~c:: 3 Royal Interocean Lines RIL POST

Vol. XIV No. 7 July 1967 From the Editor

YOU, YOU - AND YOU!

Seagoing Staff: We sometimes RIL's fl~g fli es over ~ new have an uneasy feeling that our building- p~ge 128 magazine tends to get one-sided -too much from one a rea, for instance, or too little from sea­ going staff.

Our own private G allup poll tells us that pictures are of first interest A monthly magazine for all to most readers: "What's old so­ and-so doing now?" we mutter, personnel of: as a familiar face is seen. O r a certain gleeful: " He's put on a ROYAL INTEROCEAN LINES bit of weight since I last saw (Koninklijke Java -China - him .. . . " We all enjoy seeing old friends, and we a ll particularly Paketvaart Lijnen N.Y.) want to see what goes on aboard our ships, the 'raison d'etre' for RIL. So, seagoing staff, what about it? What do you N.Y. NEDERLANDSE TANK- EN do aboard your ships? Pictures, please (with names), and news of men at work and at play. We hope to be over­ PAKETV AART MAATSCHAPPIJ whelmed with mail.

HOLLANDSE VRACHTVAART 'Old Salts' : We are t rying to assemble past histories of the MAATSCHAPPIJ N.Y. four passenger ships which will be leaving us next year­ Boissevain, Ruys, Tegelberg and Tjitjalengka. Some of it is well-known, and some is still deep in the memories of those EDITOR who have served over the past 30 years. Have you any special memories, old photographs, or bits of past history? Mrs L. M. Petty Everyone in t he Company will enjoy seeing them, so please write- in a ny language you please- and let us piece the AREA CORRESPONDENTS bits together. HOLLAND - C.G. Bu rgersdijk Author: Our wa rmest thanks to - J. Timmermans writer Eric Spring (Sydney), whose J APAN - Y. Nagashima se ries 'Dutchmen Down Under' SYD N EY SKYR IDERS PHI LIPPINES - V. Paz comes to an end with this issue. see p~ge 136 A USTR A LI A - B. Polain His very readable account has AFRICA - G.M. Forsyth made us realise what an astonish­ S. AMERICA - H.C.G.L. Ribbink ingly bold breed of men were those early Dutch navigators. SI NGAPORE - J.J.M. Lensing Came ramen: Closing date for Published by: the Photographic Competition for Royal lnterocean Lines, all Company personnel is Ist August, 1967. Post your photos P.O. Box 725, Hong Kong. now-see March issue for details. The re's 'gold' in them thar films!

Contents, with the exception of articles derived from other sources, mlly be reprinted; acknowledgement of th e source, however, would be a pprecia ted. Printed in Hong Kong b y , Ye O lde Pri nterie, Ltd. From the end of the new pier, Tegelberg and Strew/ Fushimi are seen in Hong Kong harbour. BLAKE PIER In Hong Kong's early days, an appreciative community The large new build ing seen in t he picture, overleaf, in Victoria named one of t he na rrow streets which ran is Union House; this replaced Ki ng's Bui ld ing , wh e re down to the waterside after the city's first harbour­ RI L's 'local office' used to be housed. The office in master, Lieutenant W illiam Pedder, R.N. At t he same Prince's Bui lding is only a few minutes walk away. Both time, they also gave his name to t he small wooden wharf the 'Tii' and the 'Tii le kas' used Bla ke Pier to disembark at the end of the street. This wharf was reconstructed passengers and staff on the island. in 1886. The old pier after the /906 typhoon. W hen the big reclamation work got under way in the 1890's, the wharf had to go, and by 1900, when the central praya was completed, a new pier was built and re-named Blake Pie r in honour of the t he n Governor, Sir Henry Blake. Thoug h temporari ly cut in two by the notorious typhoon of 1906 (see picture), the stout wooden structure lasted well and was known and used by many Rl L'ers for more than fifty years. It was a casual, friendly landing-place, always crowded with hawke rs and loungers.

Along the new waterfront (wh ich was called Connaught Road), la rge buildings were erected, to be superseded in their turn by even larger blocks, until to-day in the centre of town almost t he only old building which remains is the Central Post Office immediately behind Blake Pier.

123 Many 1111 RIL'er lws made a caulious ruay across J!u 111idc cracks of the old piu .

. . a casual, friendly landing­ place" i'l10to /Jy 4/h Engineer P.F ..\1 . Slarmam (lear•e).

BLAKE PIER (cominucd)

In the middle of 1965, the wooden pier was finally closed water in the camber enables the working boats to keep and demolished, the distinctive roof being removed to going as long as possible during stormy weather. Takwoling Park (almost opposite Head Office, on Kow­ The new pier, as well as being useful to up to 60 small loon side), where it is preserved as part of the sheltering craft, is an attraction to pedestrians: at roof level is a cover of a children's playground. pleasant promenade, lined with wooden benches, which can be reached by a staircase a t either end. This will Ha rbour launches a re now very well served for moorings eventually form part of a proposed podium between and landing-steps; a 600' long, L-shaped concrete pier the Star Ferry and the Vehicular Ferry concourses. On has been constructed of pre-stressed concrete, o n the the lower level, the fresh breezes blowing from the sea, end of what is known as the 'Central Reclamation'­ combined with deep shade from the t hick concrete walls The long a rm of the pier gives protective shelter and and concrete 'drop', provide cool shelter on a hot day room for moorings for many harbour craft, all of them for travelle rs, 'rubber-necks', or those who just wish to employed for work in t he port. The comparatively calm rest their feet. .---, ·· ~ The nell! L-slwpcd pier is further to the west, and tt•hen the reclamation work rs finished will l>c n cn more acassible to H K ,\(fl.

124 FLEET FACTS

KEERKRING, has been sold to Messrs. Triple Navigation Co. (Panama), S.A. for continued trading, and is expected to be delivered at Hong Kong during August.

