# Alf Christiansen Liverpool



## Vivi

Hello everyone.

I am looking for somebody who might have some information about my great grandfather Alf Christiansen from Larvik, Norway who worked as a whaler. He came to and settled down in Liverpool circa 1940 and never returned to Norway. Any information about him would be much appreciated.


----------



## Frank P

Welcome onboard Vivi, enjoy the site...

I hope that someone can help you with some information about your Grandfather...

Cheers Frank


----------



## Vivi

Thank you, Frank.

Yes, I hope someone will know something about his life in Liverpool as it has always been a mystery to his family back in Norway.

Kind regards, Vivi.


----------



## Erimus

The major whaler from Liverpool in the 20th Century was Southern Whaling & Sealing Company which were owned until 1941 by Lever Brothers,probably for their soap manufacturing...They were then sold to Christian Salvesen who who were the 'big boys' of whaling from UK ports...this business later disappeared when whaling became a 'no-no'....

Whilst Salvesens are now part of the Norbert Dentressangle Group I am sure that if the poster contacted the Salvesen HQ in Leith they may be able to assist?

geoff


----------



## Vivi

Erimus said:


> The major whaler from Liverpool in the 20th Century was Southern Whaling & Sealing Company which were owned until 1941 by Lever Brothers,probably for their soap manufacturing...They were then sold to Christian Salvesen who who were the 'big boys' of whaling from UK ports...this business later disappeared when whaling became a 'no-no'....
> 
> Whilst Salvesens are now part of the Norbert Dentressangle Group I am sure that if the poster contacted the Salvesen HQ in Leith they may be able to assist?
> 
> geoff


Thank you, Geoff. I will try to contact Salvesen HQ to see if they might have any information regarding my great grandfather.

Kind regards, Vivi.


----------



## george e mitchell

hi viv. a few weeks ago I saw a post from someone in Norway looking for information about his father when he worked in Aberdeen over 50 years ago.
I worked in a shipping company then, and was a good friend of his father,
He said it was a long shot putting a post on this site, I replied saying long shots
can pay off. on this site, I received a private message back, Shows that long shots do work, just give it a bit of time. Good luck in your quest George


----------



## R58484956

Greetings* Vivi *and welcome to *SN*. Bon voyage.


----------



## Roger Griffiths

Erimus said:


> Whilst Salvesens are now part of the Norbert Dentressangle Group I am sure that if the poster contacted the Salvesen HQ in Leith they may be able to assist?
> 
> geoff


Hello Vivi and welcome,
In all honesty, I cannot see the Salvesen HQ being much help, but worth a try I suppose.
The Salvesen Archives at Edinburgh University Library https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/5f4a2b5d-6bb4-343b-927a-8f12d865acca
may be more productive but at the end of the day it's down to you to do the digging.
Could you tell us your man's Full proper name. Alf sounds like an anglicised version of something. His place and date of birth. 
It may be more productive to search Merchant Navy personal records and emigration records rather than try and track him down in a company which we do not know for certain if he worked for them or not.
Also try a post on http://warsailors.com/freefleet/index.html Siri, the owner of the site is Norwegian and a mine of information on Norwegian sailors.

regards 
Roger


----------



## Vivi

george e mitchell said:


> hi viv. a few weeks ago I saw a post from someone in Norway looking for information about his father when he worked in Aberdeen over 50 years ago.
> I worked in a shipping company then, and was a good friend of his father,
> He said it was a long shot putting a post on this site, I replied saying long shots
> can pay off. on this site, I received a private message back, Shows that long shots do work, just give it a bit of time. Good luck in your quest George


Hello, George.

That's really great. I stumbled across this site a few days ago and thought it was worth a try to make a post here. Even if this was many years ago, your story shows that it is possible.

Thank you very much for your good wishes.

Kind regards, Vivi.


----------



## Vivi

R58484956 said:


> Greetings* Vivi *and welcome to *SN*. Bon voyage.


Thank you very much.

Kind regards, Vivi.


----------



## Vivi

Roger Griffiths said:


> Hello Vivi and welcome,
> In all honesty, I cannot see the Salvesen HQ being much help, but worth a try I suppose.
> The Salvesen Archives at Edinburgh University Library https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/5f4a2b5d-6bb4-343b-927a-8f12d865acca
> may be more productive but at the end of the day it's down to you to do the digging.
> Could you tell us your man's Full proper name. Alf sounds like an anglicised version of something. His place and date of birth.
> It may be more productive to search Merchant Navy personal records and emigration records rather than try and track him down in a company which we do not know for certain if he worked for them or not.
> Also try a post on http://warsailors.com/freefleet/index.html Siri, the owner of the site is Norwegian and a mine of information on Norwegian sailors.
> 
> regards
> Roger


Hello, Roger.

