Elfdalen

The Elfdalen was the last of the boats to take Baltic refugees to Argentina. Arvids Bertins, who had successfully sailed the Elsa to Argentina in 1948, was also captain of the Elfdalen. The ship was a 40-year-old, 350-ton steamer that Latvians had purchased and converted into a motor vessel. It secretly left Limhamn harbor, south of Malmö, on September 2, 1950, without being inspected for seaworthiness, and without a flag or documents. It’s unclear how many people were on board but the most accurate report mentions 38 men, 26 women, and 20 children. Most were Latvians. It’s not known whether Estonians were on board, but it’s possible since Stockholms-Tidningen Eestlastele wrote about the journey and the difficult living conditions on board. Each refugee had to pay 1,000 Swedish kronor for passage. 

No ports of call were recorded except Recife in Brazil, where the Elfdalen was under repair for seven weeks. Stockholms-Tidningen Eestlastele wrote on November 12, 1950, that when the ship arrived in Pernambuco, Brazil, the poor living conditions had caused fights and police intervention was required. Finally, the Elfdalen arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, around Christmas 1950. 

Stockholms-Tidningen Eestlastele published a front page article on January 14, 1951, comparing life on board the Elfdalen to a concentration camp. It said the organizers had deceived passengers about food supplies, especially regarding children’s meals. There was no doctor on board, as had been promised, and the captain and crew were often drunk, causing frequent fights. The refugees complained to the Argentine authorities that while they were being kept on a starvation diet, the captain, his wife, and crew ate proper meals. Reports suggest the Elfdalen trip was organized purely for profit, with the refugees’ welfare of secondary importance.

Known crew and passenger:

Captain Arvids Bertens (Bertins) and wife