STRAAT LUZON, on completion of her current voyage in ESAAS extra employ, will sail to West Africa to enter the West & South Africa-Australia Service (WSAAS).

STRAA.T TORRES, o n completion of her current WSAAS voyage will sail in extra employ to the Far East from South Africa. After DMO in Japan, she will make the mid-October sailing from China in the China-East Africa Service (CHEAS).

CONTRAST

We have to thank Second Officer f.K .L. Ko,·ter for this excellent photograph of the British frigate Sirius alongside Camphuys at Mombasa (right).

The roomy line,· of the freighter "·eem to accentuate the more-greyhound-appearance of the fast war..-hip, which had tied up for bunkering.

CHOCK FULL STRAAT FLORIDA loading on 24th May m the roads at Penang.

Vacant Space: N IL

Loaded on deck: 546 ~cal e tom timber 45 '>calc tOn'> drummed oil

Correspondent Lensing writes that the Freight Depart­ ment need not worry: the vacant space noticeable o n the Aft Deck was filled before the vessel sailed. Claims Department not to worry either: the bare timber was eventually dressed.

125 One of the Waratah fleet of t ugs which handles Rll vessels in Sydney.

A cross Darling Harbour nothing remained to show the fury of the winds which had ripped at t he water through­ out the night. The surface, t inted a faint pink in the early morning light. rose and fell with oily sl uggishness. A disintegrating cigarette packet, a piece of rotten timber and a wharfie's lunch wrap, drawn together by some unknown force, d rifted slowly with the tide. There LIFE OF A was no other movement. A long way off, a clock clanged 5.30 a.m. into the cool still air, and a set of urgent ripples rolled away from the vibrating sides of the tiny tug W ooree as her TUGMAN engines turned, once, twice, five thousa nd times. From below came the sounds of boots clattering on steel rungs, the c:ink of coffee cups, and someone swearin g. It was the start of the tugmen's day, a nd I had come Nigel Muir searchin g for a taste of the life of these Ha rbour hustlers. By Who were these unseen men , what did they do and why?

By 6. 15 a .m. W ooree's high bow was pushing its way under the Harbour Bridge. A few yards behind in the bubbling, spitting wake trailed her big sister Woona. On each side a blea ry-eyed city was just awakening. "Harbour Control, Harbour Control! This is Tjiwangi, (by kind permission of the Sydney Morning Herald) Tjiwa ngi !" the two-way radio crackled into the peace of the neat. b rown wheelhouse.

" Yes, Tjiwangi?" Ha rbour Control responded sleepily. " What is tug situation, please?"

126 - Begrudgingly, the engines obeyed the automatic tele­ g raph. Ahead, astern, push, pull, shove, drag, stop. Around us the water was boiling. Mud a nd rubbish swi rled to the surface and was d ragged down again. The line was taut. A few tiny strands of hemp snapped, but the hawser did not part. A slight bump. "Wooree and Woona stop. Thank you," the pilot called. It was over and we could leave. The entire process had taken about IS minutes. It had been rather like trying to park a semi-trailer besides a plate-g lass window while blindfolded. Mrs P.A. de Loos (wife of RIL's General Manager for Australia & New Zealand) launched the tug Warunda in Adelaide recently. We let go our line and turned back down the Harbour. A lready the lin er Fairsea was nearin g the Bridge. She Tjiwangi approaching Sydney. had travelled a long way. 13 Pyrmont stood vacant, and relatives standing on the g rey wharf were anxiously awaiting the return of the wanderers. Midday and lunchtime. From the tall sky the sun now beat relent lessly down on the Harbour. The water's su rface split, hissed and la ughed around Wooree as it headed back towards its berth. Two ships now rested safely at their berths and an insulting, rude French oil tanker had been hastily dis­ patched without any regret to the Persian Gulf and Kuwait.

Captain John Carson, 34, a master with 17 years' In the cool, bathroom atmosphere of a wharfside pub, experience of ships and foreign ports, grabbed the I asked Captain Carson why he had left the sea for the microphone from the desk behind him. regimented life of a busy port. " Woona and Wooree waiting for you, Tjiwangi," he " I ha ve always loved the sea, the metallic smell of informed the huge Dutch liner, which, a lthough still ships, bustling ha rbours and foreign voices," he began hi dden behind Bradley's Head, he knew to have just thoughtfully. "But then I got marri ed. And, well, with steamed through the Heads. We waited in silence in children, a man must.. . . " Farm Cove, rocking slowly in the wash of a passing ferry. He broke off and ordered another round of beers. It Arrogant, scavenging gulls skimmed quickly across our had been ra ther like the beginning of a philosophy as bows. A shag squatted obscenely on a rusted buoy. Zorba might have given it. The collision of career and marriage- "the full catastrophe." Th e story told by Slowly - a lmost with a n a ir of mystery- Tj iwangi's for­ John Ligertwood, Woona's chief engineer, was somewhat bidding prow emerged from t he sunlit haze and the liner similar. began to make her way up the Harbour. Opposite Admiralty House we p ulled in c lose, closer to that white The life of a t ugman is a compromise. He works on a giant. Two men clambered from the bowels of the tug, little, proud and powerful boat moving big and super­ a nd ran forward, grabbing ropes as they went. cilious ships around the Ha rbour, while his wife a nd family live close by. Their job is not easy- it is essential ­ Now Wooree bounced and slewed in the t reacherous and I don't believe they really mind the lingering eddying c urrents whipped up benea th the surface by memories of the freedom a nd excitement of life a t sea. Tj iwangi's twin screws. A thin rope leapt upwa rds and After the midday break the a ir was hot and close, the was hauled by the ship's crew. Their foreign and un­ work slow. The Eastern Glory staggered into port with intelligible d irections were ignored down below o n the a seven-degree list and was assisted to her berth. The deck where I was standing. Soon we were bound tightly smelly Vosges sl id down Ha rbour for Melbourne. to t he stern, while Woona had a line to the bow. J ust By 7 p.m. we were again sweating a t Fairsea's waterline, off Walsh Bay, the ship's engines stopped and it became helping snap that myriad of multi-coloured streamers our responsibility to manoeuvre her in beside the rickety, which almost bound her to the wharf. Our d ay was encrusted piles of 3b Da rling Ha rbour. fini shed a nd as we hurried homeward, a pink streamer We were close to the wha rf now . From high above fluttered weakly from a stay where it had lodged. A us the pilot radioed urgent directions to t he two tugs simple souvenir of our work. As we tied up, small waves, struggling and sweating at the wate rli ne. turned a weird orange colour by the wharf lights, slapped against Wooree's sides. " Wooree push." One toot on the whistle was the The sailors had gone to sea in their ships. The tugmen acknowledgment. "Woona pull." Two toots. were goin g home to their wives and c hildren.

