Coster; Cornelis Hendrik, Pieter

Cornelis Hendrik Pieter Coster was born on 24 October 1890 in the town of Brummen, located in the Eastern part of the Netherlands, north east of the city of Arnhem. He was the son of a local Innkeeper and later hotel Owner, Arie Leonardus Coster (22 Sep. 1856 – 09 Oct. 1932) and Krijna Geertruida van Nahijs. (10 april 1866 – 18 June1944). They married on 19 Dec. 1889.   The father ware originally a hotel keeper in The Hague. (Sweelinckstraat 125) Although the family moved to Brummen, and from there to Katwijk. Then they were back in The Hague on 11 Dec. 1918. (f)

When he was 15 years old he entered the “Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart” in Amsterdam for the 3 year course. This meant that he had little to no education in mathematics or physics.  An unusual situation was that he belonged to the “Waalsche kerk”. This was/is a protestant church but originally for refugees from France and the sermons were in French. There was also a chapter in Amsterdam.

The marks listed on his school records were only getting better during last year and the scores for “behavior” were very low in general. Highest marks were for fencing and other physical sports.  This did not affect his chances for joining a good company as on 24 August 1908 he was accepted by the Holland America Line as cadet and placed on board the ss Sloterdijk (Captain Jan Baron). On 28 of March 1909 he transferred to the new flagship the ss Rotterdam (IV) for the remainder of his cadet year.

On 9 September 1909 he returned to the Academy with a very good sailing report and then passed on 15 October 1909 his exam for 3rd Mate. He was then dismissed with a very good “attest” for skills, good behavior and a very good report for his sailing year.

He then returned to Holland America as 4th. officer and was sent to the ss Amsteldijk (I), the first real cargo ship of the company built in 1900. Normally one gets promoted to 3rd officer very fast but Coster remained 4th. for 2 full years before he was promoted to 3rd. officer on the ss Gorredijk (I).

His assignments remained a mixture of cargo ship and passengerships but he was promoted to 2nd officer on 21 June 1913 on the ss Zaandijk (I). Holland America was expanding tis fleet and thus he sailed only for a year as 3rd. officer.  Then in September 1913 he obtained a commision as a Royal Netherlands Navy Reserve Officer and was sent to Hr. Ms. Atjeh. the training ship of the Navy for 3 months.   He would maintain his Royal Reserve status until his retirement.

Note ED:  I have very little information about the captains private life. If there is anybody who reads this and has photos, anecdotes or anything else that might help me to enhance and complete this biography  and show some more about the “man behind the uniform” please contact me on CaptAlbert1@aol.com.

On 07 September 1914 he married at Arnhem Anna Gerredina Bergman (born  in Amsterdam on 03 July 1891) daugher of a local merchant Antonie Berman and Gerredina de Gruijter. (b,d)

On 09 September 1915 a daughter was born in Rotterdam Prins Hendrikkade 115a) , called Geertruida Anna Gerredina Coster (passed away on 10 January 1951 at The Hague).

The family moved on 6 July 1932 to The Hague, to Sweelinckstraat 125, most likely due to illness of the father as he passed away in october of the same year.  The family was still running a Hotel there and the Mother & Daugther would continue to do so.

Cormelis remained married to his first wife until 03 September 1932 with the divorce being agreed in Arnhem. She and the daughter remained in The Hague and during the 2nd worldwar Captain Coster send money to The Hague until 1 July 1944. This mother stopped when his mother passed away on 18June 1944. Ex wife and daughter had moved to Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands for the duration of the war. (e.f)

On 30 September 1935 The Dutch Registration system noted that he had left the country officially on 30 September 1935 with the new address given as New York, 1803 Palisade Avenue. (Address of his girlfriends mother). This address is part of the The Bronx. On 18 Oct. 1935 he married in New York Marguerite Potter, (born at Uttica N.Y on March 25, 1894)  (f)

Mrs. Coster – Potter (noted as an accomplished, maybe proffesional singer) was registered  at the Hague address on 11 June 1936  but left for the USA on 22 Aug. 1936 sailing with the ss Volendam (I) arriving in New York on 31 Augustand went to her Mother.  Coster  was signed out of the Dutch Registration System on 12 Oct. 1936. (f)

Her name is on his 2nd world war registration card from 1944 as he sent a monthly allotment of $300,– to her. She revisited the Netherlands in 1947 when she sailed on 9 August with the ms Noordam (Capt. Visser) to New York. Capt. Visser left the ship there on 18 August and Capt. Coster took command. It is unknown whether he sailed with her as a pasenger to New York or whether he  was in New york. Capt. Visser was relieved there as he lived in California and took the train home.

