ssMaritime.com

With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian

Memories of the JVO

MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt

Chapter Eight

Lakonia's Final Voyage

On 19 December 1963, this old but much respected ship cast off for the very last time. She departed two hours late, around 1900 hours, due to a variety of problems that had occurred aboard due to the refit. On board were 1,022 persons, 646 passengers, and 376 crew. Commanding the Lakonia was Captain Mathios Zarbis, a veteran sailor from the Aegean Island of Andros. Her crew was multi-national, a mix of Greek, Cypriot, Dutch, German, British, Canadian, Belgian, French and a handful of Chinese laundry men. All being involved and concerned with the smooth running of a big ocean-going cruise ship and to look after the welfare of over six hundred passengers. Popular Cruise Director, previously on the Greek Lines' Arkadia, George Herbert, would keep the passengers entertained and busy with a vast range of shipboard activities. The holiday of a lifetime finally was on the way. Sadly, many looking forward to this special Christmas holiday on Lakonia would never return home.

Lakonia looking pristine - these lifeboats would soon be fully tested!

Lakonia's days were tragically coming to an end. On Sunday, 22 December, around 2200 hours someone noticed the smell of smoke. Up in the grand Lakonia Room, passengers were filled with laughter as they participated in the "Tropical Tramps' Ball." The Cruise Director had announced the 'Hobo King and Queen' and given out the appropriate prizes. Captain Zarbis entertained several passengers at his table. Several passengers began to notice the smell of smoke, but mostly dismissed it as 'strong cigar smoke" or something. Later, a woman cried out 'Fire" but few took any notice, thinking 'it must be part of the frolics.' Smoke began to fill the lower decks and slowly into the Lakonia Room.

The Purser, Antonio Bogetti, was about to leave his office for a break, when a steward came in hastily announcing that there was a fire in the barbershop. By now, passengers up in lounges and those in their cabins were alerted by the strong odour of smoke. All was calm as some went up to the promenade deck to enquire what was happening. No one at that time thought it was serious. It became apparent to the crew, that the barbershop had been ablaze for at least a half-hour and that the fire had started to spread. A fire squad of six men was sent to the trouble spot, attempting to halt the fire. It was soon realised that they could only try to contain or at least slow the spread of the fire. The situation had now become critical, and unknown to the passengers, it was worsening by the second.

Many things went wrong that fateful night. The major problem being communication and the lack of direction by the crew, especially when the fire began to spread dangerously. After the alarm was finally given, George the Cruise Director bravely took on himself the task of calmly mustering passengers to their respective boat stations. He remained on board after all the available lifeboats had been lowered and cleared the ship. A number of derricks simply failed and refused to move their lifeboats. Others just managed to release their lifeboats as the crew worked tirelessly. Some boats crashed into the side of the ship, with others crashing into sea inflicting various injuries. Many refused to enter the lifeboats due to what they considered a fiasco. Over two hundred passengers remained on board after all the operational lifeboats had gone. George continued to keep the calm, especially with the elderly and the unwell. The SOS signal was sent around 2330 hours. By midnight, flames had taken control of the central part of the ship. Those who remained on board, except the fire fighters, were gathered aft at the glass enclosed Shopping Centre named the "Agora."

Later it would be from the Agora, many fearfully climbed out of its windows, clinging onto rope ladders and knotted ropes, slowly proceeding down to the dark sea beneath. It became a scene of chaos with some of the elderly attempting to reach the water by climbing down a rope, but losing their nerve part way down, eventually falling, some hitting their head against the ship landing dead in the water. Others in fear simply jumped into the black abyss, sometimes landing on top of other passengers already in the water. Port and starboard shipboard ladders had been lowered and some were able to walk down and make their entry in the sea much easier. With the fire rapidly spreading and the ship now listing, all realised that time was short. It was time to abandon ship.

Monday 23 December, around 0330 the first ship to arrive at the scene was the Argentinean passenger ship, Salta. Soon thereafter the British ship Montclalm arrived.

Argentinean Passenger ship Salta

RAF and US aircraft also came to the rescue scene. A RAF pilot commented over his radio. “I say, there's a hell of a mess down there,” an understatement indeed.

Photographs taken from these aircraft present a tragic picture.

As seen in the photograph below, a man is clinging to the outside of the railing on promenade deck, attempting to climb down to a lower deck with the fire burning the on the railing just one and a half meters from his hands. Down on the starboard lowered shipboard ladder stands a man on the third step from the water. This was a Mr. Leslie Hodgson who had decided that this was the safest place to be. Should the fire reach, he was least close to the water.

Two men are seen, one holding onto the railing (mid left) and

Mr. Leslie Hodgson at the bottom of the ships gangway looking into a porthole

Chapter 9 The End is Near

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