Nordlander was commissioned by the Swedish American Line in 1920 and subsequently served as naval officer on all its ships on transatlantic cruises as well as in other directions, including the West Indies. Ships that Nordlander commanded include:[5]
MS Kungsholm (1941, 1942, 1947), as John Ericsson (1947)
Besides his war activities, later in his career Nordlander was also directed other rescue missions. Among these were the 1950 incident of the Norwegian ship Crown Prince Olav which caught fire off Halland, on the west coast of Sweden. Despite no visibility due to heavy fog, helped only by radar, Nordlander managed to find and tow the deteriorating ship and her 120 passengers safely to the nearest port.[7] In 1955, Nordlander rescued the British 7,130 GRTMV Argobeam which caught fire off Ireland.
Stigbergskajen quay in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the steamships of the Swedish American Line moored under Swedish and American flags, and the port terminal "The American Shed" (1944).
After the purchase of his former ship, Nordlander was appointed Master of SS Drottningholm 1942–1948, carrying out several prisoner transport missions, totalling thousands of displaced victims and prisoners of war, notably in collaboration with the Red Cross. Under signs such as "Freigeleit – Protected, Drottningholm Sweden", she was one of the few ships that sailed hostile waters with all lights shining at night.
In September 1944 she was deployed by the Red Cross to transport prisoners of war and civilians being repatriated from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom via Sweden.
Another voyage in April 1945 docked in Liverpool that included 212 ex-interned Channel Islanders.[8]: 172–9 One of the voyages is indicated to have safely relocated 1,362 individuals at once.[9]
Probably for security reasons, we do not take the most direct route, but skirt around the west of Ireland. Liverpool is in the morning mist. From afar we hear the sirens of the boats that welcome. A huge crowd and happy jostling on the quay. The harbor is decorated with banners and flags. Emotions run high among the passengers. Then finally, when we drop anchor, a military band welcomed us by playing "God Save the King" and popular tunes.
— Mr Donald Prager about his voyage from Lisbon to Liverpool in August 1944, aboard Drottningholm[10]
We were a day or two aboard this vessel glorying in our new found freedom. Bands were sent down to the quayside to play for us and generally we were made very much at ease. The Crown Princess came aboard and moved amongst us. [...] We left the Swedish harbour to the strains of both our national anthems and set course for home. Guided through the Skaggerak, then into the North Sea with only water between us and Britain. A few days more and we were within our own territorial waters. Then Leith and the pipe band to welcome us. We were home!
In tribute to the vessel under Nordlander's command, a short illustrated movie, The S.S. Drottningholm (2014), was produced by Molly DeVries about her ancestors, the Jewish-American concert pianist Walter Hautzig and writer Esther Hautzig. The two belonged to and met among the thousands of passengers on rescue missions aboard Drottningholm, and later got married.[12]
Sweden: Medal of Merit of the Red Cross in Sweden, conferred by King Gustaf V for his "humanitarian efforts during SS Drottningholm's transports during wartime"[15]
The S.S. Drottningholm (2014), a short illustrated movie by Molly DeVries about Jewish-American concert pianist Walter Hautzig and writer Esther Hautzig, who met at a rescue mission aboard SS Drottningholm and later eventually married
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