“Underway on Nuclear Power” – also a story about Flying Enterprise and Captain Carlsen
Fifty-nine years ago today, USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) became the first submarine to get “underway on nuclear power.” Submarine Force Museum remember the story: – On the fiftieth anniversary of the event, Wilkinson gave a speech in which he described the lead-up to the transmission of those now-famous words. You can read the whole story...
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The drama about Flying Enterprise now in a Danish edition for blind people
Hele bogen om Flying Enterprise og Kurt Carlsen er nu udgivet i både punktskrift og lydbog. Materialet kan bestilles af blinde og svagtseende ved henvendelse til...
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A big surprise from Athens: Captain Carlsen taught her English in Germany
I’m very happy to tell the readers of this site about a letter that I received yesterday from Anne Dourou, Greece. Below is the story. Bjarne Bekker, journalist and author, Denmark. ”THIS MIGHT COME AS A SURPRISE to you, that somebody – not related in any way to ships or captains- contacts you with some personal material about the famous Captain Carlsen!”. MY NAME IS ANNE DOUROU, I am German, 52 years old and living in Greece for the last 30 years. My mother in Germany was a teacher for English as a foreign language at a highschool since 1969, and during her classes she came upon the little book “The ship that turned over” ! MANY YEARS have passed since then, My mother died in 2005. Today i got the message from my hometown in Germany, Gevelsberg, that another...
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»My Aunt wrote a poem at the time of the sinking of Flying Enterprise in 1952…«
Mr. Bekker. Doing a web search for my Aunt, Edna Ruffell, on the wreck of the Flying Enterprise I found reference to a museum in memory of Curt Carlsen and also reference to Captain Carlsen Park, New Jersey. I am touched at the wealth of video, newsreel and articles I have found this morning in my web search and the obvious lasting affection for him and his story around the world. My Aunt, who is from Cornwall UK near Falmouth, the port the ship was being towed to, wrote a poem at the time of the sinking in 1952 and I would like to email a transcript of the poem to the Museum. Please would you be able to give me an email address contact for the Museum curator so I can make contact. I am intrigued by reference on your website to...
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Wanted: Information about Kurt Carlsen’s personal flag ”Dannebrog”
In my research for the Danish edition of Flying Enterprise I had contact with a Dane in Hanoi. He had inherited Kurt Carlsen’s private Dannebrog. Carlsen had shipowner Hans Isbrandtsen permission to use his own flag. My source said that Carlsen had the flag with when he and officer Kenneth Dancy left the sinking ship. Is there anyone here who knows the story, please send an email to bjarne@bekker.dk....
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The artist behind the books frontpage – Peter Bilas from South Africa
Peter Bilas was born in Austria in 1952 and began painting as a hobby at the age of 15 in order to satiate a fascination with ships. Peter has dedicated himself entirely to marine art. He has held numerous exhibitions in South Africa and he is regularly invited to participate in the annual international marine exhibition at Mystic Seaport in the USA, one of the largest and most prestigious maritime galleries in the world. Peter has dedicated himself to chronicling South African maritime history. South Africa has very few artists recording its maritime past and present events. Peter has a sharp eye for detail and a strong feeling for the sea. He holds a vast library and studies the history of each ship in detail before he portrays it on canvas. Peter’s concern for technical accuracy is reflected in...
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Another boy with the same radio dream – somewhere in Ireland January 1952
Funny – a litte boy in Ireland listening to the family radio in January 1952. And imagining the same situation as is did. Are you still there Ronan Kelly? Just look and listen here. ...
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