127 Insid e the front e ntrance, a lift a scends to the I I th Floor.

The building under construction is Manila's new H ilton Hote l, and KLM 's office is on the extreme right. An arrow marks RIL's o ffic e, and the C ompa ny's flag is ringed .

NEW OFFICE IN MANILA

W ith considerable pride, RIL Post's Manila Correspon­ dent, Mr V.E. Paz, has sent us these photographs of their new, modern, air-conditioned office on the Eleventh Floor at I0 I0 . A Mabini Street, which nowadays is Manila's main shopping street for tourists.

The b rand-ne w office building is sti ll c lose to the ha rbour, and from the eleventh floor there is a magnificent view over Manila Bay, so that the Company's vessels can be seen from miles away. approaching the quarantine anchorage.

Apart from many shops. restaurants and little bars, the ma jor travel a gents a nd airl ine offices are within wa lking d istance of t he new office; the new Manila Hilton Hotel. at present under construction, is right around the corner.

It certainly is an impressive building, and no doubt all the staff will benefit f rom the comfortable working conditions.

As well as admiring t he new office, this a lso gives us all an oppo rtunity to get re-acquainted with RIL'e rs in Ma nila, some of whose faces we have not seen for q uite a while .

. . . right in the main tourist shopping street .

128 From his handsome new office, RIL's Manager for the Phi lippines, Mr A.l. de J ong, has a splendid view of the ha rbour.

Mr G.R. Torio (Incoming Freight ) at the counter.

The general view from the counter shows Mr O.C. Enriquez Miss C.R. Lazo (Secretary & Passage ) and Mr A.R. Velez (Outgoing Freight) and Mr Torio in the f ront . At the left is (accountant ) fla nk the Manager's room. Mr V.S. Francisco ( Port Captain) with Mr V.E. Paz (Canvasser) behind hi m, and Mr H .J . H agens (now at H K H O ) in the A nother view shows Mrs L.M . Bautista (secretary ) in t he corn er. corner. Facing the camera is Mr D.P. Revoltar (Out going In f ront of her is Mr P.T. de Leon (janitor) and Mr E.T. J aurigue Freight), and behind him are Mr Velez a nd Miss Lazo. (bookkeeper). Part of the Cashier's booth (Mr E. A. Vida's 'home') can be seen on the extreme right . A closer view of this corner shows Mrs A.O. Fajardo (Telephone Operator & secretary) beside the filing cabinet.

129

... Two interesting Dutch voyages, and the only ones besides Tasman's to touch the fringe of the Coral Sea, were made by two interlopers. Although more than a century separated their efforts, each had a number of extraordinary features in common. Each voyage was made by a son of a wealthy merchant who desperately wanted to break the monopoly of the Dutch East Indies Company. Each son inherited his father's plans and did his utmost to bri ng them to fulfilm ent; each used the Cape Horn route (one discovered it!) to make voyages across the fabulous South Seas; each made interesting discoveries and nearly made great ones. Both we re rewarded by being flung into prison.

The first was J acob le Maire, son of Isaac le Maire, merchant of Amsterdam. Isaac le Maire had a penchant for geography and a hatred of the monopoly held by the Dutch East Indies Company. This fired him with the ambition to make a voyage to the South Seas and open up trade with the great South Land. Under the terms of its monopoly, the D.E.I. Company was granted exclusive rights to send its ships to India and the Spice Islands by the Cape of Good H ope and the Strait of Magellan. But the Government was also eager to dis­ cover new routes to the Indies and decreed that any man discovering a new route and completing a successful voyage would be rewarded with the profits of the first four voyages using his route. Basically the idea was to foster the discovery of a northeast passage, where much valuable pioneering had already been completed.

But to Isaac le Maire, a keen student of voyages in the region of t he Strait of Magellan, t his new decree opened the possibility of finding a new route round the tip of South America. He was not the o nly person to hold that view. Isaac le Maire had money and knowledge , but he knew nothing of t he sea. So he took into partnership Willem Corneliszen Schouten, "a man well experienced and very famous in navigation, having already sailed thrice to nearly a ll places in the East Ind ies as captain, pilot and merchant, and still very eager after strange voyages and the visiting of new and unknown lands." With Scho uten, we nt Isaac le Maire's eldest son, J acob, as the leader but not the This old map, which is reproduced by courtesy of the "Netherlands practical performer of the voyage. At the town of seen on RIL' s presentation trays. It is a hand-coloured printed 1 Hoorn ,they fitted out a ship called "CONCORD" and beschrijving", issued in 9 volumes by Joan Blaeu ( 1596-1676) at 1 a 'jaght' "HOORN". Rumour had it that t hey kn ew in 1617 by Joan's father, Willem janszoon Blaeu ( ± 1571-1638). of islands of fabulous treasures. Needless to say, there I was no dearth of volunteers as crew members.

The two shies sailed from Texe l on 14th June 1615. On reaching the equator, Jacob le Maire told a mu ster of hands of each vessel that their destination was Terra "DUTCHMEN D l Australis via a new passage into the South Seas. Few, if any, of the hands had ever heard of Terra Austra lis By Eric Spri and those who could write scribbled t he name on pieces of paper which they tucked into their caps.

