Herk van, Jozias
Capt. Jozias van Herk on a 1951 company photo.
Jozias van Herk was born on 14 January 1897 at Vlissingen (Flushing) in the South West of the Netherlands. Calling name “Jos”. His father was Cornelis van Herk (born 21 Nov. 1856), a superintendant at the local shipbuilding and repair yard (Most likely the “De Schelde” yard in Flushing). His mother was Catharina Puijpe (born 26 April 1875) . There were 2 brothers and 4 sisters.
In 1914 he lived at 146 Winkelmanstraat still at Flushing. He entered the “Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart in Amsterdam” on 9 September 1914 to attend the 2 year course. His school ratings show that he was an average student, who did not like Geography and French very much. But he enjoyed “weapon handling” = training with sword and floret and scored in June 1916 a “9” which was very high; as a “10” was never given because then you were as good as the “Maitre” e.g. the teacher. (a)
The ss Sommelsdijk (II) had joined the HAL fleet in 1912 and was predominantly used for cargo service to New York. (d)
On 09 October 1916 he joined Holland America as a cadet on board the ss Sommelsdijk (II), sailing from Rotterdam to New York. Once home from the first voyage on 23 December 1916 he had to stay behind for military service.
Jozias van Herk as cadet with HAL. We can recognize his function has he has no “pips” on his lapels. (f)
After being discharged he returned to HAL and to the ss Sommelsdijk to complete his cadet year and was discharged on 30 December 1919 with a very good sea going report. On 23 March 1920 he passed his exam for 3rd. officer and was dismissed on 25 March from the Academy with very good marks. (a)
He then returned to HAL and was assigned to the ss Zijldijk.
The ss Zijldijk was an unusual vessel in the fleet as it still resembled very much a sailing ship with a steam engine plonked in the middle. It had a bow sprit and a fregate stern, giving rise to the idea that the hull had indeed been constructed along a sailing ship lay out. The interior, with very small and cramped crew cabins also indicated this. Until 1920 the ship had an open bridge and then a wheelhouse appeared.
This is a very scarce photo as there are not that many photos of HAL cargo ships taken outside Rotterdam or New york. It shows the ss Zijldijk docked in Montreal. In the background are 2 ships from the British Allen Line who maintained a regular passernger service to Liverpool, Great Britain. This pier is now the cruise terminal of Montreal. This photo can not have been taken when Van Herk was on board as the ship did not sail to Montreal after 1913. (f)
However he sailed for a considerable time on the ship, both as 3rd. and 2nd officer. The ss Zijldijk was from 1920 mainly employed on the east coast of South America service from Rotterdam. A four to five month roundtrip whereby the ship went as far south as Montevideo in Uruguay.
On this photo we see Jozias van Dijk, now in the rank of 3rd. officer, on the bridge of the ss Zijldijk. The gentleman behind himishowing a sextant is a cadet.
On 21 November 1922 he married Berendina Baarschens in Vlissingen and settled down in Rotterdam (Burgemeester Hoffmanplein 76). The family moved on 20 July 1927 to the town of Voorburg (Oostenburgerdwarslaan 29) and remained there for the rest of their lives. Just after the war Captain van Dulken bought a house in the same town at the Buitenrustraat 33. Eventually there were 3 childeren:
Cornelis van Herk born on 17 December 1923 (who also would become captain with Holland America)
Johannes van Hernk born on 18 July 1926
Jozias van Herk on 08 April 1929.
The ss Spaarndam (II) entered service in 1922 as a series of 4. (Edam, Leerdam, Spaarndam, Maasdam) In 1936 her second funnel was removed when a change was made to the passenger accomodation. (d)
GAP in service record.(*)
In november 1939 he is Chief Officer on the ss Spaardam (II) which had left Rotterdam on 17 November 1939 and was on a return voyage home from Tampico and New Orleans. On 09 October the ship arrived at “The Downs” the anchorage at the Thames Estuary for the compulsory Contraband Inspection by the British. She remained there until 18 November and is then ordered to proceed to Gravesend, located further inland. The ship is released on 26 November and while leaving the Thames, it hits a mine.
