SS ''St. Cergue'' was a Swiss

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

, originally the British merchant ship ''Felldene''. She served in the

Merchant Marine of Switzerland The Merchant Marine of Switzerland is the largest merchant navy of a landlocked country. Somewhat unusual for a landlocked country, Switzerland has a long tradition of civilian navigation, both on its lakes and rivers, and on the high seas. ...

during the Second World War, notably rescuing survivors of several ships sunk by submarines.

Career

Construction and early career

Second World War

In June 1941, she gave passage from

Schiedam Schiedam () is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands. It is located in the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen, and south of Delft. In the south the city is connected with the village ...

to New York City to the Dutch Resistance fighters

Peter Tazelaar Peter Tazelaar (5 May 1920 – 6 June 1993) was a member of the Dutch resistance during World War II and worked as an agent for the SOE. Following the war he served in Dutch East Indies, before returning to Europe to work behind the Iron Curtai ...

Bram van der Stok Bram van der Stok, (13 October 1915 – 8 February 1993), also known as Bob van der Stok, was a World War II fighter pilot and flying ace, and is the most decorated aviator in Dutch history. In March 1944, he broke out of Stalag Luft III – ...

and Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema. On 6 April 1942, ''St. Cergue'' rescued the crew of the Norwegian tanker , sunk by . On 26 June 1942, ''St. Cergue'' rescued the crew of the Dutch liner , sunk by . On 25 March 1943, ''St. Cergue'' rescued survivors of the Swedish cargo , sunk by . In late September 1943, ''St. Cergue'' rescued the Portuguese steamer , victim of an accidental fire, and managed to tow her to Recife. The 1977 film ''

Soldier of Orange ''Soldier of Orange'' ( nl, Soldaat van Oranje, ) is a 1977 Dutch romance-thriller film directed and co-written by Paul Verhoeven and produced by Rob Houwer, starring Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé. The film is set around the German occupation o ...

'' features ''St. Cergue'', played by the French tanker ''Esso Port Jérôme'', modified for the occasion.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:St. Cergue, SS 1937 ships Steamships of Switzerland Merchant ships of Switzerland Steamships of the United Kingdom Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Steamships of West Germany Merchant ships of West Germany