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With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author

MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt

My Voyage to Canada

A Story provided by Laszlo Pal

The Johan van Oldenbarnevelt seen in the Maas River Rotterdam

“I am writing this to add to the saga of the fine ship which brought me to Canada from Amsterdam on May 20, 1957, landing in Halifax on May 29. I turned 12 years old the day after arrival so I remember the date. We came originally from Hungary and were guests of the Dutch Government as refugees. The world was very amazing from the behind the Iron Curtain experience, even though I was young, but my memories are still very clear.

We were destined for Australia, but the ship was damaged in a severe storm on her return from Australia and instead of heading back there, she was partially refitted and sent on a shorter voyage to Canada with Hungarian and Jewish Refugees. The Dutch Government chartered the ship for migrant for several years.

I was the only one in my family who was not seasick, my parents three sisters and an uncle hardly left the cabin until we were near the Canadian shoreline. I recall we experienced a severe storm in the North Atlantic, and many passengers were very ill. I enjoyed the whole trip, eating my face off with foods, which I have not experienced before even taking some back to the cabin to feed the sick! As I was looking at the photographs on the Webpage, I recalled a lot of experiences like sliding in the deckchairs in the storm on the wet deck as the ship heaved all over the place. Going to the engine room with an agreeable crewman, I never imagined engines that big! The ship was really a wonder! Although she may not have been fitted out at the time for luxury travel, but all of her original first class lounges and dinning room remained in their beautiful old form. Being an artist, I guess my young eyes observed the great craftsmanship in the glass and the masses of delicately carved woodwork.

The Statesman Lounge

Author’s private collection

The great forward timber staircase was a real temptation for sliding! I know one thing, the swimming pool was CCCold, but we loved it.

Strangely, it has taken me 52 years to look up the ship, but I have never forgotten the name nor the adventures I had aboard her. I did not know how special and how famous she was. But it was so sad to learn that she sank in such an undignified way because of carelessness, but the real paradox is that she sunk so near to her sister ship, the “Marnix van Sint Aldegonde.” An amazing story indeed!

Regards, Laszlo Pal”

An early colour photograph of the JVO

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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Commenced in the passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960

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Photographs on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from the author’s private collection. In addition there are some images that have been provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding the photographer/owner concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address may be found on www.ssmaritime.com only), in order that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet these individuals either refuse to provide credit or remove them when asked, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show these charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due!

This notice covers all pages, although, and I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

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