The ss Spaardam (II) on fire in the estuary of the Thames. This photo is dated 28 November 1939. (f)
The ship caught fire, is beached, and burned out. Capt. Folkert Dobbenga ordered the ship to be abandoned. One crewmember died due to an explosion in the engineroom and three crew and the single passenger on board were killed when their lifeboat overturned due to the bad weather. 42 crew survived the ordeal. Chief Officer Jozias van Herk returned by airplane to the Netherlands.
This photo is copied from a Dutch Newspaper, the capation reads: Mr. J. van Herk,First mate of the Spaarndam, which at the estuary of the Thames hit a mine, is leaving the terminal of Schiphol after his return to our country by KLM airplane. (d)
In March 1940 he was back in the UK and, after having completed an Anti Aircraft Gunnery course on the 9th., he was assigned to ss Leerdam (II) on the 11th. of March. 3 months later he is disembarked from the ss Leerdam in London (13 June 1940) after having been diagnosed with shell shock. He finds lodgings with the family Allsop in the town of Woodford for recuperation. (Many English families volunteered to take foreign servicemen in their houses for some R&R, before they were being sent back to war)
This photo shows the wreck of the ss Spaarndam, sunk at the Thames estuary. As can be seen, nearly the whole superstructure has burnt out but amazingly the funnel with the company colors has been spared. (f)
ED note: It seems strange to me, that Van Herk was re-assigned to a sistership of the mined Spaarndam as with the ship being identifal, everything must have reminded him of that faithful day. When looking forward from the bridge, he would have seen each moment of his watch, the same “stage” where the it all happened. One wonders if it would not have been better to have him assigned to a totally different ship. But shell shock was not really recognized so much as PTSD is nowadays, and certianly not in the Merchant Navy.
The ss Breedyk as Chief Officer Jos van Herk would have seen the ship. Painted in wartime grey. Te ship would not surive the war and was torpedoed on 14 September 1942, South of Las Palmas. There were two fatal casualties, The Captain and a steward. (d)
On 13 November 1940 he returned to sea when he is assigned to the ss Breedijk, in Glasgow, a cargo ship from 1922 which is then in service on the North Atlantic. But on 16 December 1940 he was admitted to a hospital in New York. (b,c) The WW II Dutch Government personnel card reads: “27 Dec. 1940 was likely not able to make the voyage as he still very weak, is afraid, has real fear to cross the water”.
On the 23rd. of February 1941 he returned once again to the ss Breedyk and once back, he remained with this ship until 20 April 1942. He then disembarked in New York and is granted a long leave. The family is in possession of a letter of Captain Coster, woth whome van Herk sailed on both the ss Leerdam and the ss Breedyk.
Here he describes that the ss Breedyk carried (among other goods) large amounts of ammunition and bombs. Not the nicest cargo when there is a great chance of coming under attack by enemy bombers when coming close to Europe. For this purpose the ships sailed in convoi with one ship assigned as Commodore ship / lead ship. On one crossing the sky remained overcast with for nearly the whole time and the convoi was stukc with sailing on dead-reckoning (e.g. best guess were they were taking into account wind and current). However on 2 occasions, while the rest of the 20 ships did not od anything, Jos van Herk was able to take 5 point star observation with starts just peeping through the clouds. To be able to do this, you need to know exactly where each start is located (with the clouds obscuring any reference point) and then very quickly take one or more observations. 3 stars are the minimum (to get a good triangle of probability) but 4 or 5 stars is ofcourse better. When daylight arrived, the Commodore ship signalled the rest of the convoi, if anybody had a position and only the ss Breedyk was able to reply positively. (f)
The ss Noordam (II). This photo was taken in 1942 by the USCG in San Franscisco. This port was the “home” port of the ship for most of the war.
To join the next ship, he traveled overland by train from New York to San Francisco and embarked on the ms Noordam (II) on June 16.
Chief Officer Jos van Herk. Seen here top left. To the right the Radio Officer (name unknown) and in the middle from top to bottom, 2nd officer Dirk Bak, the ships doctor (name unknown) and 3rd officer A.M van Gemert. (Photo courtesy the family of the late captain A.M van Gemert)
Here he remained until September 1945, when after leave in the USA he returned to the ss Leerdam (II). While on board he is temporary promoted to captain of the ship to cover a two month gap (12 Sep. 1945 – 15 Nov. 1945) in the scheduling of the more senior captains. He makes one round voyage (voy. 91) from Rotterdam to New York and back.
