John Olaus Brathseth

Sjøforklaringer, journalnr. 1476-6457/1940:
Sjømannen var 19 år gammel da han vitnet den 28.2.1940, i Oslo Byrett etter at DS NIDARHOLM ble senket 12.2.1940.

Fartstid 2. verdenskrig:
Skipsfører D/S "Nidarholm" av Oslo Rederiet Geo.Hansen.  påm. Baltimore 17.7.1939.  Krigsforlist 28.2.1940.
Built U.S.A. 1919. Previous names: Bethnor 1922, Irene until 1939 (American).

Torpedoed by U-26 (Scheringer) on Febr. 12-1940, 50 50N 14 10W, when on a voyage from Tampa and Halifax for Liverpool with a cargo of cotton and grape fruit. All 25 on board survived and were rescued about 10 hours later by D/S Berto which was en route from Torrevieja for Bergen via Gibraltar and Kirkwall. Nidarholm broke in two and both parts sank, though there seems to be some disagreement in the various sources. A visitor to my website tells me that Admiralty records state the forepart sank (at 11:00) while the afterpart stayed afloat. The same records say that the 1st mate had heard two shots at 08:30 in the morning of the 12th whereupon he stopped the ship and sounded the alarm. He then sighted the conning tower of a submarine at 1 to 1 1/2 miles away to starboard. All on board got in the lifeboats and about 20 minutes later a torpedo struck forward of the bridge breaking her in 2. (I venture to guess that since Norway was still neutral the 2 shots may have been warning shots, and it looks like the crew was given enough time to get in the boats before the torpedo was fired).

Personbeskrivelse nr. 233 Lillesand  Mønstringsdistrikt " Sjøens folk "- Odd Knudsen / Peder Larsen. Lillesand Folkebibliotek.

Født 1890 Kinn, Møre og Romsdal.
Bosted Lillesand.
Far Anders Brathseth.
Gift med Teodine Tønnesen, Lofthus.
Seilskutemann 1906.
Damp og motorskipsfører 1920/1950.
Båtbygger i USA.