She is noted for one more crossing with the ms Westerdam on 30 Sept. 1950 from Rotterdam back to New York. (f)

She did not stay there as in 1953 the home address is given as 1611 Drummond Court Asbury Park New Jersey. So it can be assumed that Captain Coster retired here.  (a.d) Asbury Park is a waterfront property still exists and is a free standing 5 bedroom house.

His first marriage date falls in the 4 year period when he was with the Royal Netherlands Navy as he was mobilized on 18 August 1914 and returned to HAL in july 1919. On July first of 1918 his promotion came through as 2nd lieutenant RNR.  (He would retire in 1951 with the rank of 1st. Lieutenant) One can assume that he was not very busy in 1917/1918 with his navy assignments as on 22 March 1918 he passed  the exam for his First Mate/captains license.

On 24 July 1919 he was back with Holland America and assigned as 2nd officer to the ss Nieuw Amsterdam (I). Here he remained for a year as he was now senior in rank and on 01 June 1920 he was promoted to Chief Officer and joined on that date the ss Waaldijk in New York.  This ship sailed on the “British Indies Line” of the company from New York to the Dutch East Indies and beyond and it meant being away for about a year.

Once back home he was assigned to a newbuilding, the ss Burgerdijk, on 06 June 1921. This ship had been constructed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, but was then towed to Belfast for the installation of the engines. Thus he had to travel to Belfast and was present for the delivery on 19 June 1921 and then sailed the ship back to Rotterdam.

Then in his sailing record a peculiar entry pops up. 5 Oct. 1921 ashore on probation for 3 months starting 04 Oct. 1921. This normally indicated that the Board of Inquiry had suspended a license. However there are no records found yet that indicate this. Whatever this meant Cornelis Coster simply spent that time with the Netherlands Royal Navy Reserve, went on leave in February 1922 ,and then joined the ss Blommersdijk on 03 April 1922 as Chief Officer; again going to Belfast to collect this ship after its engines had been installed there. In the same way as with the ss Burgerdijk a year earlier.

Then on 02 May  1922 he joined the ss Stadsdijk, a ship also employed on the East Indies service of the company but sailing from Rotterdam. He made 2 voyages on this ship going as far as Colombo on Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) returning via New York and East coast ports. From there going East again and at the end of the 2nd voyage returning to Rotterdam. The ss Stadsdijk goes into lay-up and Cornelis Coster transfered to the ss Gorredijk (I)

By 1923, his senority started to kick in and we see more cargo passenger and full passenger ships appearing on his sailing list. Culminating in the fill in as Acting Captain on 06 January 1926  on the ss Maasdam (III). With this ship he made two voyages  to the Gulf of Mexico via Spanish and Portuguese ports.  He repeated the same voyage one more time in October 1926 but now with the ss Edam (IV)

Now being firmly established as the Sr. Chief Officer of the company with 2 captains credits, he was assigned as Chief Officer to the large passengerships. First to the Nieuw Amsterdam (I), then to the flagship Rotterdam (IV) and then  on 01 January 1929  as Chief Officer / Staff Captain to the newbuilding ss Statendam (III)  which would enter service in 1929.  In Feburary there was a spell with the Netherlands Royal Navy Reserve again and then it was time to bring the ss Statendam, the new flagship of the company into service, from 01 March 1929 onwards.

The new ss Statendam (III) which entered service in March 1929. Seen here on departure for the official trial trip from Rotterdam. (a)

This ship was number III of that name and was a replacement for the 2nd one. That ship has been ordered before the war but only the hull had been completed when the war broke out. She was then sezied by the British and used as the troopship ss Justicia. While sailing empty she was torpedoed in 1918. All the furnishings for this ship had already been sent from the Netherlands to the shipyard and were stored there. After the war the company ordered the Statendam (III) which was similar to her predecessor but slightly smaller. All the stored interior fittings were now installed in this ship, giving her a pre war Victorian feeling.