Captain Jozias van Herk and his son Cornelis, then a HAL cadet. Both served together for a short while on the ss Volendam in 1946 (f) Note: although Van Herk was serving as Staff Captain on the Volendam, Sr. passenger ships staff Captains often wore 4 stripes. It can also be that this photo was taken in 1945-when he came home after acting captain on the ss Leerdam (II) (f)
While in Liverpool (15 Sep. – 17 Oct.) he meets his oldest son who had had just joined Holland America. Although unusual for the company to let family sail together, father and son served together on the ss Volendam (I) while the ship was repatriating soldiers and service staff from the East Mediterannean to Toulon and later to Glasgow (voyages 199 and 200). He is relieved from the ss Volendam (I) on 31 December when the ship arrived in Rotterdam.
The ms Damsterdyk docked in Kiel as ms Mulhousen, after the war had ended. (d
Two tugboats brought her to Rotterdam with most likely Captain Van Herk and a Smit & Co. Salvage master on the bridge. She would return to service in 1949 as the ms Dalerdyk.On 01 January 1946 he is send to Germany to collect the hulk of the ms Damsterdyk. Officially Captain Drost had been assigned but was not available. The ms Damsterdyk was stuck in Rotterdam when the war broke out and was eventually taken over by the occupier and moved to Germany to serve as a target ship for the submarine service. She was found back, heavily damaged, in Kiel after the capitulation of Nazi Germany. On 27 December 1945 she was handed back to Holland America who then send a team, with two tugboats, to collect her and have her towed to Rotterdam. The tow arrived on 16 January 1946 at the Wilton Feijenoord shipyard. Here she was laid up pending assessment.
Now being considered a Senior Chief Officer he is re-assigned to the ss Volendam (I) while waiting for a permanent command. This appointment comes on 30 March 1948 when he is assigned as Master of the ss Averdyk. Holland America was in the process of buying 10 surplus Victory ships from the USA, the A class and the Averdyk was one of them.
The ss Averdyk. At the time when Captain van Herk was in command the ship was making voyages to New York and nearby ports and to the Gulf of Mexico. (d)
In the following years he rotates over the cargo fleet and serves on several of these A class ships.
TThe family van Herk after Feb. 1947. With the sons Jos, Hans and Cees behind Mrs. Van Herk van Captain van Herk Sr. Please note the two “pips” on the lapels of 3/0 Cees van Herk. (He obtained his 3rd rank on 7 Feb. 1947) Until 1968, Deck and engine officers had “pips” on their lapels as well as strips. The count with a “pip” started with 4th. officer.
On 09 May 1953 the ss Almdyk arrived in Rotterdam coming from Antwerp. While in Antwerp (same day) Captain Jozias van Herk passed away on board due to a stroke (f). He had just completed two voyages with the ship to the Gulf of Mexico .
He was buried in his home town of Voorburg on the 13th. of May 1952 at the age of 56. (e)
Sailing List:
Date: Function: Ship: Wages and or remarks.
09 Oct. 1916 Cadet Officer Sommelsdijk
23 Dec. 1916 Ashore for military service
xx.xxx. 1919 Cadet Officer – completes sailing year on 30 Dec. 1919
23 Mar. 1920 Passes exam for 3rd. Mate.
GAP in records until 1939 still to complete.
xx.xxx. 1939 Chief Officer Spaarndam Until 26 November 1939 as ship is mined.
09 Mar. 1940 Until 11 March follows “Oerlikon” anti aircraft course.
11 Mar. 1940 Chief Officer Leerdam 259,–
Stayed behind in London 13 June 1940 due to sickness (Shell shock)
13 Nov. 1940 Chief Officer Breedijk 259,– Joins at Glasgow.
04 Feb. 1942 On leave. Leerdam Joins at New York.
23 Jun. 1942 Chief Officer Leerdam 299,– Until 20 April 1943 disembarks in New York and on leave.
20 Apr. 1943 Chief Officer Noordam 299,– Joins at San Francisco,
21 Mar. 1944 Chief Officer Noordam 304,– Until 24 August 1944, disembarks for vacation.
23 Nov. 1944 Chief Officer Noordam 304,–
11 Sep. 1945 Chief Officer Leerdam 304,– Until 10 Oct. 1945 (Arrived in Rotterdam on September 26)
01 Jan. 1946 Captain/ company representative to collect Damsterdyk until 16 Feb. 1946
(*) GAP in service information.
