Gaart van, Johannes Bartholomeus.

 

Johhannes Bartholomeus Gaart was born on 04 August 1895 in Haarlem, a city west of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. His father had a business / worked as, in the wallpaper and Upholstery bussiness, in Heemstede (town near Haarlem)

He attended the Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart in Amsterdam and joined Holland on 18 July 1913.

TBC.

 

 

Was stuck in the Netherlands during the 2nd World War.

In the beginning of the war he was assigned to supervise the newbuilding of the ms Zuiderdam and ms Westerdam being built in Rotterdam. By mid 1941 the fitting out of these ships came to a grinding halt due to the lack of materrials due to the war. Then he worked for the CCD (Central Control Department) assigned to the area Breda but later Den Bosch. The man in charge of the CCD in his area probably knew what his “good” CCD’s were doing and thus another “reliable” person (at least for the Dutch Cause) was very welcome.  The job of CCD included checking if farmers and small businesses were not fiddling the books and depriving the Occapation Forces from the surplus that they produced. An Inspecor but a bit of courage could be very creative with the figures in the reports submitted and the “surplus” not reported would find its way then, one way or the other to the needy dutch population. (See also Biography of Capt. van Deventer). This meant travelling around a large area and that came with a “Reisepass” = travel pass from the occupation forces. This shielded Van Gaart also from being arrested and put on transport for forced labour in Germany. Althouh with his 47 years of age, he was not a prime target in 1941 – 1942.

Hence in 1942 hew as approached by Captain Filippo and acted as “Guardian” for the Eastern area of the province of Noord-Brabant;  to distribute monies families of Sailors who were at sea. This under the very illegal system of “De Zeemanspot” (See the biography of Captain Filippo). As no no funds were reaching these families during the war, this illegal payment system was set up and was then reconciled with the final wages when the husband came home. But because of his CCD travel document he could move much more freely than others and travelled also as Courier to Middelburg in the province of Zeeland delivering money to the Guardian there. Money that came from Captain Filippo in Rotterdam. Monies were also deliverd by other CCD inspectors so there was a whole network.

When the blockade in the Weest of Holland started to make a big impact on the population, the “Guardians” switched from delivering money to delivering Vitamin pills (often donated by the factory who made them) or food stamps for magarine (often coming from the producers as well). Also Dutch Breakfast Cake was made from raw foodstuffs and then shipped to the depreived area’s.  Lateron he was also involved in collecting donations from well-wishers and that cash money was then deliverd to Capt. Filippo again.

The Southern part of the Netherlands (up to the rivers) was liberated in October 1944 and thus Van Gaart could travel again. First he assisted the local Resistance in setting up a regular government again. Then offered to join the Royal Netherlands Navy, who did not need him and them followed training for Militairy Commissar. This was a function who would issue regulations and orders in a district, to get the area going again under the Dutch Government. A job that would not have been dis-simular to what a Chief Officer did on the ships.  upon completion the option came to travel to London in April 1945 with an LST (open top landing craft) and report back to the company.

By May 30th. he was in Glasgow and assigned as Chief Officer the ms Delftdyk to relieve the Chief Officer who had been on board during the war period. Same went for the Captain of the ship. The Netherlands had been liberated on 10 May 1945 and Holland America at once started a program to get the war crews back to home as quickly as possible.  He remained with this ship to 11 September and then travelled from Rotterdam to Amsterdam to join the ss Phlips Wouwerman as Captain in Amsterdam.

 

Was at Belfast in 1948 supervising the newbuilding of the ms Soestdyk (II) and ms Schiediyk (II) and from there to the ms Noordam.

Sailing List: (b)

 

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

18 Jul.    1913      Cadet Officer                     Westerdijk                 20,–

26 Aug. 1914      Wage increase                                                             30,–

26 Aug. 1914      Act. 4^th. Officer                 Rotterdam                   30,–

11 Nov. 1914      Temporary dismissed to go to school for 3^rd mates license

05 Feb. 1915       Passed exam for 3^rd mate

19 Feb. 1915       Wage increase                                                             40,–

10 Feb. 1915       4^th. Officer                         Rotterdam                    40,–

03 Aug. 1915      Wage increase                                                              50,–

05 Sep. 1915       Temporary dismissed for military service due to mobilization of the country

15 Aug. 1916      Wage increase                                                             60,–

15 Aug. 1916      3^rd Officer                           Sommelsdijk              60,–

08 May. 1917     Made available for the military authorities.

15 Jun. 1917       Wage increase                                                               70,–

15 Jun. 1917       3^rd. Officer                         Maartensdijk               70,–

01 Sep. 1917       Wage increase                                                                80,–

01 Mar. 1918      Wage increase                                                                 90,–

Due to the Maartensdijk being confiscated returned to Holland with the ss Nieuw Amsterdam  and from:

12 Apr. 1918       Temporary ashore

22 April 1918      In military service, until 08 Oct. 1918

06 Dec. 1918      Passed for 2^nd mate’s exam

07 Dec. 1918      3^rd. Officer                         Rotterdam                    90,–                     Adminstrative (ashore)

