmas or St. Vincent for own supplies before crossing the ocean and ended up in Gryteviken. From time to time some of the vessels also went into a harbour in South-America before arrival at South-Grorgia. Whaling season 1935/36. Correctly postage letter from a whaler sent to his wife in Holmestrand Norway. He was employed at Leith Harbor station, and the letter was deleverd at the post office in Gryteviken and cancelled 28-10-1936. Stamping of the stamps was not done with ...

  The standard stamp The most usual stamp we can find at letters is a blue 2½ d stamp. At the postcard we can see the green ½ d stamp and/or the red 1 d stamps.                                                      The cancellation of the stamps is a tragic story. A typical cancellation is indisttinctly and ugly, and almost impossible to read the day, month and year. The reason for this is probably the fact that almost every letter and post card was delivered to the stations a few days before the ship was leaving. The secretary had to put stamps and cancellations on all mail, 3.000 – 4.000 of them, in a short time. The quality was not in focus.  The shortage of stamps The most exciting part of the philateley from South-Georgia in this period is from the First time after the post office in Gryteviken was established in 1909, and not forget the t...

Letter from Olav Reppesgård, who works at Prince Olav Harbor station, sent from Gryteviken 8-NO-30 to his wife in Sandefjord, arriving 10-XII-30.   Shipped from Prince Olavs Havn, postmarked at Gryteviken post office. Letter, sent by Arnt Olaf Westby, from Stromness station, postmarked at the post office at Gryteviken 13-OC-1930. He sent the letter to his wife Julie Westby Myrvoll in Sandefjord, arrival 10-XI-1930. Back of letter sent, from Stromness station, this was his eighth letter to his family. H/B Castberg was the whale catcher on which he was an engineer. DS"Chr. Castberg" was a steel whaler built in 1929 by Smith's Dock Co. Ltd. in Middlesbrough, England, for Hvalfanger A/S Sandefjord. The ship was named after whaling pioneer Christopher Castberg. The boat was handed over to Vestfold in 1934 Whaling Company Ltd and was named "Vestfold II" It continued whaling until 1941 when it was leased to the Royal Navy for use in minesweeping. Letter sent to Anders ...

Mustering  card sent to Gustav Solberg, living at Virik in Sandefjord, postmarked 4.IX.34 The card is informing Gustav Solberg that the muster in for the Kosmos (II) expedition in the 1934/35 whaling season will take place on 12. September at 9 o'clock at Teaterlokalet in Sandefjord. He is told to show the card at the entrance. And he is also told to have the leave of absence papers (from the military) in order. The D/S Kosmos left Sandefjord in September, to sail to the Whaling grounds.  Muster in card sent to Thomas Andersen living at Vestre rød in Sandefjord, postmarked 6.IX.34 The muster in for S/S VIKINGEN'S unloading trip takes place on 8. September at 9 o'clock at Teaterlokalet in Sandefjord. Show this card at the entrance, make sure you have the leave of absence papers (from the military) in order. The D/S Vikingen left Sandefjord in September, to sail to the Whaling grounds. Vikingen was after unloading the whale oil, that season a transport ship/tanker. The Wh...

  Letter sent October 13, 1937 from St. Nicolaas Aruba, to Norway. Sender was R. Danielsen, who worked as secretary at S / S Sourabaya. Back of letter, S / S Sourabaya Between whaling seasons, the S / S Sourabaya lay in the harbor of Tønsberg. In the latter part of September 1937, the Norwegian whalers went on board of the factory ship, and shortly thereafter left for Aruba where they took fuel oil. In Aruba, the crew had the opportunity to send letters to family and friends. Afterwards, the ship headed for Arctic waters. The season started on 12-8-1936 and lasted until 3-15-1938. As this letter is not airmail, it was at the post office awaiting a ship going to Norway / Europe. Whale factory “Sourabaya” Completed in February 1915 as a steam passenger vessel “Carmarthenshire” for Royal Mail Lines Ltd, London. 1929 converted into whale factory ship Sourabaya for Christian Salvesen & Co, Edinburgh.   Letter sent 23-X-1937 from Oslo, to whale factory “Svend Foyn ”South Georgia...