They made good progress down the east coast of South America but, unlike those mariners who preceded them, sailed boldly past the entrance to the Strait of Mage llan. By the eastern tip of Tierra del Fuego they found an- Part IV: "The Interlopers - 130 other strait and passed through, naming it the Strait of Le Maire. Thus "Concord " became the first ship to negotiate a difficult strait in one of the stormiest regions of the world.

Upon emerging from the Strait of Le Maire , they came across a great sea, over which "sea-mews larger than swans, with wings stretching a fathom across, fl ew screaming around the ship." These alarmed the more superstitious sailors who insisted that they were the spirits of the South Seas warning the ships to turn back. The west winds blew hard with sudden squalls, but "Concord" was a stout ship. Eventually, they ventured across another extremity of land, which was given the name of Cape Hoorn, after their fitting-out port. They rounded the Cape in little more than a week, making better time than countless ships that were to follow them in ensuing years. FIRST AROUND THE HORN! The voyage was famous if it accompl ished no more than that.

"Concord" sped to Juan Fernandez to replenish dwind­ ling supplies, but the strong surf prevented them from landing. So they headed westward and the hands began to ask where was this country "Australis"? How far away was this so-called great "South Land"? The "Hoorn" had been lost and most of her crew were also aboard "Concord". In that vast trackless sea there was a great deal of time to ask ~uestions and to disparage the idea that a great land could be hidden in such a waste of sea.

Le Maire was adamant about continuing their quest, but Schouten turned the ship's council against him. Schouten was eag er to reach the rich East Indies which he knew we ll and where he could indulge in trade for his own private gain. (It appears that even 350 years ago t here could be too many Chiefs and not enough Ind ians!) The ship had crossed the South Pacific in about 15 d egrees south; as they were nearing the eastern fringes of the Coral Sea the council, led by Schouten, ordered Le Maire to steer west-nor'west.

Espiritu Santo and Santa Cruz passed by a few miles beyond "Concord's" range of vision, and the ship Historical Maritime Museum" at AnHterdam, is one of those to be ventured close enough to the Solomons to see the low ""?ap of America which appears in the "Grooten Atlas oft Werelt­ atolls of Ontong Java. And so they journeyed on to Fmsterdam in 1664-/665. This map was printed for the first time Batavia along what was to become a well-worn track to t he north of New Guinea.

Their reception at Batavia was far from what they had anticipated, for the Company's Governor seized "Concord" and sent Le Maire and Schouten back to Holland under arrest. Their custodian, Van Spilberge n, OWN UNDER" sneered at the idea that a new way to the South Seas had been found. Le Maire and Schouten had taken ing (Sydney) fifteen months to sail one shio from Texel to Batavia - and they claimed they had co.me a "short" way. "Utter rubbish" thought Van Spilbergen. Why, he had brought six ships through the Strait of Magellan, fought several actions off South America, and yet arrived in the Indies in little more than fifteen months. ·Le Maire and Roggeveen" (Continued on next page)

131 DUTCHMEN DOWN UNDER (cunlinucd)

"Concord's" log was d eclared a forgery. On the voyag e home to Holland for trial, Jacob le Maire died .

J acob Roggeveen, the second interlope r, sa iled from T exel in August 1721 on a voyage which his father had pl a nned fifty-two years earlier. H e intended to search for Terra Australis in the vast waters stretching from Cape Horn to New Zealand, and in this e nterprise he had the backing of the Dutch West Indies Company. Roggeveen had promised his father on his deathbe d that he would fulfil this plan, but it meant waiting until he had made a fortune before the plan could reach fruition. J acob Roggeveen was sixty years of age ­ he waited too long! His ships reached the South Pacific with little difficulty, and the old merchant-cum-sailor began to search for "Davis-l and ", a smear upon his c harts accredited to a pirate name d Davis.

While seeking out this "continent", Roggeveen came across a myste ry which still has not been solved -the strange idols of Easter Island. Disillusioned to think that Balcww in 1652. From a conumporary DclldJ lint: t:ngraving. Davis' "contine nt" should shrink to a forsaken and, to all appeara nces, useless island, Roggeveen sailed off along the edge of the tropics. He had given up any At Batavia, Roggeveen's ships were seized by the Dutch ideas of finding new la nds. It is virtually impossible to East Ind ies Company and sold at auction. Unde r virtual g lean where he exactly did go, for the man was so arrest Roggeveen was sent back to Holland where he e mb itte red by his expe rie nces that he did not permit spent his rema ining days claiming damages for his ships. very much to be writte n about his voyage. The last of the Dutch explore rs in the South Pacific, his fortune lost, de rided by· his countryme n, he died soon Not being a professional seaman, Roggeveen must have after ret urning to his homeland. been putty in the hands of those who accompanied him. J acob le Ma ire had been too young and inexperienced These then were t he Dutchmen who ventured down to a rgue with Schouten; Jacob Roggeveen was too old unde r. Tasman, though un aware of it, had been the a nd inexpe rienced to hold any authority in his ship's first to circ umnavigate Oceania. He had happened council. In those times a ship's council on a voyage upon ric h lands which, centuries late r, were to become of discovery was a powerful body and few leade rs would great in the ir own right. J acob Le Maire had rounded d a re sta nd against any d ecisions it made. Roggeveen the H orn. was impressed by the argume nt that having found nothing new in the Pacific, it was time to set sail for But these achievements were far outweighed and out­ the safety of Java. So once again t he many great measure d by the important trade of the Spice Islands, islands which gua rd the nor'eastern a pproaches to Aus­ and the Dutch we re content to exploit and consolidate tralia we re passed un seen. the ir position t here.

