Koning de, Jacobus.

Jacobus de Koning was born on 24 November 1874 in the town of Haarlemmermeer. This was a municipality, a group of towns, located in the area of the Netherlands best known for the National Dutch Airport Schiphol (sometimes called Amsterdam International Airport). Around 1874 it was an area which only had recently been completely drained of water making it a large reclaimed piece of land inside the province of North Holland in the West of the Netherlands.

As he did not attend the Maritime Academy in Amsterdam, I have no information yet about his personal back ground, so if there is a reader who can help with some information about his family, relatives and private life, please contact me on Captalbert1@aol.com. All information provided will be posted with the appropriate accreditation.

He started in the sailing trade on board the “Burgemeester Jhr. Koene” a Barque of 1200 tons burden with which he sailed around the word. At the end of his period on board he went back to school and  passed his exam for 3^rd mate on 22 June 1894. He then joined Holland America on the 09^th. of October 1894.

He was placed on board the ss Obdam which was engaged on the service to New York from Rotterdam. A year later he enrolled as a Royal Netherlands Navy Reserve Officer. The Dutch Royal Navy Reserve had been created in 1894 and Holland America actively encouraged their officers to join. For the company it made it easier to deal with the contracts with the Dutch Royal Mail and also it increased the chance of keeping one of its own captains in command in case a HAL ship would be requisitioned as an Armed Auxiliary Cruiser. A policy that was taking shape at that time as most passenger ships being built at that time were faster than the real navy ships.

Promotion was swift, in part due to the number of cargo ships the company bought in 1909 by taken over the Neptune Line and he is appointed captain of the ss Zaandijk (I) on 08 June 1909. The ss Zaandijk being one of those ships (the ex ss Ohio) of the Neptune Line.

On the 6th. of April 1911 Jacobus de Koning got married to To Nanning (part of a wellknown pharmacy family in The Hague). Eventually there were 2 children. A son Jan, (passed away in his 49th. year) and a daughter Cili (1914 – 2001). They were born on the “Noorder Island” just opposite the Wilhelminakade / HAL establishments. Later they move to The Hague. (d)

On 27 July 1916 he is assigned to the ss Noorderdijk (I) employed on the cargo service to New York and nearby ports. When in 1917 Imperial Germany declares the “unrestricted U-boat war” he seeks shelter with his ship in Falmouth.

Many Dutch and other neutral ships are sheltering there as, being neutral they did not have any Navy protection when sailing through U-boat infested waters and the U-boats where simply waiting in the shipping lines for the ships to sail by. Under pressure from the Dutch Government, who was afraid of not getting enough grain to the Netherlands for the Dutch population, the Dutch ships were ordered to sail. Hence De Koning left port on 22 February and the next day the small Dutch convoy of 7 ships are all torpedoed by the German submarine U-21 (Kapt.-luitnant Otto Hersing) about 27 Nautical Miles west of Bishop’s Rock. Luckily the U-boat commander was a gentleman and gave Captain and crew time to disembark. All crew were safely picked up and land on 24 February at Penzance in Cornwall, England.

Captain de Koning and his crew then sailed home with various HAL ships, himself arriving in Rotterdam on 23 April with the ss Amsteldijk (I). According to the captain, the commander of the U boat who torpedoed him received 6 months leave as a thank you for torpedoing the 7 ships and seems to have spent that leave in the Netherlands. De Koning regretted that he did not have the chance to meet him and ask about the “WHY” of hitting a neutral ship. Holland America was compensated after the war for this loss. In the same convoy was another Holland America Line ship the Zaandijk (I)

De Koning was then assigned on 12 June 1917 to the ss Oosterdijk also sailing on the North Atlantic on the grain run. The ships were now taking the Route above Scotland, the so called “Doggersbank route” to the United States as there was less U-boat activity. After a call at Halifax the ships arrives in Baltimore and is laid up. The United States is now entering the war and starts to requisition foreign ships laid up in its ports. The ss Oosterdijk is taken over on 20 March 1918 and reflagged to USS Oosterdijk. As the Netherlands is neutral in the conflict, Captain de Koning cannot stay in command of his ship and returns to the Netherlands as a passenger on board the ss Nieuw Amsterdam (I) which is exempt from being taken over by the USA. The USS Oosterdijk (Lt. Commander Arthur Webber) is sunk on 11 July 1918 due to a collision on the way to St. Nazaire. Holland America is also compensated for this loss by the US Government.

In 1920 De Koning is receives an honorable discharge for the Royal Netherlands Navy. Why he left is unknown, as he had not reached the age for this was normal. With his increase in seniority the number of assignments to the passenger ships increases and by 1924 he is permanently assigned to the passengers hips, with receiving command of the only 3 year old ss Volendam (I) in 1925. With this ship he ends up in the newspapers a few times.

