Robert Neilson of Fort Lauderdale, FL, sailed on SAL ships across the oceans for months at a time, 
continuously from 1962 -73, aged 9-20. He became a close friend of Captain Carl-Otto Wijkmark,
Captain Per-Erik Sjölin, and Mr Jack Fraser of the SAL Office in New York City.

Mr Neilson has kindly offered to share his personal memories of these cruises.
The texts have been compiled from several emails written in 2008.

© Robert Neilson 2008

I was on board at least 20 SAL cruises, in whole or in part, over about an 11 year period. Captain Wijkmark, his officers and crew were my surrogate Father and Brothers for sure. They all helped to raise and educate me, just as my own U.S. Army colonel Father did. For that, I will always be grateful.   We do hereby certify that Bobby Neilson can well handle the M.S. Gripsholm's tenders. He knows how to lower and hoist them and, how to run the engine. He is excellent in radio - communication, both in the English and Swedish languages. Sometimes, he (Bobby) can also act as a passenger on a land tour. M.S. Gripsholm, On the High Seas. April 1963. Signed by: Carl Otto Wijkmark --  Chief Officer/ Supervisor/ Master/ Captain, under Senior Capt. Per- Eric Sjolin, SAL. Leif Wickberg -- Senior 3rd Officer. M.S. Gripsholm/ SAL.       28 JUN to 14 AUG 1962 In Kansas City, MO, just prior my first Swedish American Line/ Svenska Amerika Linien ("SAL") cruise, I watched a movie about the Titanic sinking. It kind of concerned me, as we were going to  Iceland and North Cape, Norway, which is 360 NM NORTH of the Arctic Circle.  My Daddy, United States Army Ret., Colonel Alexander Murray Neilson, USMA # 5921; O-9321; WWII ; SWPA; silver star (valor), informed me that I should not be concerned. At that time, ships had radar to identify icebergs. Wonderful? Daddy says so. OK. Daddy was not a passenger on that cruise. My maternal Grandmother (Marie Prugh Davis Giffey and my Mother, Sara Ella Davis Neilson) took me. We boarded a Santa Fe "Chief" train from Kansas City to Chicago and changed stations there to board the "20th Century Limited", New York Central train to Grand Central Terminal in NYC. A very nice trip indeed. Stayed one night at the Waldorf, been there before for a minimal cost. NOT today!! I knew NYC, at that time, very well. The next morning, we approached Pier 97 at the foot of W. 57th Street. I was truly amazed by my first sight of the gorgeous M.S. Gripsholm. About 25,000 gross tons and 750+ feet long. Tiny, by today's standards. This was a rare nighttime sailing. 11 PM/ 23:08 HRS. (Late June.) The glory of Manhattan was lit up in her lights. The band was on deck, playing "East Side/ West Side", "All Around the Town", etc., and I loved throwing the streamers. The "Moran" tugboats were working and tooting their horns and whistles. We sounded the 3 LONG BLASTs of the ship's bellowing horn to warn the Hudson River traffic that we were coming out. I had never heard that before, so, I admit that I was a bit startled, but excited too. Then the Pier started to move, or, so I thought. It seemed that way. Kind of like an earthquake. No, it was the Gripsholm moving. And, so we backed out into the Hudson River and left New York City. We all went to the lovely and bountiful Smorgasbord on the Veranda Deck forward. We passed abeam of the Nantucket Light Vessel and, onto Reykjavik, Iceland, 5 days at sea.  Our cabin was M-61. Please do not ask me how I now remember that after so many years. Don't know. However, I do fondly remember our cabin stewardess; Saila from Helsinki. Knock down gorgeous and sweet as could be. Beautiful face, great figure, large breasts and did not wear a brassier!! Fascinating for a 9 year old healthy American male!! The next morning, I, for the first time ever, met Mrs. Weather/ ocean. Nasty mean oceanic bitch. After breakfast, I went to exploring my new home. I went aft to the stairs on Main Deck and up to the Upper Deck door. I used all of my strength to get out and the door slammed behind me. Our tail was pitching violently in the severe seas. The aft flag staff was bent backwards and locked with the 2 double flag lines both stretced horizontally at right 90 degree angles and tied off on the rails to protect idiots like me. I climbed forward to the Veranda Deck and got inside the "house". Enough for this midwestern kid on that first morning. Reykjavik, 5 JUL 62 Forget Iceland. Interesting though it was, if you like seeing sheep sheared for wool. Oh, and, by the way, the sun was staying up later at that latitude. What was far more important, was that I had already met two wonderful gentlemen/officers. Jack Fraser, SVP SAL, and my lifelong Captain / Master Carl Otto Wijkmark, who took me into their very bosom and souls. I became a very close Friend w/ Jack Fraser and, later, over the years, the "adopted" Son of Captain Wijkmark. Outside the love that I hold for my own Father and Captain Wijkmark, there are only 2 other men that I love as much. Fast Forward... Geirangefjord, NORWAY  (7 sisters falls) was truly spectacular/beautiful. Jack Fraser took me in his private "Buick" sedan car one port south to see snow skiiers fly over the road in July. Jack told my Mother that I reminded him of his own son. We later became very fine friends. Leningrad. USSR. Now, St. Petersburg. It will always be Leningrad to me. For the very life of me, I will never understand why we wasted three days there. Depressing as depressing can be. No exaggeration. I do not "buy into" Putin, even a tiny bit. KGB all the way!! Anyone who does so today, is EXTREMELY naive. PUTIN is severe DANGER. This was the height of the Cold War and only months prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis in October. Prior to our departure, Daddy issued the order that we Neilsons were prohibited to go into the interior of the USSR, including going to Moscow, on the escorted land tour. SERIOUS MIL ORDER. Reason: Colonel Neilson still held classified WWII U.S. military secrets and his Family could not be at risk of capture from the Soviet KGB. Daddy was correct. I could write far more on what I saw in Leningrad. Extremely depressing !!! We squeezed through the tiny Kiel Canal between Denmark and Germany beginning at 15:45 on 30 JUL and exited at 01:17 on 31 JUL/ 53 NM. The Danes loved us and we loved them, as well. It was a great big deal for them and us too. This was NOT the first time that I was ever proud to be an American. But, I was truly proud that day. We/ the USA freed Europe. I knew that much as a 9 year old kid, and so did those beautiful and appreciative Danes. Had a great time in Hamburg, Antwerp and Rotterdam. 5 AUG 1962. My 10th Birthday. I remember that one. Went on to Ireland . Ports of Dun Laoghaire and Glegarriff. Dublin and Tipperary were gorgeous. 6 & 7 AUG. Passed Cape Race. 14:00 HRS. 11 AUG 62. Passed Nantucket Light Vessel. 09:00 AST. 13 AUG 62. Docked at Pier 97, NYC.  08:35 EST. 14 AUG 62. Distance:  12,187 NM. As I left the M.S. Gripsholm that August morning, I was extremely depressed thinking that I would never see her or her wonderful people ever again. I was near tears all the way back to Kansas City on the trains. I remember coming into the Kansas City Union Station area and some worker waved at me with a smile, typical of mid-westerners. I did not even acknowledge him. Not like me to do that. Little that I knew that my SAL life was only beginning and that I would be back on the proud M.S. Gripsholm within just 9 months for another 52 days on a Med cruise in MAR 1963 under Captain Per- Erik Sjolin, who also loved me very much and got me started on my love for seafaring. Captain Sjolin never knew me as well, or for as long, as did Captain Wijkmark, but, I love him, as well. Erik was a "Captain's Captain" for certain. Zero doubt about that.