ROMANCE CALLING

Just thirty years ago, in 1937, KPM brought out a publication for the travel trade with the enticing name ~ w ftaffU:;/""7 [---r' " Romance Calling". One copy was sent to Mr P.W. Halliday, who is today the Deputy Manager of the .!.. / /J~···:~ #~~ Travel Department of The Bank of New South Wales, PA> ~ ·;rr-e / the la rgest firm of travel agents in Australia. Somewhat miraculously, the envelope has survived the --- -~ span of years, and with the help of Mr A.M. den Boer· (Sydney), we are able to reproduce it.

"Romance" must have called indeed!

132 GOODBYE MR DOVES

W hen TJILUWAH called at Hong Kong in mid- May , Chief Engineer G.J. Doves was entertained to a farewell luncheon party by Ma naging Directors, in cluding Mr H.M. van der Schalk (on a vis it from Amsterdam); senior staff members were also present, as well as the Master of TJ ILUW AH and Chief Engineer A. Vink wh o was ta king over.

In his speech, Mr de Haan outlined Mr Doves' long career, ever since he first ioined the K.P.M. as a Fifth Engineer in 1931. He was at sea during the war, and ioined R IL d irectly afte rwards. Hi s Twenty-fifth Anniversary was celebrated at the Scheepvaarthuis in Amsterdam, whi lst he was on leave in 1956. During his 36 yea rs of service, Mr Doves had served aboard more than thirty ships, and si nce his promotion to Chief Engineer in 1956 had been for the most part on passenger ships. With all the modern changes that had taken place, he had never had any di ffi cu lties, and that fact alone proved him to be a capable engineer. Now the ti me had come for hi m to retire to his home in Sydney (where he plans to do some lighter work around his house and garden) and Managing Directors thanked him for his se rvice to the Company, wished him a happy retirement, and hoped that he would still be able to keep in touch with RIL ships calling at Sydney.

In his reply, Mr Doves sa id that, although life at sea He wi shed good luck to everyone who had anything to was not always easy, he had always enioyed it, and had do with sh ipping, and special prosperity to the newly­ always been ab le to solve the many ma ny problems. merged companies under the flag of RIL.

FAREWELL CAPTAIN MINNEMA

W hen ST RAAT FREETOWN called at Hong Kong on 23rd May, Managing Directors took the occasion to say goodbye to her Master, Captain D.D. Mi nnema, who is retiring after thirty-fou r years at sea. Captain Minn ema first ioined the KPM in 1933 and has served almost continuously in the Far East, particularly in Indonesian waters. In latter years he has been Master of various sh ips in the 'combinatie', including STRAAT LOMBOK. It was while he was se rvin g in this sh ip t hat the 52 members of the Chinese crew presented him with a 'ioss flag', a rare presentation, made only wh e n the ship is a very happy one. We wish every happiness to Captain Mi nnema in his retirement in Holla nd.

Captain ,\litt llcma signs t!tc Visitors' book.

133 COMPANY

RIL ' N THE MINK!

Recently, o picture wos token in Melbourne to odvertise mink coots on beholf of o firm co iled Sogo Mink, of Copenhogen. Here is the ottroctive model. ond in the bockground is Stroot Torres, berthed ot No. 5 North Whorf. We regret thot the lody is not a sto ff member! PERSONALITIES Mr F. Te rwogt, Managing Director, le ft Hong Kong on 2nd June for a month's business trip to Africa. Mr D. Reyneker, Managing Director, left by air for a short business trip to Amsterdam on 30th June. Mr P.A. de Loos, G eneral Manager for Australia & New Zealand, arrived in Hong Kong on 4th June for discussions, and returned to Sydney on I Oth June. Jhr. C.L.C. van Kretschmar, General Superintendent, left Hong Kong on 15th June for Home Leave. Drs. R.B. Lente rman took over as Manager of the Audit & Control Department as from 17th J une when Mr E. Willems went on Home Leave. Mr E.M. van Rhoon, Manager for Japan, made a short business trip to Hong Kong before leaving for Home Leave on 24t h June. Mr W. Boogerman, Personnel Manager, ret urned to Hong Kong from Home Leave on 21st June. Mr A.M. Lommen (HK HO, Manager AZ) left Hong Kong on 20th June for a two weeks' business trip to Singapore.

THREESOME A nother RIL trio in dock in Yokohama. This time it is Straat Rali, flanked by the HVM ship llollands Duin, and Straat Luzon (recently Van Spilbergen). Photograph by Chief Officer f.M. Jansen (Straat /Jali).

ENGLISH EVENT

Last April, the yearly cocktail parties in England were again successfully held by RIL Amsterdam and Holland West Africa Line. In Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, forwarding agents, merchants, shippers and t he t ravel t rade were included, and this gave Mr E. van Walree (Amsterdam) and Mr C.A.A.J. Sinninghe Damste (Lagos) an opportunity to meet old shipping friends on Merseyside and in the Midlands.

Mrs Peggy H.N. de Kock (Amsterdam) a lso went along this year to act as hostess, to p rovide information, and to introduce the RIL film "Windows on the East", which was shown on each occasion.

Among those present, were Mr L. Boosey, Mr A. Kenyon, Mr F. Boden and Mr R.J. Morley of the Holland steam­ sh ip Co. in London, Manchester, and Liverpool, Mr R. Davis of Keller Bryant, London and Mr H.J. Jennings ,\frs de Kock with .\lcssrs Booscy, Smninghc Damst~ . Kcnyo 11 & of Escombe McGrath & Co. London. Bodc11 ducuss the auracttvc RIL Flut joldcr.

134 - LOG BOOK

FL.OATING ON A CL.OUD W hen the passengers on board the Ruys got together for the grand finals of their tournaments and games as they sailed towards Singapore, the occasion was enhanced by this nice drawing. Mr W .G. Solomon from Cape T own turned out to have a nifty line in chalks, and the large cloud (pink, of course ) rising from the vessel makes a nice background to the announcements. We presume that everybody present was seen through a rosy glow!