11 Sep. 1946 Chief Officer Volendam 484,– Until 03 Oct.
15 Oct. 1946 Chief Officer Volendam 484.— Until 27 May. 1947.
22 Apr. 1947 Chief Officer Volendam 494,– Until 08 May
09 May. 1947 Chief Officer Volendam 494, — Until 20 July
23 Jul.1947 Chief Officer Volendam 494,– Until 16 Oct.
30 Mar. 1948 Captain Averdyk Until 11 Jan. 1949
(*) GAP in service information.
01 Aug. 1949 Captain Aardyk Until 28 Oct. 1950
20 Nov. 1950 Captain Diemerdyk Until 06 Dec. 1950 Coastal relieve voyage
07 Dec. 1950 Captain Blommersdyk Until 27 Mar. 1951
26 Apr. 1951 Captain Aagtedyk Until 01 May 1951 Coastal relieve voyage
23 May. 1951 Captain Almdyk Until 16 Nov. 1951
26 Dec. 1951 Captain Eemdyk Until 22 nd. March 1952
3 Mar.1952 Captain Arkeldyk Until 01 may 1952
(*)GAP in service information
26 Aug. 1953 Captain Almdyk Scheduled until 11 May 1953 in Rotterdam but passed away on the 9th.
(*) Gap in service information 1937 – 1950 . In 1937 the company switched to different H.R recording system, and all information for the years after 1937 is locked away at the HAL Pensionfund and not accessible to historians.
Sources:
(a) Comportementen Boek. Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart Amsterdam as held by the City Archives of Amsterdam.
(b) Dutch Government 2nd worldwar Personnel cards.
(c) Mr. Laurens van der Laan.
(d) Photos from Capt. Albert collection.
(e) Delpher news papers.
(f) Mr. Kees-Jan van Herk, grandson of Captain Jozias van Herk and son of Capt. Cornelius van Herk.
Last Updated: 18 November 2025
October 29, 2025 at 9:45 pm
Met interesse heb ik dit stuk over mijn opa gelezen.
Ik ben in 1956 geboren en heb mijn opa helaas niet meer meegemaakt.
Van mijn vader kapitein C. van Herk en mijn oma heb ik een aantal verhalen gehoord over mijn opa, m.n. over de oorlogsjaren .
Op basis van deze verhalen, krantenknipsels en foto’s zou ik graag een aanvulling willen geven op bovenstaande stuk.
Op 26 november 1939 voer mijn opa, die eerste stuurman was op het ss Spaarndam, op een mijn in de monding van de Theems. zie foto en krantenknipsels). Het was stormachtig weer, waardoor één reddingboot verkeerd in het water kwam, waarbij drie bemanningsleden en een passagier verdronken. Eén bemanningslid kwam als gevolg van de explosie van de magnetische om in de machinekamer.
Van de 46 opvarenden verdronken vier bemanningsleden en de enige passagier. Mijn opa werd per vliegtuig gerepatrieerd naar Nederland. In december 1939, net voor het uitbreken van de oorlog in Nederland, vertrok hij op de Leerdam. Door het uitbreken van de oorlog in Nederland heeft hij zijn familie bijna zes jaar niet meer gezien. Gedurende de oorlog heeft hij, op de Leerdam, de Breedijk en de Noordam gevaren, meestal onder konvooi. , vele Atlantische reizen gemaakt, naar Noord Afrika, maar heeft hij ook op beruchte route naar Moermansk gevaren.
In september 1945 was het weerzien met zijn oudste zoon in Liverpool. Mijn vader, had de Hogere Zeevaartschool in Amsterdam afgerond en was net in dienst getreden bij de Holland Amerika Lijn. Bij hoge uitzondering mocht hij samen met zijn vader aantal reizen op het ss Volendam in de Middellandse zee maken. Ze Engelse brachten troepen thuis vanuit Egypte, Israël en Malta naar Toulon in Frankrijk.
Mijn opa is op 9 mei 1953 in Antwerpen aan boord van de Almdijk overleden (waarschijnlijk leverfalen ?)
Kapitein Albert, u kunt contact met mij opnemen als u belangstelling hebt voor foto’s, krantenknipsels of info over mijn vader kapitein C. van Herk.
Groet Kees-Jan van Herk