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With Reuben Goossens
Maritime
Historian,
Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author
“Memories
of the JVO”
MS
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
Chapter
Three
A New Service
JVO at the Javakade (the Java
Wharf) Amsterdam - 27 May 1948
After a much-needed overhaul the Johan van
Oldenbarnevelt returned on the Amsterdam
to Indonesia
service. However, passenger numbers steadily declined, especially after violent
actions by Indonesian's fighting for independence. Once again, the Johan van
Oldenbarnevelt would be used to carry troops, but
this time it would be Dutch troops returning home to the Netherlands from Indonesia.
Arriving
in Surabaya 15
July 1948
By 1950, the political climate in Indonesia had changed so much that the Johan van
Oldenbarnevelt was withdrawn from the East Indies service, although she would return on various occasions
during the 50’s to carry thousands of Dutch citizens back to the Netherlands
from the east Indies due to the ongoing troublesome situation. However, the
Netherland Line decided to place her on a more permanent migrant service to South Africa and Australia. On Saturday 2 September
1950, she departed Amsterdam for her first
voyage to Australia, one
that would make her a popular visitor to Australia
and New Zealand
for the next twelve and a half years.
JVO
in Sydney Australia 14 October 1950
The success of this venture would see the Johan van
Oldenbarnevelt placed in the Amsterdam Dry-dock for
refitting by her original builders. Additional eight double-banked lifeboats
were added on the fore part of boat deck. Now at 19,787 GRT
she accommodated 1,414 passengers in a one-class configuration. Her lounges
were restored to their original state with laundries and iron rooms added to
her passenger facilities. All cabins were fitted with a washbasin. As the
standard of cabins on Johan
van Oldenbarnevelt was not that of
her running mate, the newer Oranje (famed for serving as a hospital ship for
the Australian Navy during the war), her fares were slightly less, but food and
service remained the high standard that The Netherland Line was known for.
Trails were run on the 8th and 9th of January 1952.
An
early colour photograph of the JVO
She departed Amsterdam
for Australia
on Wednesday 23 January 1952. A voyage with a troublesome start, as a series of
fires was discovered on board. The first whilst berthed in Antwerp
with another off the Isle of Wight. She
returned to Amsterdam
were a further two fires were extinguished. With arson being suspected, when
she finally departed again, she carried a number of Dutch Maritime police.
However, no further incidents occurred and no arrests were ever made.
JVO
during her fourth Guise
The
magnificent Stateman Lounge
Pilsander Lounge
The Johan van Oldenbarnevelt continued on
the Australia run, however whilst under the command of Captain P.A. de Groote
she was chartered by Holland America Line for a number of voyages to Halifax
and New York for two voyages in May 1957, several cruises and three voyages to
New York in 1958 from June 12 to September 16, 1958, after which she made one
more return voyage to Indonesia and Australia before her major overhaul.
Chapter
4 - New Lease of Life
JVO Index
Chapters
with an * were recently updated
Introduction Remembering the JVO
Chapter 1 The New Pride of the Netherlands
Chapter 2 JVO the Trooper
Chapter 3 A New Service
Chapter 4 New Lease of Life *
Chapter 5 JVO the Cruise Ship *
Chapter 6 Goodbye JVO *
Chapter 7 Cruise Ship TSMS Lakonia
Chapter 8 Lakonia's Final Voyage *This Chapter has 17 new photographs
and stories – Dec
2009
Chapter 9 The End is Near
Chapter 10 Conclusion
*
Passenger stories
Page One Boelen Family – The night the JVO almost went down
Page Two - NEW Pieter
Goldhoorn –1947 – a soldier’s voyage to the East
Indies (Indonesia)
Page Three William Hamlyn
– 1945 Royal Signalman’s voyage home from wartime
duties
Page Four - NEW Laszlo Pal – A Voyage to
Canada
Page Five
– NEW Harold Heasman – His service on the JVO from March 1942 to
August 1943
***********************************
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