Portrait of Aage Lorang Berdahl. Born on 14 December 1918 in Norway, Berdahl served with the ...

Portrait of Aage Lorang Berdahl. Born on 14 December 1918 in Norway, Berdahl served with the Merchant Navy, mostly in ships operating between the United Kingdom and Australia during the Second World War. Before the war he worked on the merchant ship Konsdal from 27 May 1937 to 9 January 1939, working his way up from Engine boy to Motorman (Mechanic). He then served as Motorman on the following vessels: Brattdal (1 April 1939 to 21 December 1940), Bramora (20 February 1941 to 7 June 1941) and Tiradentes (21 June 1941 to 28 February 1942). On 27 February 1942 Bergdahl signed on to the merchant vessel, Scotia.

In late 1943 the Scotia was on charter to the Vacuum Oil Company with a cargo of 13,800 tons of diesel oil intended for British ships in Melbourne, Victoria. During the journey, on 27 November 1943, the Scotia was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. After she was first hit the radio officer sent out distress calls and the crew abandoned ship. About 15 minutes later another torpedo detonated in the engine room. The ship broke in two amidships and the stern sank. When ordered to abandon ship, Bergdahl made his way to the nearest lifeboat, which contained the Captain and other officers and crew. There was no room for him in this lifeboat, so he was ordered into another. He made his way back to the aft of the Scotia and found room on one of the other lifeboats.

The submarine surfaced near the lifeboat containing the ship’s Captain. While the submarine focussed on the Captain’s lifeboat the other two, including the one with Bergdahl, slipped away into the darkness to avoid capture. They had been hidden from the submarine by the remains of the forepart of the Scotia. The two lifeboats were connected by a line so they would not become separated. Meanwhile, the Japanese ordered the Captain onto the submarine and he was taken prisoner. They then opened fire on the lifeboat, killing all but one man who managed to throw himself overboard and avoid detection. After they left the scene he got back in the lifeboat and spent three days with the ship’s dog who had also survived.

The distress call from the Scotia had been received by the British and two Catalina aircraft were sent out to locate them. They dropped a message to the survivors of the joined lifeboats to tell them HMS Okapi was being sent to rescue them. The men were picked up by HMS Okapi on 29 November and they then searched for the Captain’s lifeboat, which was discovered on the afternoon of 30 November. HMS Okapi then returned to her base at Addu Atoll, Maldive Islands, arriving there on 1 December. On 3 December Bergdahl and the survivors, not seriously injured (including the dog) were transferred to a French troopship and taken to Colombo. The men were given lodgings at the local Seamen's Club where they were given some clothes.

32 men survived, including the Captain who survived captivity. Eight were killed. The survivor of the Captain’s lifeboat was able to take note of the identity markings on the Japanese submarine that had attacked the Scotia, and it was later identified as submarine I-37. After maritime hearings into the sinking Bergdahl joined the Tai Yin from 27 December 1943 to 31 January 1944. He then went on to serve aboard the British Colonial Express (4 April 1944 to 10 February 1945), Tai Yang again (26 March to 25 August 1945), back to the British Colonial Express (as Assistant Engineer 28 September 1945 to 8 July 1946) and finally with the Tricolour, again as Motorman, from 14 November 1946 to 28 January 1947. After the war Bergdahl settled and married in Australia. He became an Australian citizen in 1956.