Capt. Barendse 1948 small

George Johannes Barendse was born on 23 January 1884 in Amsterdam into a family of seafarers, actors and theatre people. His father Barend Barendse (08 August 1852 – 10 March 1935)  had started out as a warehouse manager but went into theatre and worked himself up to one of the most famous stage  actors of the Netherlands around 1900  and was the Managing Directorof a local theatre. In 1899 he was the leader of a theatrical group “Het Hollandsch Toneel Gezelschap” (The Dutch Stage Society) which played in “Palace for the Peoples Progress” (Paleis voor Volksvlijt) in Amsterdam. His mother Josephine Catharina Fischer (born 1861) was also engaged in the theatre world. Young George was occasionally asked to play a small part as well.

The theatre group “Het Hollandsch Toneel Gezelschap”. The father of George is the one on the right. The scene is from the “costumed” play “The birds of Blandinet”  (By Mr. Eugen Labiche). (Photo: courtesy unknown source on the internet)

Father Barend had 2 brothers who also went to sea and one of them died while onboard a sailing ship.  As far as is currently known George Johannes had one brother (Frederik Karel) who was a violinist. This Frederik had a son named Barend Barendse who was a well known radio journalist, sports caster, screen writer and TV personality in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.

It is probably this back ground that caused the later Captain to express a certain amount of showmanship while sailing and to appear on many photos and in many newspapers articles once he was senior enough to be on the passengers ships. As a result he is considered one of the more colorful captains in the companies history and there is an abundance of photo material out there showing him with passengers at parties.

As he was convinced that the future for an actor on stage was very uncertain, he decided to follow into in his uncles footsteps and choose for a career at sea.

George Barendse as “Kwekeling” (school cadet) at the Amsterdam Maritime Academy. (a)

Living in Amsterdam meant that it was a simple decision to join the “Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart” there on 21 August 1899. He was assigned to the 2 year course, which meant that his mathematical knowledge from his previous schooling was limited. His marks at school show that he was the most interested in practical studies such as drawing, physics and shooting.  Quite unusual was the remark on his school record that his acceptance was “conditional”. This gives rise to the question whether the Board of (very conservative and aristocratic) Commissionaires were concerned about having somebody coming from a Theatre background into the school. Would they have been worried that he would cause too much “drama & theatre” at the venerable Institute ? But his school marks were good and thus he stayed.

The ss Potsdam. Named after the German Emperors summer palace location south of Berlin. A name chose to give the emigrants an easier “Dam” name to pronounce.  Nicknamed “Pijpendam” or Funneldam by the Dutch due to its very long funnel.  (a)

On 24 July 1902 he was placed as cadet on board the ss Potsdam (Capt. Potjer) for the service from Rotterdam to New York. Because the officers accommodation of the ship did not include a cadet cabin, he was given a 3rd class emigrant cabin. In this way he saw with his own eyes how  Holland America ” exported” thousands of emigrants with the ship to the new world.

On 21 August 1903 he returned to school with very good reports. On 09 December he passed the exam for his 3rd Mate certificate. Subsequently he was dismissed from the school on 15 December with a good final report for skills, behavior and sailing time.

He rejoined Holland America and was assigned as 4th. officer on the ss Potsdam. Then his assignments are a mixture between cargo and passenger ships ,

By 1907 he was 2nd officer and married on the 4th. of December in The Hague,  Catharina Alida Maria  (born in Semarang Dutch East Indies in 1880) and who passed away in 1915.

By 1913 he has risen in rank to Sr. Chief Officer of the company and is assigned to the ss Rotterdam (IV) flagship of the company. He remained on the ship until March 1914 when he is promoted to Captain of the ss Sloterdijk (I)

The ss Sloterdijk (I) entered the Holland America fleet in 1902. (a)

Captain George Barendse made 2 voyages on this ship, both roundtrips, from Rotterdam to Boston and Philadelphia. Westbound the cargo would consist out of Dutch and German agri cultural &  industrial products and on the way back mainly grain was carried.

