Pvt Eigild Ramsdahl Rohde

Eigild Ramsdahl Rohde served in the Norwegian air force in camp "Little Norway" for a brief period during the Second World War. I have little information on his service, though.

Eigild Ramsdahl Rohde is born on 8 July 1914 in Horsens, Denmark. He is the son of Jens Peder Pedersen Rohde and Ane Katrine Rohde (née Mikkelsen). He is – coincidentally perhaps – born in the same parish as Sigfred Johannes Christophersen who volunteered for Royal Air Force just three days apart.

At Sea

During the 1930's he is at sea. On 14 May 1933 he signs on the M/S AMERIKA of the East Asia Company as pantryman. It is his first engagement at sea. On 23 June 1933 the ship arrives at Tacoma, Washington, from Vancouver, British Columbia.

On 4 August 1937 he signs on the M/S EUROPA of the East Asia Company as pantryman. His experience is given as 1/2 year, which is surprising given the first trip four years earlier. The ship arrives in Seattle, Washington, from New Westminster, British Columbia on 10 September 1937. According to the US Immigration records he takes another two trips with the M/S EUROPA on the U.S. West coast arriving on 6 April and 29 July 1938.

"Little Norway"

I have not yet been able to establish the whereabouts of Eigild Ramsdahl Rohde at the outbreak of war or at the time of the German occupation of Denmark. He is known to have volunteered for the Norwegian air force and based at camp Little Norway at some point as Private. It is most likely that this is during 1941-42.

Back at Sea

On 13 January 1943 Eigild Ramsdahl Rohde is one of four crewmembers returning to the U.S. on-board the SS POELAU LAUT having been signed on the U.S. Ship WEST CACTUS that is transferred to Australian registry.

In the following years he is signed on different convoy ships sailing on the Atlantic among these the SS FRANZ KLASEN, ST ORVILLE HARDEN, SS NIOBE. He advances to 2nd cook and later chief cook.

After the war he continues a career at sea. The U.S. Immigration records includes trips in December 1945 and 1946.

On 16 January 1947 Eigild Rohde arrives to San Francisco from Shanghai, China, as passenger on-board MS GENERAL M C MEIGS. He is married in 1949 in Pinellas, Florida, and dies in May 1955 in New York at the age of only 40.

(Ancker, 2001, U.S. Immigration Records, Parish record for Horsens Kloster Sogn)