Captain Coster as staff captain on Board the ss Statendam on 03 April 1929 before the departure for the official trialtrip. The man in the foreground is Commodore Piet van den Heuvel, captain of the ship but wearing his regular captains stripes. (a)

He remained with the Statendam (III) until October 1929 when he  was scheduled to take command of the ss Gaasterdijk (I) for one voyage. Then transferred back to sail the summer on the ss Statendam again as Staff Captain.  This was not a demotion but a result of the depression hitting the company. Many officers were made redundant or set back in rank. The latter happened to Captain Coster, he was  by now a senior captain, he was married and did have one child, so he was in de catagory to be set back in rank but not to be dismissed from the company.

During this period on the ship, he was part of many cruises from New York to the West Indies as the company made more money there then during the winter months on the North Atlantic.

Cornelis Coster remained Chief Officer/staff captain until May 1935, mainly sailing on the large passengerships and was then re-appointed as captain.  First as fill in on the ss Edam (IV) and the ss Maasdam (III) and then on the  cargo ship ss Bilderdyk (I) and later the Binnendyk.

Then in June 1939 he was giving command of the ss Westernland of the ex Red Star Line whose 2 ships had been bought by Holland America. Captain Coster was sent to Antwerp to collect the ship, brought her for a visit to Rotterdam (02 June 1939) and then sailed her from Antwerp, maintaining the Red Star Line service, to New York.

Life  was not boring as his next command was the new cargo ship ms Sloterdyk (II) constructed in Denmark and collected by him inJanuary 1940. This ship together with her sister, the ss Sommelsdyk (II), had been designed for the New York to the Dutch Indies service and she made one regular voyage on that route before the war caught up with her. About the start up of the Sloterdyk (II) there is a nice anecdote. The company had decided that Captain Coster, his officers and crew would all travel by train from Rotterdam, stay overnight in a hotel in Hamburg, and then continue with the train to Copenhagen. Captain and Officers travelled 2nd class and the regular crew (about 50 of them) in 3rd class.  Head Office had not arranged for catering along the way, a fact that Capt. Coster most likely expected or knew from before. Hence the night before leaving he had been cooking 20 Dutch size (about a foot in diameter) smoked sausages and brought those with him to the train. The cadet was appointed as guardian of it all. At the border (Oldenzaal) bread rolls came on board and then a good lunch was provided by the captain while the train sped through Germany northwards.

The Hotel Reichshof in Hamburg was a very posh hotel (and still is) opened in 1906 and the captain took the whole crew for dinner in the main diningroom. No doubt to the startlement of the other diners as the crew had not expected this so they did not exactly looked the part. One can ask one self which Captain would be bothered to buy and cook 20 sausages  at home, order breadrolls to be delivered to the train so his crew would have a decent lunch while travelling. (g)

Captain Coster was awarded the silver medal of the Netherlands Meteorological Institute on 15 March 1940 for maintaining meteorlogical observation logs on the ships. It is not known, how he was given this medal as he was at sea in the period between March and June. Normally this was then done by the wife but he had divorced his Dutch wife by that time and the American one was in the USA.

After a spell on the ss Breedijk and ss Leerdam (II), captain Coster returned to the Sloterdyk and stayed with her from September 1943 to April 1946. He mainly sailed with the ship in the South Pacific carrying troops and equipment during the war.

Also here is a short anecdote to list. While sailing during the war, the ships were Dutch flagged and Dutch manned but totally under control of either the British (Ministry of War Transport) or the Americans (mostly the US Navy). So the ships would sail, how they wanted it and maneuver how they ordered it. The ss Sloterdyk was involved in the landings in the Palau Islands in the South Pacific and the total focus was the quick landing of troops and materials. Regardless if the ship would sustain damage during the operation or not. During one of the operations the Sloterdijk was severly damaged, most likely by bouncing into another ship during landing operations. Captain Coster observed this with a tear in his eyes and then exploded in the face of the captain of an American destroyer: “To hell with your Admirality; this is my ship”.  Indeed true, but in the greater scheme of things ships were expendable but the landing operations were not (g).

