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History of the MV Fredericia

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Issue: 9 Updated: 1st January 2021

1929 – 1963 as a Passenger & Cargo Motorship & from 1964 - 1972 as the MV Caroline an Offshore Radio Ship

24.5.1929 – Ordered : 18.7.1929 - Keel : 14.11.1929 - Launch

MV Fredericia just off the slip in Sweden

The MV Fredericia built in Sweden, left the slip prior to fitting out

MV Fredericia Danish Passenger Ferry

1 deck : 693gt : 389nt : 500 dw : 200’1”/18’0”x32’3”x14’0”/13’5” : Frederikshavns Voerf & Flydedok A/S, Frederikshavn, no,187 : ID 4SA 6cyl. (450x850), type B&W445-MTF-85, 1040bhp, 12kn., A/S Burmeister & Wain’s Maskin-og Skibsbyggeri, Copenhagen

14/15.3.1930 - Trial - 15.5.1930 - Delivered to DSDF, Kolding (from 15.4.1941 : Fredericia 15.9.1945, Aalborg. 25.1.1946, Kolding, 9.5.1959, Odense)

19.5.1930 until 7.4.1940 - In service Copenhagen-Fredericia-Middelfart-Kolding

1937 until 1939 & 1947 until 1950 Each summer she made a trip: Copenhagen – Koge or Elisinore with members of DFSD Sports Club

Danish passenger ferry Fredericia

16.5.1940 until 21.6.1940 - Service mainly Copenhagen-Fredericia-Kolding

24.5.1940 until 28.5.1940 - Temporary Service; Copenhagen-Samso-Odense

23.6.1940 until 3.8.1940 - Service Copenhagen-Aarhus-Fredericia-Kolding

6.8.194- until 21.9.1940 - Service Copenhagen-Fredericia-Koldong

24.9.1940 - In service mainly; Copenhagen-Fredericia-Vejle-Horsens

MV Fredericia Danish Passenger Ferry

29.6.1941 until 20.9.1941 - Service also Copenhagen-Aarbus

20.9.1941 until 5.4.1943 - Laid up at Copenhagen

MV Fredericia Danish Passenger Ferry

5.4.1943 until 25.7.1943 - Service Copenhagen-Samso-Odense

25.7.1943 until 26.3.1944 - Service again Copenhagen-Samso-Odense

Danish passenger ferry Fredericia

30.4.1944 until 2.11.1944 - Laid up at Copenhagen

2.11.1944 until 15.2.1945 - Service Copenhagen-Fredericia-Kolding/Vejle/Horsens

17.2.1945 until 14.12.1945 - Service Copenhagen-aarthus-Aalbogr

1946 until 19.3.1959 - Service again Copenhagen-Fredericia-Kolding

1953 - Occasionally proceeded to Vejle or Sonderborg

29.5.1959 until 14.8.1963 - Service mainly during the summer season Copenhagen-Samso-Odense.
1960 - Service also Copenhagen-Randers/Horsens-Vejle

MV Caroline

14.8.1963 Arrived at Copenhagen form Odense & laid up

30.12.1963 - Sold to Cross Channel container Services Limited (Ronan O’Rahilly) Greenore harbour. Price paid £20,000

8.1.1964 - Taken over by new owners who claimed to use her in service in UK-Ireland & to have her renamed ISEULT. However, transferred to Astrenic SA (Ronan O’Rahilly) Panama & renamed CAROLINE Towed from Rotterdam to Greenore Harbour & converted into a broadcasting ship

MV Caroline 1964

27.3.1964 - Anchored in position 51. 59’ 30” North – 0. 1’ 32” off the coast of Suffolk as a pirate radio sender

Jim Murphy

The late Jim Murphy on air onboard the MV 'Caroline' ('Fredericia')

MV Caroline off the Isle-of-Man

13.7.1964 - Shifted to the Irish Sea she broadcasts as she sails to anchor in Ramsey Bay off the Isle of Man as a pirate radio sender

15.8.1967 - After the British Government legislation prevented supplies being delivered to any radio ship from British Ports CAROLINE continued broadcasting with supplies from the Netherlands

MV Caroline off the Isle-of-Man

In 1968 a dispute with Wijsmuller arose over non-payment of supplies and in 3.3.1968 the tug UTRECHT towed her to Amsterdam and she was laid up

6.1972 - Auctioned to Frank Rijsdijk Holland NV, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht for demolition Price paid £3.117.00

MV Caroline Hulk

1972 Demolition commenced after 43 years service at the Van der Marel shipbrokery scrapyard Ouwerkerk in the Provence of Zeeland (Karel Gerbers)

Apologies for any errors made with the Scandinavian names

Disseminated from a very poor quality publication of unknown origin discovered by John Aston of Radio Caroline North

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