He remarried on 15 May (or 10 July) 1919 with the 28 year old Gerardina Adriana Cornelia van Waardenburg (also born in the Dutch East Indies at Serang, Java on 9 April 1891 ) She was at time known as a talented singer. On 09 January 1929 one son is born:  George Julius (1929-2019). He studied after the war at  Harvard University and remained in the USA. He was married there and had childeren and grand childeren. Passed away in Mariposa, CA) (e).

For the captains wife it is noted that during the 2nd World War she was living at Statenlaan 9 in The Hague and received a monthly allotment of Dutch Fl. of 500,– This house, built around the 1900’s still exist but is now split in an downstairs and upstairs level.

How did he manage to marry twice a girl who was born in the Dutch East Indies ? The Hague where the captain lived  was the place where the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was located  and many Dutch who worked in the Dutch East Indies, or had worked there, settled in the area after returning home.

In June 1920 he is awarded the Silver medal of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute for the keeping of the weather observations logs on board.

By 1926 he was assigned to the first passenger carrying ships, alternating between the D-class ships on the west coast to Vancouver and the Edam class ships on the service to New York.

On 27 December 1926, he was assigned to the ms Drechtdyk, a cargo ships with 12 passengers which sailed on the “North Pacific Route” between Rotterdam and Vancouver via the Panama Canal. A round trip took about 3 months.

This is one of the few photos showing an Holland America cargo ship going through the Panama Canal. This is the ms Drechtdyk in 1925, seen exiting the Miraflores Locks. (a)

By 1932 he was senior enough to be assigned to the North Atlantic passengerships and is given command of the ss Voilendam (I). He will remain with this ship until 1937 when promtion follows to the ss Statendam (III).

The ss Volendam at St. Georges Bermuda on 26 March 1935. The ship has it portside anchor down, so it can be used to pull the bow of the dock as in those days the ships did not have any bow thrusters. The stern could then be brought off by “twisting” the engines. (a)

On 26 March 1935 the ss Volendam (I) with Barendse in command is the first ship to sail through the new canal giving access to the port of St. Georges on Bermuda. The ship as officially supposed to go to Havanna in Cuba but deviated as everybody in Havanna was on strike. The canal let to a deep water bay so the ships could dock there and it created a 2nd tourist port (after Hamilton) for the cruise ships. For later calls at Bermuda the ship normally went to Hamilton.

Captain Barendse 25 years in command. This groups photo shows a celebration on the ss Statendam (III) on 1st. of April 1939 in the First Class Smoking room. (a)

On 19 April 1939 the newspapers announced that Captain Barendse was celebrating 25 years as captain.

The ss Statendam (III) seen here docked in Hoboken, New  York. She had entered service in 1929 and was until the arrival of the Nieuw Amsterdam (II) in 1938 the flagship of the company. (a)

On the 2nd of September 1939 the 2nd world war broke out and although The Kingdom of the Netherlands was neutral the war came sometimes very nearby.  This due to floating mines, U-boat commanders making “mistakes” or when picking up survivors of torpedoed ships.

The crew of the ss Winkleigh coming alongside the Statendam in their lifeboats. All 36 crew and the captain had been able to disembark the ship before it was torpedoed and thus were saved.  (a. From a contemporary Press photo in the collection)

The ss Statendam / Captain Barendse had such an experience as well. On 10 September while Westbound to New York during voyage 95 the ship picked up the crew of the ss Winkleigh.  The British ship was on the way from Vancouver via Kingston, Jamaica  to Southampton .  The ship was owned by the English company  W.J. Tatem Ltd. of  Cardiff, and was 5500 register tons  in size . (Master Thomas Georgeson) On the 8th. of  September the ship was stopped at 06.32 hours, by a shot across the bow and the crew was ordered to abandon ship after the master came aboard with the papers. 08.36 hours was then hit by one torpedo from U-48 and sank southwest of Ireland. The master, one passenger (13 year old Philips Lewis)  and 36 crew members were picked up by the  Statendam  on 10 September and landed at New York.