3 MAR to 27 APR 1963 This trip actually began for me in the Fall of 1962. The time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Aged 10. My WWII / SWPA MIL Father was not afraid of the Soviet/ Russians. They had the range to Kansas City, but not accuracy, according to Colonel A.M. Neilson (U.S. Army WWII / SWPA combat Engineer RGT and BGE commander. (Later a Corps CO. ROK.) He built for us a radiological "fallout shelter" in our basement, converted to a hardened bunker. DONE. The neighbors thought that Daddy was "nuts". Nope. Smart & brilliant United States MIL combat officer. In October 1962, my Mother got seriously dressed up and confronted my Principal, Mr. William Snyder, at my elementary school, "Border Star", in K.C., MO. In any event, Mother ordered to Mr. Snyder that she was taking her Son/ Me for 2 months to the Med on the M.S. Gripsholm and, handed to him the SAL brochure. Mommy ordered Mr. Snyder that he had nothing to worry about. I had plenty of time to get advanced on my "social studies" classes, prior to departure. Mr. Snyder then asked a REALLY stupid question. "Well, Robert will be having to study fractions. I know that your husband, COL Neilson, is a combat war hero (WWII), but, Robert needs to learn his mathematical "fractions". My Mother clinched her teeth, looked him in the eye and educated him that my Father was a professor of Engineering, while as a Captain at West Point in the 1930s, and was highly capable of training me in "fractions". Mr Snyder surrendered to my Mother. Over the period of 52 days, I learned my fractions. And, a lot more, including some trigonometry. No kidding. A LOT of SERIOUS "sextant" based Navigation. How about that for mathematics? At precisely 11:06 am, on 6 MAR 63, we sailed from Pier 97, NYC. Our first port/ landing was Cadiz, Spain on 14 MAR at 07:56 am /local time. From that point forward, we traversed the Mediterranean Sea for months. Most people think that this is a simple deep lake. Not easy. Very difficult navigable waters. Requires knowledge and skill, which our two Captains, Sjolin and Wijkmark had in extremis. Carl was designated as the "Chief Officer", not "First Officer". Per-Eric Sjolin was our Commander. Herb Colcord and Deane Dickinson were our "social" officers. Evert Eriksson was our Chief Purser, as usual. Carl, who had come to love me the previous summer, when he was the Captain of the M.S. Gripsholm was pretty much our 2nd Captain on this cruise. Capt. Sjolin pretty much let Carl do what the wanted. Erik had a huge respect for Carl. I never saw Erik again, though, I did once or twice meet Capt. Sjolin's Son, Motts. A very fine young man. I remember Motts. Sailing onwards. My personal Master/ Captain, Carl Otto Wijkmark. We began together in the Summer of 1962 and sailed together for the next 11 years. Captain Wijkmark permitted me 24/7  "Freedom of the Bridge".  My favorite subordinate officer was 3rd officer/ senior, Leif Wickberg. A wonderful gentleman and officer. He chose his wife over the sea. Smart decision. As I grew older, we had a lot of fun together in many places, in many ports and hemispheres. E-W and, N - S. Thank you, Leif Wickberg. For very many years, Captain Wijkmark, Colonel Neilson and Leif took very good care of me. They all taught me very many things. I was placed into the M.S. Gripsholm's Tender # 5, under the Supervision of 3rd Officer/ Senior/ Leif Wickberg. I was taught everything about sextant/ celestial navigation, including LORAN. This continued through April 27, 1963. After docking at Pier 97 in NYC, one night, Leif took/ climbed me up to our "Crows Nest", following me from behind/ below guarding me. I will never forget that sight of NYC.  Then we walked together along the Pier to inspect the docking lines, as usual. Aft to bow. After we were about finished, a bow or spring-line steel cable snapped. It flew over both of our heads before we could react. It would have decapitated both of us. We were both very lucky that night.