FAMIL.Y NEWS Weddings Chief Officer P.L. Eichhorn (Van Noort) to Miss H .E.M. Heynen on 2nd May at Nijmegen. 5th Engineer J . Bergsma I Leave) to M iss A. van de Zande on 26th May at Vlissing en. 4th Engineer H . de Vries ) Leave) to Miss M.H.C. van Dijck on 29t h May a t Eindhoven. 5t h Eng ineer B.H . van Lorn )leave) to Miss M. van den Hazel on 3 1st M ay, at Zaa nda m. 4th Officer N.E.F.M. van der Schrieck (leave) to Miss A .L. Germs on IO t h J une at Zevenaar. New A rrivals 4th Eng ineer P.A . A ls tede )leave): a son, Guillermo Antonio, on 15t h A pril. 4th Officer G .A. de Roo )Tjiwangi ): a daughter, Angelus Sophi A minah, on II th May. 3rd Officer J.T. W ouda )leave): a son, Tjalling Berend, on I I th May. 3rd Engineer B.G . H akstege (Straat Frazer) : a son, Bernardus Gerardus, on 12th May. 3rd Engineer A. Verheij )leave): a son, A driaan Gerard, on 12th May. Chief Officer E. van Laren (leave): a daughter, Famke Daphne Mary·A nn, on 13th May. 2nd Officer E.C.M. Jansen )Tjiluwah ) : a son, Coen Herman, on 14th May. 2nd Engineer H . Noort (Straat Holland): a son, Frank Maarten, on 20th May. M r R. F. Janssens ( HK HO VZ ): a daughter, Veronica Caroline Louise, on 2 1st May. 3rd En gineer A .H. de Boer )leave): a son, Rona ld A lexander, on 23rd May. 3rd Officer F. L. N. van der Yen )St raat Futami ) : a son, Robert, on 25th May. 4th Officer H .T. Schaaf (Straat Cook): a son, Egbertus Hermanus, on 27th May. 3rd En g ineer F.H .A. Crooijmans )Houtman): a son, Frank W ilhelmus Arnoldus, on 5t h June. 4th Engineer H.W.M. Veugelers (Tj itarum): a daughter, Renate, on 7th J une. GRACE ON BOARD

Passe ngers on board TJITJALENGKA recently were lucky to be able to enjoy two d isplays of da ncing . Between Penang a nd Lourenco Marques, following a C hinese dinne r, Mrs Diels, wife of the former techni cal attache to the Netherlands Embassy in Tokyo, gave a performance of J apanese dances learned in J apan.

O n t he stretch from Cape Town to Ri o de Jane iro, a 12-yea r old Korean immigrant gi rl demonstrated Ko rean dances. Mi ss Kim Ke Yu ng had previously wo n several amateur folk dance contests in Ko rea.

Both graceful dancers we re much appreciated by their fellow passengers.

135 copious refreshments David Hawthorne (Sydney, Tr~ ffic) drops on to the golf course. SYDNEY'S DAY OUT

Recently the Sports Committee of the RIL Social C lub As additional entertainment, t he club a rranged for a held a combined golf/ picnic day at the Hawkesbury light aircraft to drop sky-divers David Hawthorne Va lley Country C lub. Approximately 80 staff members, (Traffic) and friend by parachute. These two gentlemen wives and friends were present, together with an esti­ descended into the picnic a rea in close company and mated 50 children. landed within yards of the RI L assembly gathered on the edge of golf course. Needless to say, golfing came W inner of the golf competition was Mr R. Langley of to a temporary stop as t he first smoke fl a re was lit to Patrick Stevedoring a nd ru nner-up Mr P. Guthrey of indicate wind d irection, and further disruptions followed Sydney Traffic. as the two sky-divers alighted on the edge of the I Oth A complete barbecue was supplied by the committee green. including copious qua ntities of stea k and sausages, liquid re freshments and, as the picture shows, a barbecued it certainly sounds from Correspondent Polain's report as sucki ng pig. if Sydney Office staff had a really good time.

TEN YEARS AGO I st July, 1957

Sale of m.s. TJISONDARI RIL Representation in East Africa m .s. Tjisondari has been sold for scrapping in liang A s East Africa is beco ming increasingly important Kong. This ship, the former m .s. Silverash, after to R.l.L., the need for a staff member stationed in having been in charter of Royal lnterocean Lines for that area has made itself felt for some time past, some considerable time, was purchased by the and an R.l.L. representative with office in Mombasa Company in September 1955, to supplement the has accordingly been stationed there as from the end Company's tonnage until such time that new building of June. This newly created post has been given would be delivered. This vessel has given exce!lent the name of " Representative in East Africa". service to the Company when tonnage requirements were heavy and available charter tonnage at reason­ able prices scm·ce. Mr R.j. Thesen Ender, who prior to this was posted to the D urban office, has been appointed as the first The Tjisondari, after completing her last trip as an Representative in East Africa. R .l.L.-liner in the Extended EAFS terminating in Japan, was put up for sale; the ship made her last W e wish Mr Thesen Ender every success with his voyage from Yokohama to Hong Kong at the end new duties in East Africa, which should greatly of June, and immediately upon arrival was delivered contribute to the ever increasing expansion of the to her purchasers. Company.

136 Above, Straat /Janka. Right, ( top) Straat Cumberland and Straat Fiji .

SHIPS OF THE WEEK

At the begin ning of Ma y, relat ives of officers on board STRAAT BANKA, STRAAT C UMBER­ LAND and STRAAT FI JI went to Hilversum in Holland to record messages. These we re relayed to the ships by Radio Nederland on 5th May.

PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

(Som~ promotions are subject to the ruults of eraminauom :l'lurh lwt•e 1101 hee11 receit'ed at the 11111~ of c:o111 g to press. .·1 fmther !tJt tlur~for~ will he puhlished 11ext month) '

O ur congr:n ul Jtions go to the foll owing pc r!>o nncl who w ere promoted Js from l<. t J uly, 1967:

'J'o 11/(1 Officer: To Chief £ 11ginrcr: To Jrt! En g111eer: To 5tll Engineer: Wiebe Vcrba:on P. lb kl-cr P.A. Ai>tccl c ('" from elate ' '"""") I I.) .M. d en Brini-er A. \ ·. Bicrm3n ).A. van cler Sluij' II. K. C lcvcri nga P.~I.E. Boger> 4th :\larch, 196i I I. Pmthurnu' ~kvj''' L.•\ I. A. van Kc,tcrcn I.. I I. Rcgwp To !.nd En J: nurr ).G. Mnu II. llor,t j .C.~f. ~oordcrmcc r To " 1/oofdemploy~" ,\.).R. FrJn,cn ).1•.11.:\1. Smct\ ,\ li" F.C.\V. v.1n dcr Windt 1'.:"'. 1 <'fJJ\If;l ( I lK HO SD) To 3rd O[Jiar: j .C. f';Nll.ln P. v~m Twi'L D .I'. Blcycr vdcl H. f'c,ch I I. \'

137 PERSONNEL o I

~­- --

SUCCESSFUL EXAMINATIONS Mr Tj. Veenstra 5th Eng ineer m.s. Str. Holland .. J .W.H. Weissin k H.Employe Tokyo (Man .) O ur congratulat ions go to the fo llowing offi cers, who .. J.B.L. Cox Employe Durban passed examinations as indicat ed below: Mr H.L. Brandes 2nd Officer Th.l 10-5-67 TRANSFERS OF CAPTAINS ,. E.C .M. Jansen I 9-5-67 A.J. von der Lees+ Th.l 18-5-67 AND CHIEF ENGINEERS H. de Boat Doelman 3rd Th. ll 24-5-67 Captain Th. Rose, Master of m.v. TEGELBERG, went on home leave. J. de Beer II 18-5-67 Captain R. Jungeling was posted to m.v. TEGELBERG following H. Posthumus Meyjes Th.l 23-5-67 intermediate leave. P.J. de W it Th.ll 11 -5-67 Captain J.L. va n Schoondrager, Master of m.v. STRAAT VAN W. de Best 4th Th.ll 19-5-67 DIEMEN , went on home leave. H.J.J. Clasie Th.ll 17-5-67 Captai n D. Procee was posted to m.v. STRAAT VAN Dl EM EN A.C. Hortman II 12-5-67 fo llowing home leave. K. de Ru Th.l l 12-5-67 Captai n W.H. Schroder. Master of m. v. STRAAT FIJI , went on C.F. von Overbeeke 2nd Eng ineer Th.C 28-4-67 home leave. H.A. Slettenaar c 26-5-67 Captain A.N. Kloots was posted to m.v. STRAAT FIJ I fo llowing L. Balje 3rd B 30-4-67 intermediate leave. W. Geerlings B 26-4-67 Captain E. Pe ls, Master of m.v. STRAAT LUANDA, went on home L. Dekkers 4th B 19-4-67 leave. K.J.A. Boumo 5th A 16-5-67 Captain J.A.H. Faber, Master of m.v. SIGLI, was posted to m.v. J. de J onge A 12-5-67 STRAAT LUANDA. S. Kingma A 16-5-67 Captain G.P. Proper was posted to m.v. SIGLI following inter­ R.J. Smeets A 28-4-67 mediate leave. H.G. Tons A 24-5-67 Captain H. Buth, Master of m.v. KEERKRI NG, went on home leave. Captain F.W. Kaptijn, Master of m.v. HOUTMAN, was posted to LEAVE m.v. KEERKR ING. The foll owing personnel went o n leave: Captain L. P. Weststrate was posted to m.v. HOU TMAN following Mr H.K. Kruk Ch. Officer home leave. D. Plooy Captain H.J . Br6ns, Master of s.s. TJIBODAS, was posted to m.v. A.E. Dinger 2nd SIAOE. W.Th. Broader 3rd C aptain P. Starkenburg was posted to s.s. TJIBODAS following P.J.M. von den Ende home leave. J.F. Huizenga Captain H. de Geest, Master of m.v. SIAOE, went on home leave. Wiebe Ve rboon Chief Engineer J .P. du Bois of m.v. STRAAT CHATHAM went on H.A. Wellemo home leave. J.M. Clorijs 4th Chief Eng ineer J. Coers was posted to m.v. STRAAT CHATHAM J.H.M.Th. Smulders 2nd Engineer following home leave. A.C. Hulst 3rd Chief Engi neer A. Bakker of m.v. VAN DER HAG EN went on home J.N. Lohuis leave. .. J. Mozereeuw Chief Eng ineer J.H.M. va n Miltenburg was posted to m.v . VAN .. H.A. Schreurs DER HAGEN following home leave . .. R.P. Geervliet 4th Chief Engineer J.C.S. van Bijsterveld of m.v. TJIMANU K was ,. J.G. Hoopman posted to m.v. STRAAT LUZON. ,. J.W. Renshof 2nd Eng ineer J. Coppoolse was posted to m.v. TJIMANUK as .. M.A. Noort 5th Acting Chief Engineer . .. E.B. Saalmink Chief Engineer J.W. Verwey of m.v. STRAAT LUZO N was tem­ .. J. W iss H.Employe porarily posted as supernumerary to m.v. VAN DER HAGEN and subsequently went on home leave. Those who returned are: post ed t o Chief Engineer D.J.B. Valk of m.v. VAN C LOON was posted to Mr H.A. van Geldere Ch. Officer m.s. Str. Lombok Sydney Superintendents. .. M. Peddemors Str. Banka 2nd Engineer P.C.H. Poppelaars was posted t o m.v. VAN CLOON A.J. vo n der Lees+ 2nd Str. Ba li as Actin g Chief Eng ineer follow ing home leave. A.Ch.O. Meynderts Tjiwangi Chief Eng ineer C. Krul of s.s. TJIBO DAS was posted to HK HO TD. F. Boonstra 3rd Str. Frazer 2nd Engineer Gerard Barendregt was posted to s.s. TJIBODAS as B.A. Smolt .. Tj inegora Acting Chief Engineer and subsequently reverted to his substantive P.J. von den Berg 4th Str. Soendo rank. H.J.J. Clasie Str. Freetown Chief Eng ineer J.J . Pieterse was posted to s.s. TJI BODAS following ,. D. Penn ingo 3rd Eng ineer ,. Str. Florida home leave. ,. J. Wildering Str. Colombo .. P.M.E. Bogers 4th Str. Clarence LEAVING ( OR LEFT) SERVICE .. W.L. ldsinga Str. Colombo .. D. de Ronde Str. Hollond Mr C. Gardenie r Ch. Officer own request H. Vollme r Str. Luzon N.B. G uiting 3rd R.J. Smeets 5th Engineer Tjimo nuk G .B. Carree 4th F.A. Spoor Van dar Hagen Th.I.J. Moerlond 3rd Engineer