Photo of some of the crew with its captain pose for a photo. It looks like it that the young passenger enjoys it all very much. (a. From a contemporary Press photo in the collection)

The ss Statendam made one more voyage and was then laid up in Rotterdam on 26 Dec. 1939. There was not much employ for the 2nd in the winter months and with the World War raging it was also not considered prudent to sail the ship over to New York for some cruises.  Captain Barendse was assigned to the New York  office.  He had arrived in New York on 21 March 1940 with the ss Pennland to take command of the ss Nieuw Amsterdam (II) as  commodore Bijl was going on leave. But as Bijl was living in New York there were two days of leave between each 7 day cruise the ship was going to make , he could stay on.  Barendse was put in charge of the Personnel Department of the Hoboken Office. He also appointed new officers and scheduled officers who had to be assigned to the ships. As  Commodore Bijl was only retiring in 1942 Barendse remained in the office remained in the office until that time.
When Bijl reached his 60th. birthday in May 1942 he was at once taken off the ship and temporarily replaced by Capt. Wepster and then later by Captain Stuut.  Barendse sailed from New York to Durban were he took command of the ship on 20 December 1942. The Nieuw Amsterdam continued making trooping voyages and was in 1943 employed in the Pacific Ocean with voyages between Africa and Australia/New Zealand  and the west coast of the USA.
Then in March 1944 the ship was assigned to the north Atlantic “shuttle” carrying troops from North America (Either Halifax, Boston, or New York) to the United Kingdom, (Gourock and Liverpool)

The ss Nieuw Amsterdam (II) seen here while docked in San Francisco in 1943

 

Captain Barendse was promoted to Commodore in April 1944. He had been serving the company by then for 41 years of which 30 years in command. He was to remain with the ship until retirement. As he was not coming back to the office it was announced on 20 January 1943 that his place in the New York office was taken by Captain Dobbenga Sr.)

He was appointed Officer in the Dutch order of Oranje-Nassau on 29 June 1944.   He stayed past his 60th. birthday (more and more captains received compensation from the until then very strict retirement rules) as the Dutch Government realized that their war experience was very much necessary for the safe operation of the ships). Commodore Barendse was relieved on 26 July 1945 at New York by Captain Antony Dekema. A farewell party was held on Tuesday 07 August 1945 on board the Nieuw Amsterdam. From there Barendse left New York with the “ms Sibajak” of the Rotterdam Lloyd together with 150 crew of the Nieuw Amsterdam (II) and arrived on 5 September in Rotterdam. This crew change was done by ship as the Nieuw Amsterdam had to continue trooping duties and would not come back to the Netherlands for the foreseeable future. The British crewmembers in the group where landed in Southampton.

From 1948 to 1953 he is helping out as an Examiner at the Examination Board for Navigators in The Hague.

 

Captain GeorgeJohannes Barendse in his retirement in the 1970s.

He retired in 1946 and moved to a suburb of The Hague, Voorhout in 1971.

 

 

 

 

 

 

His wife passed away on 19 January 1977 and Captain Georg Barendse passed away on 16 May 1981 while living in the town of Voorhout / Sassenheim and was buried in the family grave  at the local cemetery Oud Eik en Duinen. (e)

Anecdotes:

Captain Barendse, in the center during a cocktail party.

Because of his penchant to be in the spotlight he was known on the ships as the “Salon Kapitein” or “public lounge captain”. Whereas most captains tried to stay away from the office as far as possible, this was not the case with him and he was very a good “networker”. No doubt the theatrical skills observed in his child hood days helped here. (f)

However if you want to be in spotlight, then people will pay attention and remember things you do.

So one of this was his purchase of a house and land in St. Thomas.  Captain Barendse was a good bridge player and tended to play with the passengers in the First Class Lounge after dinner if his presence was not required on the bridge.  as many businessmen (often with their family’s) would cross the North Atlantic on a regular basis, the captains skills as a bridge player where wellknown. Hence he was in much demand when a “4th. hand” was needed to complete a table. This meant that he made many friendships as often the family stayed on after the crossing for a cruise. Especially in the 1930’s when the Statendam (III) made many cruises in between the North Atlantic crossings.