Note:  From 14 March to 15 May 1945 the ship was in dry dock in San Francisco for damage repair and general overhaul for 2 months. So the damage must have been considerable.

Then in 1946 he made one voyage carrrying Dutch troops to the Dutch East Indies, sent there to try to restore the Dutch rule over the former Dutch Empire, now called Indonesia. Te return voyage brought him back to Rotterdam where he arrived on 18 May 1946. So he had been away for 6 years and 8 days.

Then he was given a long leave, and sailed with the ms noordam as passenger from New York to Rotterdam, arriving on 14 April, joining on 15 April the ss Duivendyk. With her he made one voyage to the West Coast / Vancouver and one Rotterdam to New York roundtrip. (f)

Then he was sent to the ms Noordam (II). This was  a passenger (125) cargo vessel employed on the direct Rotterdam to New York service. With this ship he came into the lime light in 1948 as the ms Noordam was the first ship to arrive with a shipment of grain and other cargo in the Netherlands under the new Marshall Plan, designed to get Europe back on its feet again as quickly as possible.

These sort of happenings always involved publicity with numerous important persons appearing to be part of the historic occurence. This  then often required the presence of the captain and in this case it was no different. It is not known if Captain Coster was a publicity minded person but on the photo below we see him presenting the first sample of “Marshall grain” to Mr. Sikko Mansholt, the Dutch Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries.

The larger quantity of grain in the cargo holds was not in bags but in bulk and was discharged alongside the Wilhelminakade in Rotterdam, directly into river barges.

From the ms Noordam (II) it went to the ss Veendam (III) from November 1948 to June 1949 and by then he was the most senior captain in the fleet and thus got appointed to the flag ship of the fleet the ss Nieuw Amsterdam (II) when commodore Van Beek retired.  On the date that he joined the ship, 21 June 1949, he was also promoted to Commdore and thus remained with the flag  ship until retirement.

In 1950, he took the ship on a 2 months cruise around South America, the 2nd cruise the ship made around this continent. The remainder of his service on board was sailing the ship safely across the North Atlantic between New York and Rotterdam.

Commodore Coster  arrived for the last time, while in command of the ss Nieuw Amsterdam, in Rotterdam on 05 May 1951. He returned to New York for his leave period and officially retired on 31 October 1951.

Commodore Coster with his deck officers on board the ss Nieuw Amsterdam on 25 October 1950. (25 October was during an Eastbound Trans Atlantic crossing the day before calling at Southampton).  Top/back row left to right:  4th. officers Arnoldus J. van Rijn, Marinus H. Nederpelt, Pieter G. van den Bergh (tallest one at 6 feet 3″) and Cornelis F. Pitlo.   Front row:  3rd. officer Jacob Vos, 2nd officer  Johan V. Diehl (later also captain), Commodore, Capt. Cornelis Coster, Staff Captain/Chief Officer Folkert H. Dobbenga Sr. (later also Captain and Commodore) and 3rd officer Lourus Almekinders (later also captain)  (f)

Nothing is known sofar of what he did during his retirement and there are no records that might indicate he was still invovled with Holland America, one way or the other. He  passed away on 2 May 1965 at the age of 75 years.

(ED) So far I have not been able to trace his funeral date of where he might have been buried. 

Sailing List: (c.a)

