^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

House flags of Norwegian maritime companies (A)

Anton von der Lippe
Arendals Dampskibsselskab AS
Arne Blystad
Arne Teigens Rederi A/S
Arnulf L'Orsa A/S
Arthur H. Mathiesen
Askøy-Bergen Rutelaget A/S

See also:

Anton von der Lippe, Tonsberg

image by Jarig Bakker
Source: The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels ^[15]

#36 - White flag, blue cross; in center blue diamond, three white 5-pointed stars placed 1 and 2.
Jarig Bakker, 29 December 2004

Arendals Dampskibsselskab AS — The Arendal Steamship Company — was established in Arendal in 1857 as a passenger and cargo liner service between Arendal, Oslo and Bergen. ADS’ first vessel was the paddle-wheel steamer SS “Nedenæs”, built in Rostock in 1858. She had a steel hull, measured approx. 70 NRT, was equipped with a 35 HP engine, and had a separate lounge for female passengers. The vessel traded until 1864, when she was sold to another local owner, and then sank after grounding off Farsund, Norway, in 1866. The company then took delivery of the SS “Arendal”, built in Gothenburg in 1865. The vessel had berths for 18 passengers and with a speed of 10 knots and ice class she was a modern vessel for her time. The vessel traded successfully, in particular during the winter season. The sailing ships could not force ice, so “Arendal” was at an advantage in that respect. The vessel was sold in 1877, but continued her service as a liner on the west coast of Norway, and — with some conversions — continued trading until 1971.

The 1880s was a difficult period, and in 1886 several banks, ship owners, and merchants in Arendal were forced to stop trading. ADS was deeply affected by the crash, but the company managed to survive, and already in 1891 the company took delivery of SS “Spero”, designed for international trade. The “Spero” was by the way the first ocean-going vessel ever to call at Iquitos, Peru, in 1894 — more than 3000 km up the Amazon. The period between the two world wars were happy years for ADS, and the fleet expanded with a number of new buildings, including “Tromøsund”, “Arendal” and “Oslo”. The company also diversified into road transport, as more cargo and passengers shifted from sea to land, and even invested in a seaplane service between Oslo and Arendal. This, however, proved to be a short-lived experience.

During World War II the fleet was dramatically reduced. The tragic bombing of MV “Tromøsund” by German forces in 1943, with the loss of the full 26 crew, was the most dramatic episode during the war, but other vessels were also lost. In the post-war years, the local liner service lost much of its importance, and in 1969 the last vessel under ADS flag — the MV “Oslo” — was sold to Canada and renamed “Nordbec”. The company continued as an investor in ships managed by other owners, but focused on land transport for its own activities. In 1986 the company was split up, and the road transport business continued on its own. ADS remained without vessels or other activities. Today ADS is owned by Limassol based Shiphold Limited, through its subsidiary ADS Shipping Ltd.

ADS website: https://www.ads.no/

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Arendals Dampskibsselskab (#4, p. 37) as swallow-tailed, blue with a white lozenge inscribed with the blue letters "ADS".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#2

The house flag was used, and is still used, as the company's logo, featured in a great variety of sources:
http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/stav.htm
https://grinebiter.com/Aksjebrev/Blanketter/ArendalsDampskibsselskap.html
https://www.agderposten.no/nyheter/arendals-rederi-pa-bors/
https://adsmh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ADSCrudeCarriers_Annual_Report_2019.pdf
Ivan Sache, 23 October 2021

Arne Blystad

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 January 2006
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World ^[4]

Oslo - horizontal Blue-White-Blue flag, red "B"
Jarig Bakker, 20 January 2006

Arne Teigens Rederi A/S

image by Ivan Sache, 16 December 2013

Josef Nuesse's "Ships and Flags" website shows the house flag of Arne Teigens Rederi A/S, an Oslo-based company, as white with three blue horizontal stripes at the top, middle and bottom of the flag, with the middle stripe being interrupted by a blue "T".
Source: http://www.flagpole.de/reedereiflaggen/europa/nordeuropa/
Ivan Sache, 16 December 2013

Arnulf L'Orsa A/S

image by Ivan Sache

With shipowners, brokers and yard representatives based in Oslo, the company also operates one tanker barge in the port of Oslo. The flag is white with the blue monogram, probably a representation of the 'L' and 'O' of the company name.
Ivan Sache, 30 November 2003

A close look at the website emblem on www.lorsa.no seems to me to show that the "L" is actually a dark purple with the "O" being a dark blue.
Neale Rosanoski, 26 August 2004

Arthur H. Mathiesen

image by Ivan Sache, 15 December 2013

Josef Nuesse's "Ships and Flags" website shows the house flag of Arthur H. Mathiesen, an Oslo-based company, as white with a blue border and saltire, in the middle a red rectangle charged with a white "M".
Source: http://www.flagpole.de/reedereiflaggen/europa/nordeuropa/
Ivan Sache, 15 December 2013

Askøy-Bergen Rutelaget A/S

image by Jarig Bakker, 25 October 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World, 1995 ^[4]

Kleppeto - Israeli style white and red; in center "A-B".
Jarig Bakker, 25 October 2005

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