10 Feb. 1918       3^rd. Officer                         Amsteldijk                     90,–

01 Jul. 1919         Wage increase                                                             135,–

01 Nov. 1919      Temporary ashore

01 Dec. 1919      3^rd. Officer                         Sloterdijk                    135,–

01 Jan. 1920       Wage increase                                                           145,–

01 Jan. 1920       Wage increase                                                            190,–

26 Aug. 1920      2^nd Officer                          Sloterdijk                      240,–

01 Sep. 1921       Wage decrease                                                             228,–

16 Oct. 1921       Wage decrease                                                             216,–

02 Nov. 1921      Temporary ashore to go to school for first mates license

16 Mar. 1922      Wage decrease                                                         210,–

28 Mar. 1922      Passed exam for first mates license.

29 Mar. 1922      2^nd Officer                          Ashore                         210,–

27 Apr. 1922       2^nd Officer                          Vechtdijk                    210,–

08 May 1922       2^nd Officer                          Stadsdijk                    210,–

25 Jul. 1923         Temporary ashore

20 Aug. 1923      2^nd Officer                          Westerdijk                   210,–

13 Oct. 1923       2^nd Officer                          Rotterdam                   210,–

02 Apr. 1924       2^nd Officer                          Breedijk                         210,–

08 Aug. 1924      2^nd Officer                          SChiedijk                        210,–

28 Jan. 1925       Temporary ashore

16 Mar. 1925      2^nd Officer                          Volendam                                210,–

06 Jul. 1925         2^nd Officer                          Spaarndam                              210,–

16 Dec. 1925      Act. Chief Officer              spaarndam                             285,–

16 Mar. 1926      2^nd Officer                          ashore                                         210,–

04 May. 1926     2^nd Officer                          Rijndam                              210,–

22 Jan. 1926       Act. Chief Officer              Rijndam                              285,–

22 Jul. 1926         Act. Chief Officer              Beemsterdijk                     285,–

23 Aug. 1927      Act. Chief Officer              Andijk                                  285,–

17 Mar. 1928      Act. Captain                       Andijk                                  285,–    with 4 gld. Premium a day

21 Mar. 1928      Act. Chief Officer              Ashore                                285,–    with the train from Bremen

22 Mar. 1928      Chief Officer wage increase                                        285,–

16 Apr. 1928       Chief Officer                      Andijk                                  295,–

17 Aug. 1928      Act. Captain                       Andijk                                  295,–    with 4 gld premium a day.

04 Sep. 1928       Chief Officer                      Andijk                                  295,–

03 Mar. 1929      Temporary ashore                                                         295,–    on leave

14 Mar. 1929      Chief Officer                      Andijk                                  295,–    At Antwerp.

04 Jul. 1929         Temporary ashore                                                         295,– on leave schedule for East Indies

30 Jul. 1929         Chief Officer                      Volendam                           295,–    as passenger

17 Aug. 1929      Chief Officer                      Breedijk                              295,–    At New York

22 Mar. 1930      Wage increase                                                               305,–

03 Jun. 1930       Chief Officer                      Volendam                           305,–    At New York as passenger

18 Jun. 1930       Temporary ashore                                                         305,–    on leave from East Indies

25 Aug. 1930      Chief Officer                      Grootendijk                        305,–

26 Sep. 1930       Temporary ashore                                                         305,–

01 Dec. 1930      Chief Officer                      Grootendijk                        305,–

15 Feb. 1931       2^nd Officer                          Ashore                                245,–  set back due to the times.

10 Mar. 1931      2^nd Officer                          Drechtdijk                           245,–    with the ship to sea

25 Oct. 1931       Temporary ashore                                                         245,–

12 Nov. 1931      Wage decrease                                                              208,–

And put on 70% standby money

03 Feb. 1932       2^nd Officer                          Drechtdijk                           208,–

16 Jul. 1932         2^nd Officer                          Drechtdijk            70%       208,–

05 Aug. 1932      Temporary ashore                                          70%       208,–

10 Aug. 1932      2^nd Officer                          Delftdijk                              208,–

28 Jun. 1933      Wage decreased with 5% in accordance with circulaire no 929 dated 27-6-1933

28 Dec. 1933                     “             “             “             “             “             187.20

14 Feb. 1934       2^nd Officer                          Boschdijk                            187,20

16 Feb. 1934       Act. Chief Officer              Boschdijk                            224,10

19 Mar. 1934      Wage increase to                                                          228.15

12 Apr. 1934       Temporary ashore                                                         228,15

14 Apr. 1934       Set back to 2^nd officer and temporary ashore         187,20   regular leave

20 Apr.  1934      Temporary shore                                            70%       187,20

30 Apr. 1934       2^nd Officer                          Veendam                            187,20

01 Oct. 1934       Wage decrease                                                              181,20

02 Nov. 1934      Act. Chief Officer              Burgerdijk                           219,25

09 May. 1935     Act. Chief Officer              Boschdijk                            219,25

26 Jun. 1935       Temporary ashore                                                         219,25   Regular leave

24 Jul. 1935         Act. Chief officer              Breedijk                              219,25

01 Aug. 1935      Act. Chief Offcier              Damsterdijk                       219,25

13 Oct. 1935       Wage increase                                                               223,–

10 Oct. 1936       Wage increase                                                               226,75

01 Oct. 1937       According to new regulation                                      255,25

02 Oct. 1937       Temporary ashore                                                         255,25   regular leave to 16 Nov. 37

25 Nov. 1937      Chief Officer                                     Edam                    255,25

TBC

30 May.1945       Chief Officer                                      Delftdyk

20 Sep.1945         Captain                                                  Philips Wouwerman (arr. Tampa 10 Oct. 1945)

a. Captain Alberts Database and photo archive

b. Stamboek and mouvement books of the Holland America Line archives as held by the Rotteram Municiple Archives of the city of Rotterdam.

c. comportementen boek Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart as  held by the Municipel archives of the City of Rotterdam.

d. Mr. Laurens van der Laan. HAL historian Par Excellence.