138 FORTY YEARS ON 'T Jl' SHIPS

T he Company said goodbye in May to Steward (Sr.) am~*~~~£~~~~z.~~o¥1t~~%~~-;gm Mo Kow, who has serv•ed continuously on 'Tji' ships since ~~*~~~m·~~~*m~•m~~~·~•@·W~ 1927, with a short interval in Liverpool during the war. ;4;.:0~Z.re~a&~~~o••nJt~~R~*~~--~ In a little ceremony at HK HO, RIL's General Super­ nNn~~ZEJL1t o intendent, Jhr. C.L.C. van Kretschmar, presented a 'lucky -*~~~~~B~ft · ~~~~-~~o envelope' and referred to the long years of faithful .lfr .\lo /{ou• recehed Ius 'lucky envelope' from .\lr t'f/11 Kreuchmar, service, saying that men such as Mr Mo Kow- and not watched by l1is so11 (left) and .\1r D ..\Ia, Manager of the CrettJ a few others with a similar length of service- were the Department. backbone of our Company. His son, Kam Wah, was following in his father's footsteps and speaker hoped that he too would come to receive a presentation watch (25 years) and gold medal (40 years) in the years to come. Mr Mo Kow is fa r from being an 'old man' yet, and we wish many happy years of retirement to this cheerful, likeable man.

tt~~~~~~!~Z.i$-t'Jd~ffll.\~ZE:h.:15 • 8lt;4s.:i¥1i.RT11M~ ~* . ~ZEh:15Jt-:tL::.tfFIJ(]i\*0~ • ~~t:m=~Ut~j' PERSONNEL ~~~-~M~~•n · ~~*0~ttTr~J~Mm~~ TRANSFERS SHORE STAFF ~~i11Bi?b~+1f.Z.0- o Mr T.M. Pottker, H.Employa, was tronsferred from Sydney to HK *~'m~~JJ;?.rti ~ Jt ~a-1ThltJZIJ~ZEtL:15~rrz:r!f.ffi MH. ~-~m&ZEBaR*~+1f*~R=M•M$®~~n~ Mr H.J. Hogans, Employe, wos transferred from Manila to HK HO. N.T.P.M. H.V.M. LEAVE LEAVE The fo llowing perso nnel went on leave: The following personnel went on leave: Mr J. Lomeyer 1st Officer Mr B. Buwaldo 3rd Officer Mr H. Comijs 2nd Officer Mr A.J. Groters 3rd Officer Mr A.J. Foken 4th Engineer Mr H.W. Brunsveld 5th Engineer Those who returned are: Posted to: Those who returned are: Posted to: J.H.F. Stouseboch I st Officer m.v. "Senegalkust" Mr T. Veldheer 4th Officer "Hollands Diep " M. v.d. Woude 2nd Officer m.v. "Senegolkust" R. Slump 3rd Officer s.v. " Munttoren" Mr E.J. Aalders 2nd Officer "Hollonds Duin" A.H. Berken bosch 4th Officer s.v. "Westertoren" A. Scheer 4th Engineer s.v. "Westertoren" Mr J.G. v.d. Vijver 3rd Officer " Hollands Dreef" H.C. v.d. Bos 5th Engineer s.v. "Westerloren" H. Slot 5th Engineer s.v. "Westertoren" Mr Th. Hofstede Act. 2nd Officer "Hollonds Dreef" M. v.d. Steen 3rd Eng ineer m .v. "Senego lkust" Mr A.C. von Duin 4th Officer "Hollonds Burcht'' TRANSFER OF CAPTAINS Coptoin T.M. Kuipers of s.v. "Westerloren" went on home Mr H.J. Broeksemo 5th Engineer "Hollonds Burcht'' leove. Coptoin G. Kluen wos posted to s.v. "Westertoren" following home leove. TRANSFER OF CHIEF ENGINEERS SHIPS POSITIONS 2nd Engineer B. von Riessen was posted to m.v. "Senegol­ kust" os octing Chief-Engineer following home leove. m.v. "HOLLANDS DIEP" eta Kuwait 28/6

SHIPS POSITIONS m.v. "HOLLANDS DUIN" eto Vancouver 14/6, m.v. "SENEGALKUST" Douolo 3/7 Jopon 3/7 m.v. "HOLLANDS DR EEF" eta Whampoo 11 /6. m.v. "CONGOKUST" (docking) etd Rotterdom ± 20/6 m.v. "ZUIDERKERK" eta Rotterdam 9/7 ltozoki 26/6 m.v. "SLOTERKERK" eta Duinkerken 9/7 m.v. "HOLLANDS BURCHT" eto Du rban 24/6 s.v. "WESTERTOREN" eta Rotterdam 17/6 s.v. "'MUNTIOR EN " eto Tolora (Peru} 14/6

139 - VOLUME 14 No. 7