Victor Hugo Andersen (1913 - 1942)

Born 23 Aug 1913 in Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 28 in At Sea

Biography

Hugo Andersen was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Hugo Andersen died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Viktor "Hugo" Andersen was born on 23 August 1913 Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, the son of Borghild Elfrida Opdahl.^[1][2]

Census records in 1920^[3] and 1925^[4] show him residing at the Hans Wingaard Finnes Barnehjem (children's home).

He was an oiler in the engine room of the Norwegian registered freighter "Herstein"^[5], which was bombed by the Japanese and sunk in Rabaul Harbour, Territory of New Guinea in Jan 1942/ When the Japanese invaded, he was captured at Kokopo, near Rabaul and interned as a civilian prisoner.^[6] Although Norway and Japan were not beligerents in the War, the crew of the "Herstein" were considered hostile, probably because they had used deck guns to defend the ship during the bombing.

He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan, where he was destined for forced labour.^[1]

Research Notes

I found a 1940 U.S. World War II draft card for Victor Hugo Andersen which lists the same birthdate and address; it gives the Scandinavian Seamans' Club of Norfolk, Virginia as his local contact. - Freeth-52 11:23, 3 May 2024 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Death Form - National Archives of Australia - Defence - General - Information of deaths for persons lost on the MONTEVIDEO MARU - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=102239&S=7
2. ↑ Krigsseilerregisteret - https://www.krigsseilerregisteret.no/en/sjofolk/229166/
3. ↑ 1910 Norway Census record for Victor Hugo Andersen, b. 1913-08-23, Trondhjem (Trondheim), Residence: 0004 Lilleby, Finnes barnehjem , Sør-Trøndelag, Apt 01, Person 013. National Archives of Norway. https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/census/person/pf01074138070197
4. ↑ 1925 municipal census for Trondheim, record for Victor Hugo Andersen, b. 1913-08-23, Trondheim. Residence: 1722 Lilleby gate, Sør-Trøndelag, Apt 01, Person 010. National Archives of Norway. https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/census/person/pf01063300036633
5. ↑ Crew of the "Herstein" - http://www.warsailors.com/POWs/pows2.html#herstein
6. ↑ Missing Person card - Australian Red Cross Society, National Office (2017-05-10). Andersen, Hugo, [No Service Number].