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Maritime
Historian
“Memories
of the JVO
m.s.
The
William Hamlyn Story
But
retaining an all Dutch crew
The story begins …
October 10, 1945.
As usual the routine is altered and only 50% of the lads know about it, reveille was at 0300 hours, still I just made it and marched to the siding. It was only two miles this time, thus not too bad at that time of the morning as it was cool and fresh after last night’s rainstorm, got into a coach with about 10 in and made ourselves comfortable and generally speaking had quite a decent ride and arrived at Bombay Victoria at 1300 hours, detrained and surprising as it may seem we were given a hot cup of ‘char.’ My kit was certainly heavy – F.S.MQO and a very full kitbag, but after identity checks at the gangway we were directed to our deck F.6 the usual 18 to a table and very overcrowded, a crowd of Nursing Sisters, Officers and their families with loads of kiddies came on board.
The ship by the way is called the MS Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt a Dutch passenger liner built and registered in Amsterdam in 1930 and about the 20,000 tons and looked as though she can keep up a fair speed.
Have been told we can write home and say that
we are sailing on Friday and will arrive in
I am now waiting for dinner and everybody is getting restive, as the regular cabin passengers must be fed first.
After dinner I shall write a few letters, well this completes stage three so on to stage four.
October 11, 1945.
Not a bad night and although I slept on a table, it was quite comfortable, was washed & shaved before 0600 hours and I took a walk round the deck. The breakfast was haddock the first I’ve had in years, and then to the Sgts Lounge for the rest of the morning where I played bridge, also played all afternoon and evening.
October 12, 1945.
Today is the big day played bridge again in the morning and we set sail away from the docks at 1217 hours and left Bombay at 1345 out to the open sea, Aden will most likely be our first port of call, it is a marvellous afternoon and the sun is beautifully, warm with a fresh smell of the sea and a strong breeze blowing, the evening was nice and cool and after more bridge chatted out on deck until about 2300 hours. It seems very strange to be able to smoke and see all the lights of the ship turned on.
October 29, 1945.
The storm kept up all night and we were just rolled and rocked and thrown about all over the ocean by the feel of it, and it is a very cold and damp morning, the sea is a little calmer though now we have entered the Channel, although we have run into several rainstorms during the morning, it finally cleared up as we passed Portland Bill, the first sight of England was at 1600 hours.
It is very calm now and we are hardly moving,
hope to get off the ship early tomorrow, by 1815 hours we were
being piloted up the
Hope to see the
Have not yet heard anything about our disembarkation perhaps later, must have made good time as we cruised slowly into Southampton harbour at1230 hours passing the Queen Mary on the starboard side and we were docked at 2100 hours the Mauritania is across our bows about 500 yards away.
A band was out to greet us and a message from the King & Queen was read out by the senior Army officer aboard, the lord Mayor of Southampton came on board and spoke over the PA system, the weather is very mild and no overcoats are needed.
October 30, 1945.
Very cold this morning, foggy and wet, but it’s a grand change, overcoat weather this morning definitely, still nothing about disembarkation, maybe tomorrow – I hope not. Most of the baggage has been taken off during the night. Have been hanging about the ship all day and my draft does not disembark until 0215 hours on Wednesday rather a bright time since we have been in dock over 24 hours now, more information says we disembark at 0015 hours sounds a little better.
October 31, 1945.
Eventually disembarked at 0140 hours so end of stage 4, we went straight to the Customs Sheds and after about 15 minutes we boarded the special train waiting in the station, no customs at all.
Left Southampton at 0300 hours and arrived at Oxford at 0640 hours straight onto an Army truck and taken to Slade Camp, there I was drafted to Hut 71 to sort out a kit and then to breakfast, told to be ready to leave at 1100 hours for Northampton not York as previously arranged due to York being overcrowded.
After a good wash and shave etc and some
documentation we left
Left Oxford at1220 hours arrived Northampton after a good run at 1500 hours straight onto army lorries again and away to the dispersal unit where we put our kitbags into the cloakroom and off to a smashing dinner, into the NAFFI 1, which led to the documentation Office and through the R.T.O on to the Clothing Depot and out of the Army except for leave pending discharge at 1900 hours – just 19 hours and 20 minutes from leaving the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, so much has happened that the ship seems weeks ago.
Leave
This ends stage 5 and so on to the 6th and final stage.
Just made all the connections and arrived at
0145 hours at
Conclusion.
Having told his story
Over the years
I am most grateful to both Vivienne, but especially William Hamlyn for providing his story for I am sure that many will enjoy reading it and that it will bring back memories for other returned soldiers and ex-pat’s!
Also read Chapter 2: JVO
the Trooper
Read
all about - Laszlo
Pal’s voyage to Canada
Or
to the - JVO Index
***************************
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched them
die.”
The Author
has been in Passenger Shipping & the Cruise Industry for over
60 years!
For interest: Sadly an email
service to ssMaritime is no longer available, due to the
author’s old age and chronic illness as well as being
disabled, etc. In the past ssMaritime received well over 140
emails per day, but
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is owned & © Copyright by