During a North Atlantic crossing in 1935, the captain, Mrs. Nell Boden Rudy and Mrs. DeMonchy (who was on board with her husband the President Director of Holland America) decided to buy a plot of land with a house in St. Thomas. This island was very much a hotspot for rich New Yorker before the 2nd worldwar as it was relatively easy to reach. The 3 thought it was a nice idea and also an good investment, so each invested US $ 500 in the property (against current money $ 35000)

St Thomas was in those days a place where the law was sometimes applied in a creative way and when the 3 were given the Deeds while on the island, they found out that the Deed di not have the puchase price on it, nor whether it has been offically registered. Luckily a friend of Mr. De Monchy, Mr. L van Munching (the sole exporter of Heineken beer to the USA, with Holland America ships ofcourse) was able to visit St. Thomas to sort things out.

The ss Statendam (III) docked at WICO dock Charlotte Amalie St. Thomas. The location of the property was right above the stern of the ship, where the hill is almost flat. (a)

It is not known how the 3 kept the property as the war interferred, but it is known that Captain Barendse employed “a boy” who looked after the property and who also would raise a Dutch Flag each time the captain came in with the ss Statendam. The place still exists and the address is now known as Bellevue Route 30 Road, St Thomas at Frenchman’s Bay.

Then there is the story about the war medals. Everybody who sailed/fought in certain areas in the world could apply for a service medal from that area. Most officers and crew on the ships did not bother but on some occasions the company applied for them. (Especially if those captains sailed on the passgenerships). Barendse who was in the office and knew that he would go to the Nieuw Amsterdam in 1942, started applying for any medal that he was entitled to, to ensure that he was on a “more even keel” with the senior military who travelled with the troops on board. (f)

Assigned medals:

Officer in the order of Orange Nassau (29 June 1942 on submission by the company, when assigned as Commodore)

Dutch War memorial cross with the clasp.

US War memorial cross with the clasp.

Pacific War Zone Medal

Mediterranean Middle & East War Zone Medal
Atlantic War Zone Medal.
Merchant Navy Distinguished Service Medal

An unusual photo from the troop transport period: 3 Captains together in Melbourne, Australia in 1943. To the left Captain Potjer of the ms Oranje (Hospital Ship during the war) Royal Netherlands Navy Captain at sea,  W. Harmsen of the  Hr Ms Jacob van Heemskerk)and Captain George Barendse.  Interesting is to see that none of hem are wearing any decorations in this photo. (Photo courtesy unknown maker)

While most captains did not talk much about war also here Barendse was much more open, at least with a few nice anecdotes. One of them, which would give each captain a near heart attack, was when the Nieuw Amsterdam was entering Cape Town with of course all the troops on deck. When ALL the troops were out of deck then the order was – stay where you stood – until allowed to move. However when sailing in, the port had arranged for a Lady on the shore side to welcome the ship with a few songs.

The SS Nieuw Amsterdam (II) in Cape Town South Africa. As the ship visited this port several times during the war it is not known if this photo was taken at the time when the near-mishap took place.

Ofcourse also the soldiers at the other side of the ship wanted to see her as well and started to move over, creating a dangerous list.  But then discipline kicked in and the solders were ordered back to their “stay where you stood” location. A similar order was in place when sailing up the Hudson to New York. If the ship would list there too much, the keel could hit the top of the Holland Tunnel sticking out of the mud. Another of the troopships, supposedly from the Cunard Line, had found this out by accident when X thousand troops on board first all ran to the portside to see Lady Liberty and then all ran to the starboard side to see Manhattan.
 Sailing List (b):

Date:                    Function:                            Ship:                                    Wages and/or remarks.

