Originally Posted by
binbrook
Sotonsean:
You omitted the Immingham - Amsterdam - Gothenburg triangular ferry service (in both directions) offered by Tor Line in the 60s. I don't know when it finished but it was very useful for those in RAFG whose home was north of the English Midlands
I purposely left out the connection by Tor Line to Amsterdam as I was listing the Scandinavian connections.
But as you bring the subject up here's a brief summary of the Swedish shipping company Tor Line history of Sweden, Netherlands, United Kingdom service.
Tor Line started passenger operations in 1966 with the TOR HOLLANDIA (1966) between Gothenburg and Immingham.
Tor Line added Amsterdam on a triangular connection to it's Gothenburg to Immingham route in 1967 after the delivery of their second vessel the TOR ANGLIA which was a sister ship to the TOR HOLLANDIA.
Tor Line replaced the TOR HOLLANDIA in 1975 with the much larger TOR BRITANNIA on the Immingham-Amsterdam-Gothenburg route.
Tor Line replaced the TOR ANGLIA in 1976 with the much larger TOR SCANDINAVIA on the Immingham-Amsterdam-Gothenburg.
Tor Line replaced the UK port 1977 from Immingham to Felixstowe and continued the triangular link to Gothenburg via Amsterdam.
Tor Line was bought by the Danish shipping company DFDS in 1982 and operated as DFDS Tor Line. Felixstowe-Amsterdam-Gothenburg was replaced by Felixstowe-Gothenburg and started a direct Gothenburg-Amsterdam
In 1983 the UK terminal moved from Felixstowe to Harwich where DFDS also operated at the time to Bremerhaven, Esbjerg and Hamburg (the Bremerhaven and Hamburg having been previously been operated by Prinz Ferries which DFDS had acquired in 1981)
In 1985 the Tor Line name was dropped in preference of DFDS Seaways.
In 1991 DFDS Seaways was rebranded Scandinavian Seaways. TOR BRITANNIA was renamed PRINCE OF SCANDINAVIA, the following year TOR SCANDINAVIA was renamed PRINCESS OF SCANDINAVIA.
On the 04 January 1999 PRINCESS OF SCANDINAVIA arrived at Gothenburg marking the final Swedish link from Harwich to Gothenburg.
From the 05 January 1999 the Swedish route to the UK was Gothenburg-Kristiansand-Newcastle. The route continued with PRINCESS OF SCANDINAVIA.
In 2001 Scandinavian Seaways name reverted back to DFDS after reorganisation of the company.
On 31 October 2006 final sailing between Gothenburg-Kristiansand-Newcastle. Thus ending over 160 years of traffic with passenger ferries between Gothenburg and England was terminated.
binbrook.....as you are very aware the ferry company's used to give preferential rates to service personnel traveling back and forth to their bases in Germany and in particular the links from German and Dutch ports were very popular with Army and RAF Personel.
My uncle was in the RAF and in the early to mid 1970's he was based at RAF Guttersloh. He tended to be transported by the MOD service operated by Britannia Airways from Luton Airport.
Hopefully everyone enjoys reading my posts regarding aviation but my real forte is shipping.
Sorry to go off thread.