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Recommended Books
Updated Jan 3, 2010 Länspumpen om SAL:s Östersjötrafik Länspumpens årsnummer 2009 beskriver historien om Svenska Amerika Liniens Östersjötrafik med tonvikten på de små passagerarångarna Borgholm, Kastelholm och Marieholm, men även atlantfartygen. Över 170 foton på 60 sidor! Flera unika foton som aldrig tidigare varit publicerade. Turlistor, ritningar m m. SAL bedrev en omfattande trafik med de små ångarna från 1924 till krigsutbrottet 1939, samt med SAL:s stora fartyg på Östersjökryssningar. Skriften kan beställas genom att sända in 60 kr på plusgiro 81 57 68 - 7, Tidningen Länspumpen. Ange namn och adress. Läs mer här. Tack till Bertil Söderberg, Örjan Slätte och Jörgen Areskough för denna information. Se även bilder från en Östersjökryssning med Gripsholm 1932.
Updated Sep 7, 2009 Waterline - Images from the Golden Age of Cruising John Graves Örjan Slätte, ex Information Officer on the Gripsholm, recommends Waterline - Images from the Golden Age of Cruising by John Graves, published by the National Maritime Museum in London in 2004. It is based on photos by Marine Photo Service, which were acquired by the museum in 1996 The book features many photos from SAL cruises. Buy at amazon.co.uk   Please note that the book's edition at Amazon.co.uk may not have the Kungsholm on the cover. Örjan Slätte, Informationsofficer på Gripsholm, rekommenderar boken Waterline - Images from the Golden Ages of Cruising. Boken är utgiven år 2004 av National Maritime Museum i London som 1996 förvärvat Marine Photo Service (MPS) samlingar. Redan omslagsbilden föreställer Kungsholm 1953 med två vattenskidåkande ynglingar i fronten. MPS fanns i många rederier och där finns många mycket bra foton från SAL:s kryssningar. Våra fotografer var mycket yrkesskickliga med konstnärlig talang. Man kan förmoda att de tidvis kände för att fotografera annat än leende, välklädda pax med cocktailglas i hand. Fina miljöer från fartygens "omvärld". Anser boken vara av god kvalité. 255 sidor, inkl. noter. Här i Göteborg hittade jag den i Haga i en butik som köper in restupplagor (remainders) och säljer till bra pris, ca 160 sek. "Böcker som vi gillar till pris som ni gillar": Bokrummet i Haga, Skolgatan 11, 413 02 GÖTEBORG, bokrummet, tfn 031-7010028. De har ett traditionellt antikvariat, Bokmalen, Haga Nygata 16.	Updated July7, 2008 MERCY SHIPS by David Miller Buy at amazon.co.uk Köp på adlibris.se     Mercy Ships   During World War 2 the Drottningholm and the Gripsholm were used as repatriation ships and made 33 voyages to exchange prisoners of war, diplomats, women and children, between the warfaring nations. David Miller has written a book about the exchange and repatriation voyages,with an emphasis on the British experience. It is loaded with facts about these voyages of mercy. Read more about all the exchange and repatriation sailings during WWII here.