23 Jul.  1902      Cadet                                  Potsdam                             10,–

27 Aug. 1902      Cadet                                  Amsteldijk                          10,–

25 Aug. 1903      Temporary dismissed to go to school for 3rd mate license. Passed on Dec 9 dec.

19 Dec. 1903      4th. Officer                         Potsdam                             30,–

10 Sep.  1904      4th. Officer                         Statendam                         40,–

14 Apr. 1905      Act. 3rd officer                   Statendam                         40,–

19 Dec.  1905      Temporary dismissed to go to school for 2nd mates license Passed 13 March 1906

07 Apr.  1906      3rd. officer                          Sloterdijk                            50,–

22 Feb.  1907      Act. 2nd Officer               Sloterdijk                            60,–

13 Jul.  1907      2nd Officer                           Potsdam                             60,–

09 Jan.  1908      2nd Officer                          Noordam                            60,–

14 Aug. 1908      2nd Officer Sr.                   Statendam                         60,–

17 Sep.  1908      2nd Officer Jr.                   Statendam                         60,–

11 Jan. 1909      2nd Officer                          Noordam                            60,–

20 Feb.  1909      Temporary ashore to go to school for study 1st mates license passed 11 may 1909

17 May. 1909      Chief Officer                      Sommelsdijk                 100,–

05 May. 1910      Chief Officer                      Andijk                               100,–

01 Jan. 1911       Due to wage review                                                     140,–

04 Aug. 1911     Wage increase                                                                   150,–

19 Mar. 1912      Wage increase                                                                  160,–

02 Apr. 1913      Wage increase                                                                   180,–

02 Apr. 1913      Chief Officer                      Rotterdam                       180,–

07 Nov. 1913       Wage increase                                                                 200,–

30 Mar. 1914      Dismissed

01 Apr. 1914      Captain                               Sloterdijk                            250,–

13 Jul.    1914      Captain                               Zaandijk                              250,–

23 Mar. 1915      Temporary ashore

01 Apr.  1915      Captain                               Poeldijk                               250,–

10 Jan. 1916      Temporary ashore.

13 Apr.  1916      Captain                               Westerdijk                          250,–

24 May. 1916       Temporary ashore

08 Jun.  1916     Captain                               Noorderdijk                       250,–

27 Jul.    1916      Temporary ashore

01 Sep.  1916     Captain                               Oosterdijk                          250,-

14 Nov. 1916      Temporary ashore

11 Dec. 1916      Captain                               Sloterdijk                            250,–

17 Sep. 1917       Captain                               Schiedijk                             250,–

01 Aug. 1918      wage increase                                                                   300,–    temporary ashore

21 Jul.   1919      Captain                               Zuiderdijk                            625,–  new wages per 21 jul.

24 Sep. 1919      Captain                               Eemdijk                                  625,–

01 Jan.  1920      Wage increase                                                                   650,–

15 Oct. 1920      Wage increase                                                                    675,–

20 Apr.  1921      Temporary ashore due to illness

07 May. 1921       Captain                               Andijk                                    675,–

16 Oct. 1921      Waged decreased                                                            610,–

20 Dec.  1921      Temporary ashore

16 Mar. 1922      Wages decreased                                                            585,–

22 Apr. 1922      Captain                               Blijdendijk                           585,–

21 Jun. 1922      Temporary ashore

22 Aug. 1922      Captain                               Burgerdijk                           585,–

12 Mar. 1924      Captain                               Westerdijk                          585,–

20 Mar. 1924      Captain                               Noorderdijk                       585,–

14 Jul.   1924     Captain                               Burgerdijk                           585,–

12 Nov. 1924      Captain                               Binnendijk                          585,–

19 Feb. 1925      Captain                               Stadsdijk                             585,–

25 Mar. 1925      Captain                               Vechtdijk                            585,–    at New York

03 Oct. 1925      Captain                               Streefkerk                          625,–    Holland British India Line