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

24 Aug. 1908      Cadet                                  Sloterdijk                            10,–

28 Mar. 1909      Cadet                                  Rotterdam                         15,–

28 Aug. 1909      Temporary dismissed to go to school for 3^rd mates license passed on 15 Oct. 1909

21 Oct. 1909       4^th. Officer                         Amsteldijk                      30,–

29 Jan. 1910       4^th. Officer                         Nieuw Amsterdam      30,–

10 Mar. 1910      4^th. Officer                         Potsdam                             30,–

10 Sep. 1910       4^th. Officer                         Statendam                         30,–

26 Sep.1910        4^th. Officer                         Rotterdam                         30,–

12 Dec. 1910      4^th. Officer                         Soestdijk                             30,–

01 Jan. 1911       4^th. Officer                         Soestdijk                              40,–

11 Feb. 1911       4^th. Officer                         Noordam                             40,–

18 Aug. 1911      4^th. Officer                         Noordam                              40,–

08 Jan. 1912       3^rd. Officer                         Goredijk                                60,–

29 Jun. 1912       Temporary dismissed to go to school for 2^nd mates license. Passed 9 Oct. 1912

16 Oct. 1912       3^rd. Officer                         Nieuw Amsterdam           70,–

18 Apr.1913        3^rd. Officer                         Nieuw Amsterdam            85,–

21 Jun. 1913       2^nd Officer                          Zaandijk                                100,–

06 Sep. 1913       2^nd Officer                          Zijldijk                                     100,–

27 Sep. 1913       Temporary dismissed for the navy reserve (3 months) starting 01 Oct. With the rank of Ensign first class. Service on board Hr. Ms Atjeh.  Released on 16 Dcember.

27 Dec. 1913      2^nd Officer                          Andijk                                       100,–

23 Mar. 1914      wage increase                                                                         110,–

28 Mar. 1914      2^nd Officer                          Andijk                                        110,-

18 Aug. 1914      Temporary dismissed for national service (mobilization)

22 Mar. 1918      Passed exam for 1^st mates ticket

01 Jul. 1918         Promoted to Lieutenant 2^nd class.

24 Jul. 1919         2^nd Officer                        Nieuw Amsterdam             210,–

01 Jun.1920        Chief Officer                      Waaldijk                                 300,–     At New York

01 Jan. 1920       Wage increase                                                                        320,–    backdated.

06 Jun. 1921       Chief Officer                      Burgerdijk                              340,–

01 Sep. 1921       Wage decrease                                                                       324,–

09 Jul. 1921         Postponement from navy duty to 1 sept.

05 Oct. 1921       Ashore. On probation for 3 months starting 4 Oct. 1921

16 Oct. 1921       Wage decrease                                                                        308,–

21 Nov. 1921      To royal navy reserve for 3 months placed with the hydrographic service

22 Feb. 1922       Temporary ashore

03 Apr. 1922       Chief Officer                      Blommersdijk                    305,–    at Belfast.

02 May 1922       Chief Officer                      Stadsdijk                             305,–

22 Aug. 1923      Chief Officer                      Ashore                                305,–

03 Oct. 1923       Chief Officer                      Gorredijk                            305,–

09 Oct. 1923       Chief Officer                      Ashore                                305,–

11 Oct. 1923       Chief Officer                      Soestdijk                             305,–

18 Oct. 1923       Chief Officer                      Ashore                                305,–

27 Dec. 1923      Chief Officer                      Drechtdijk                           305,–

15 May 1924       Chief Officer                      Rotterdam                         305,–

27 Jul. 1924         Chief Officer                      Ashore                                305,–

28 Jul. 1924         Chief Officer                      Dinteldijk                            305,–

16 Aug.1924       Chief Officer                      Maasdam                           305,

06 Jan. 1926      Act. Captain                       Maasdam                           560,–

07 Apr. 1926       Chief Officer                      Ashore                                305,–

30 Jun. 1926       Act. Captain                       Maasdam                           560,–

18 Sep. 1926       Chief officer                      Ashore                                305,–

25 Oct. 1926       Chief Officer                      Edam                                   560,–

28 Oct. 1926       Act. Captain                       Edam                                   560,–

22 Jan. 1927       Chief Officer                      Ashore                                305,–

28 Jan. 1927       Chief Officer                      Nieuw Amsterdam           305,–

01 Apr. 1927       Chief Officer                      Nieuw Amsterdam           315,–                   wag increase

17 Aug. 1927      Chief Officer                      Ashore                                315,–

22 Aug   1927      Chief officer                      Rotterdam                         315,–

01 Jan.  1929      Chief Officer                      Statendam                         315,–

01 Feb. 1929       Temporary ashore for navy reserve. (leave included)

01 Jan. 1929       Wage increase                                                                    325,–

01 Mar. 1929      Chief Officer                      Statendam                         325,–                   newbuilding