His birth name was Alf Christiansen and he was born in Hedrum, Larvik, Norway 14. november 1896. As I live in Norway, I really don't have any idea of where to search for information about him. I will however try the Warsailors site you linked. Thanks for the tip.

Kind regards, Vivi.


----------



## Erimus

We had several seamen called Alf in our fleet,mostly from same area....I have sent Vivi an Ancestry printout with family details,alas,so far no information on his activities/life in Liverpool.

geoff


----------



## Erimus

Vivi....look at this clipping from this site some years ago...

Look especially at the post by Bob Nightingale #14 . Is this the man?

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=53720

geoff


----------



## Vivi

Erimus said:


> Vivi....look at this clipping from this site some years ago...
> 
> Look especially at the post by Bob Nightingale #14 . Is this the man?
> 
> http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=53720
> 
> geoff


This is very interesting. It could very well be him. By the description it certainly sounds like him. I will try to get in contact with the poster.

Thanks alot Geoff, this is very helpful.

Vivi.


----------



## Alf1896

Hi, I am Alf Christiansen's grandson. I have sent Vivi a private message but unfortunately, I have no reply. Anybody with any info on Alf, please get in touch. He died in Liverpool in 1965 after settling there in 1940. He had one child, my Mother Edna Alfreda Christiansen. We don't know anything about his early life prior to 1940 so any info would be welcomed. Thanks. Chris


----------



## Cutsplice

It's good to see some progress on Vivi,s behalf concerning his great grandfather I am sure success is just around the corner.


----------



## jg grant

Hi Vivi, I am ex Salvesen and if he was with Salvesens their may be something to be found by getting in touch with Salvesens old whalers club in Leith Edinburgh. Good luck.


----------



## Stni

Vivi said:


> Hello everyone.
> 
> I am looking for somebody who might have some information about my great grandfather Alf Christiansen from Larvik, Norway who worked as a whaler. He came to and settled down in Liverpool circa 1940 and never returned to Norway. Any information about him would be much appreciated.


Hello Vivi.

I live i Larvik, Norway and have a great granfather with the name Alf Christiansen who was a sailor and never came home after the war. He married someone named Mary?


----------



## Alf1896

Stni said:


> Hello Vivi.
> 
> I live i Larvik, Norway and have a great granfather with the name Alf Christiansen who was a sailor and never came home after the war. He married someone named Mary?


Hi Stni,
I am Alf and Mary's Grandson and have been looking for my relatives in Norway. I have recently been in contact with my cousin, Anne Lise Strom after being introduced to her by Geir Christiansen. Are you part of the same family? I have been trying to find out who Vivi is as well as she knows that Alf came to Liverpool. I had assumed she was a decendent of Alf and Margit? I posted a message on shipsnostagia myself in March but Vivi has not visited the site for 8 months so i've been awaiting a response at some point?
Best Regards
Chris


----------



## Stni

Hi Stni,
I am Alf and Mary's Grandson and have been looking for my relatives in Norway. I have recently been in contact with my cousin, Anne Lise Strom after being introduced to her by Geir Christiansen. Are you part of the same family? I have been trying to find out who Vivi is as well as she knows that Alf came to Liverpool. I had assumed she was a decendent of Alf and Margit? I posted a message on shipsnostagia myself in March but Vivi has not visited the site for 8 months so i've been awaiting a response at some point?
Best Regards
Chris
[/QUOTE]

Hi. Yes they are


----------



## Alf1896

Hi, I'll let you know if i find anything out. Sounds like a mystery as to who Vivi is. I have asked the shipsnostalgia administrator to pass my email address on so i'll await news. Cheers. Chris


----------



## Hugh MacLean

I have Alf Christiansen departing Liverpool onboard HIGHLAND PRINCESS on 21st September 1940 - along with over 100 Norwegians, their occupations given as 'Whaling' and their destination Montivideo. I also have a return journey for Alf on the same ship on 18th August 1941 - Montivideo to Liverpool and his occupation is given as Carpenter.
Regards
Hugh


----------



## Alf1896

Thanks very much for this Hugh. I attach a photo of Alf (centre) and 2 shipmates in a park in Montevideo. They were based at the whaling station at Grytviken in South Georgia so must have travelled to and fro Montevideo en route to back home. We know that he arrived in Liverpool in 1941 and as the Germans had invaded Norway by then, he could not return home. He ended up settling in Liverpool, where he spent the rest of his life until his death in 1965. Thanks again. If you come across anything else, please let me know. Cheers. Chris


----------