26 Oct. 1925      Temporary shore

09 Nov. 1925      Captain                               Schiedijk                             585,–

28 Jul. 1926      Temporary ashore

06 Sep. 1926      Captain                               Schiedijk                             585,–

27 Dec. 1926      Captain                               Drechtdijk                         585.—

01 Apr. 1927      Wage increase                                                                  605,–

01 Jan. 1929      Temporary ashore                                                          605 and wage increased to 625,–

22 Apr. 1929      Captain                               Drechtdijk                         625,–

15 Aug. 1929      Temporary ashore

29 Aug. 1929      Captain                               Dinteldijk                          625,–

18 Dec.  1929      Captain                              Spaarndam                       625,–

01 Jan. 1930      Wage increase                                                                  645,–

11 Jan. 1931      Temporary ashore                                                          645,–

in 3 years to 15 march 1931 sailed 2 years and 1 month.

19 Mar. 1931     Captain                               Kinderdijk                          645,–

16 Jul. 1931      Captain                                 Dinteldijk                           645,–

19 Feb. 1932      Wage decreased                                                             516,–

23 Feb. 1932      Temporary ashore                                                          516,–

08 Mar. 1932      Put on 70% standby money.

19 Apr. 1932      Captain                               Volendam                            516,–

22 May. 1932     Temporary ashore 70%

08 Jun. 1932      Captain                               Volendam                            516,–

10 Sep. 1932      Captain                               Volendam         70%         516,–

03 Nov. 1932      Captain                               Veendam                            516,–

04 Jan. 1933      Temporary ashore 70%                                               516,–

07 Feb. 1933      Wins the silver medal of the Royal Meteorological society.

18 Apr. 1933      Captain                               Volendam                           516,–

28 Jun. 1933      Wages decreased with 5% according to Memo no 929 dated 27 June 1922

28 Dec.  1933     Wages decreased with 5% according to Memo no 929 dated 27 June 1922  464,40

01 Oct. 1934      Wages decreased to                                                     446,–

26 Nov. 1934      Temporary ashore                                                         466, on leave due to illness wife

02 Jan.  1935      Captain                               Volendam                           446,–

01 Mar. 1936      Due to the wage regulation for captains wage increase to 460,– See Memo of the accounting department 18 April 1936

08 May. 1936     Captain                               Rotterdam                         460,–

06 Aug. 1936      Temporary ashore                                                         460,–    on leave due to illness wife

29 Aug. 1936      Captain                               Spaarndam                         460        until NY then to Rotterdam

10 Sep. 1936      Captain                               Rotterdam                         460,–    at NY

25 Sep. 1936      Temporary ashore                                                         460, — at NY due to illness wife as passenger with the ss Paris to home.

20 Nov. 1936      Captain                           Volendam                                460,–

12 Jan.  1937      Captain                            Rotterdam                              460,–

At NY came over on the Veendam as pax.

01 Oct. 1937      According to new regulation                                     480,–

07 Dec. 1937      Captain                           Statendam                              500,–    Until 26 Dec. 1939.

08 Mar.1940       Passenger                       Pennland      to New York.

01 Oct. 1942       Captain                            Nieuw Amsterdam

08 Dec. 1942        Captain                          Nieuw Amsterdam             700,–   At Durban

24 Feb .1945        On leave at Halifax

07 Apr. 1945         Captain                            Nieuw Amsterdam                  At New York

Sources:

(a) Photos and voyage information. Capt. Albert archive & collection.

(b) Sailing List until 1937. Stamboek & Mouvementen boeken HAL Archives as held by the Municipal Archives of the city of Rotterdam.

(c) Photo and information submitted by Mr. Laurens van der Laan. (Ex HAL USA Office Employee and the most knowable of all HAL researchers alive.)

(e) Mr. Kees den Elzen. Historical Society Voorhout. & Mr. E.H Kruidhof ,MarHisData.

(f)  Memoirs of Mr. Eylders who happened to be his captains steward on the ss Nieuw Amsterdam during WWII.

(g) Memoirs of Mrs. Nell Boden Rudy, who for more than 80 years made frequent voyages on the Holland America Line ships.

Last updated: 03 July 2025