23 Oct. 1929       Act. Captain                       Gaasterdijk                         560,–

05 Dec. 1929      Act. Captain                       Ashore                                    560,–

In possession of the Sperry gyro Certificate

17 Dec. 1929      Act. Captain                       Nieuw Amsterdam        560,–    as pax to New York for indies

30 Dec. 1929      Captain                               Breedijk                                  560,–    at New York

17 Oct. 1930       Paid as chief officer                                                         335,–

15 Dec. 1930      Captain                               Ashore                                    560,–

01 Jan. 1931       Chief Officer                      Ashore                                335,–

07 Apr. 1931       Chief Officer                      Statendam                         335,–

16 Nov. 1931      Wage decrease                                                              268,–

02 May 1932       Wage decrease                                                              262,50                  max. acc. to contract

05 Jun. 1932      Temporary ashore                                          70%       262,50

30 Aug. 1932      Chief Officer                      Volendam                           262,50

10 Sep. 1932       Chief Officer                      Volendam            70%       262,50

10 Nov. 1932      Chief officer                      Boschdijk                            262,50

05 May 1933       Chief Officer                      Breedijk                              262,50

28 Jun.  1933      Wage reduced with 5% in acc.with circulaire no 9292 dated 27 June 1933

25 Aug. 1933      Chief Officer                      Binnendijk                          262,50

29 Oct. 1933       Chief Officer                      Rotterdam                         262,50

28 Dec. 1933      Wage reduced with 5% in acc, with circulaire no 9292 dated 27 june 1933

23 Jun. 1934       Temporary ashore                                                         236,50  regular leave

11 Jul.    1934      Temporary ashore                                          70%       236,50

16 Jul.    1934      Chief Officer                      Veendam                            236.50

24 Sep.  1934      Chief Officer                      Leerdam                             236,50

01 Oct. 1934       Wage reduced                                                                226,75

01 Dec. 1934      Chief Officer                      Rotterdam                         226,75

22 May 1935       Temporary ashore                                                         226,75   regular leave

27 May 1935       Chief Officer                      Rotterdam                         226,75

25 Nov. 1935      Act. Captain                       Volendam                           344,–

03 Jan. 1936       Act. captain                       Maasdam                           344,–

24 Feb. 1936       Act. Captain                       Edam                                   350,–

01 Mar. 1936      Due to new regulation for captains wage increase to 350,– see circulaire from accounting dated 12 april 1936

09 Aug. 1936      Temporary ashore                                                         350,–    regular leave

14 Aug. 1936      Act. Captain                       Edam                                   350,–

01 Jan. 1937       Wage increase                                                                   355,–

03 Apr.  1937      Captain                               Bilderdijk                            355,–

01 Oct. 1937       According to new arrangement                            405,–

06 Oct.1938        Captain                               Binnendijk

01 Mar.1939        Captain                               Westernland

xxJan. 1940           Captain                               Sloterdijk                             446,–

(newbuilding)

19 Jan. 1940         Captain                               Sloterdijk Until 21 Jan. 1941

On leave

28 Feb.1941           Captain                              Breedijk  Until 09 June 1942

(Departed from Bayonne on 01 March)

11 Jun.1942           Captain                               Leerdam  Until 16 July 1943

(09 Mar – 11 Mar Oerlikon training)

Ashore in USA for leave.

29 Sep.1943           Captain                               Sloterdijk   Until xx June 1945

Ashore in USA lfor eave

28 Aug.1945          Captain                                Sloterdijk   Until  18 May 1946

Arrival Rotterdam.

On leave.

Unknown how he sailded back to New Jersey to go on leave,

05 Mar.1947         Captain                                 Sails as passenger with the Noordam from New York to Rotterdam (Arrival 14 April) to join Duivendijk.  (f)

15 Apr. 1947           Captain                               Duivendijk

18 Aug.1947            Captain                               Noordam

01 Nov. 1948           Captain                               Veendam

21 Jun. 1949            Captain                                Nieuw Amsterdam

Until 05 May 1951

On leave

31 Oct.1951               Retired.

Sources:

a. Photos and information from Captain albert’s database.

b. Family information by D.E Kruidhof. (MarHisData)

c. Stamboek and Mouvementen boeken HAL archives as held by the Municipel Archives of the City of Rotterdam.

d. Genealogy database: “Wie was Wie.

e) Personnel Cards made during WWII by Dutch Shipping Directorate London.

f) Mr. Laurens van der Laan. HAL Historian par Excellence.

g) From an Article by Mr. A.M van der Hek in “Hallo” magazine of old Holland America Line employees.

Last Updated: 26 January 2026.