In 1926 the ss Volendam with Captain de Koning hits the headlines of the newspapers with the report that the ship had saved the crowd of the Newfoundland schooner (200 tons burden) the “General Smuts”. During a North Atlantic storm the ship had sprung a leak and lost all sailing capability. The crew had to take to the lifeboats.  On 5 March 1926, the officer on duty “De Graaf” (later captain) saw a light/fire in the far distance in the pitch dark night. As it could not be distinguished what was going on the Volendam continued its journey while closely watching the light. With day break a ship with torn sails could be seen wallowing in the rough seas. At once the captain turned the Volendam around. A lifeboat was launched with Chief Officer (later captain) Reifferth in command of 5 sailors and they tried to approach the stricken vessel. They asked the people on board to jump in there water so they could be picked up. However the captain (Mr. Charles A Rose) advised that most of the crew was too weak. The Volendam then poured a large amount of oil on the waves so the lifeboat could approach the wreck in somewhat calmer water and lift the crew off.

It later became clear that the ship had left Bonanza (in New-Foundland) on 17 December 1925 with a full load of salt destined for the Grand Bank fishing fleet. Here it should have arrived in the middle of January 1926. However shortly after departure it had run into a storm which damaged all the sails. New & emergency sails were rigged but they were torn apart during a 2^nd storm. Since then the ship had been making water steadily. The stricken vessel then drifted around for 77 days with ever dwindling supplies on board. In the end the rations were down to 3 biscuits a day and 1 cup of water, while at the same time the crew had to rotate continuously at the pumps to drain the water from the holds.  The storm had pushed the derelict vessel so far away from the normal sailing routes that all hope was abandoned. By the time they were picked up, Captain Rose estimated that they would have lasted no more than another 30 hrs. The passengers collected about 800 Dutch guilders for the crew. (Approx. US $ 16,000 in nowadays money). Everybody was landed in Plymouth England and the 18 year old son of Captain Rose declared that he would never go to sea again.

During a cruise in 1927 with 419 bankers of the “Savings Bank Association” on board the ship collected on the way back to New York (departed Bermuda on 28 Oct.) the captain & crew of the American Schooner “Horatio J. Foss. (owned by Krowell & Thrulow of Boston). This ship, registered in Boston, was on the way from Philadelphia to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean with a cargo of coal.  The Volendam was sailing about 35 miles North West of Bermuda in boisterous weather, when he & his officers on the bridge saw a red flag above the waves. This turned out to be a lifeboat of the Horatio with 9 persons. They were taken on board and put to bed to re-cuperate. Later on it became apparent that the barque had sunk on 22 October in bad weather and they could not make it against wind and swell to Bermuda. They were all landed in New York.

On 08 April 1930 the ss Volendam (I) returns to Rotterdam, marking the end of Captain De Konings career.

In 1932 (Newspaper of 16 December) his name surfaces one more time. The now retired captain was involved in arranging for a special wish to be granted. The wife on an American author, Mr. Bruno Lessing, had had a car accident which resulted in many months of re-cuperation. She dearly wanted to hear the “Fifth of Beethoven” performed by the Amsterdam Concert Orchestra under the guidance of the then world famous conductor Mr. Mengelberg. De Koning had met Mengelberg on board when he went for performances to New York and must have remained in contact. Mr. Lessing contacted De Koning, who contacted Mengelberg and sometime later Mengelberg performed “The Fifth” which the patient could hear via the wireless from Amsterdam to New York. As a thank you Mr. Mengelberg later received a Conductors baton made of Rose –Ivory wood. (Which is supposed to be the rarest wood in the world).

Captain de Koning passed away in  1952 and his funeral took place on the same date (18 March 1952) that his old ship the ss Volendam (I) sailed for the scrap yard.

Decorations: HAL golden medal for 200 crossings.

Sailing list: (a)

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

09 Oct.  1894      4^th. Officer                         Obdam                                30,–

11 Mar. 1895      4^th. Officer                         Maasdam                           30,–

20 May.1895      4th. Officer                        Rotterdam                         30,–

11 Sep.  1895      Temporary dismissed to join the Royal Dutch Navy.

13 Jan.  1896      4^th. Officer                         Amsterdam                        30,–

09 Jun.  1896      4^th. Officer                         Amsterdam                        40,–

14 Aug. 1896      4^th. Officer                         Schiedam                            30,–

13 Jan.  1897      3^rd Officer                           Schiedam                            50,–

10 Aug. 1897      3^rd Officer                           Spaarndam                         50,–

24 Aug. 1897      Temporary dismissed to go to school for study 2^nd mates ticket Passed on 21 Dec. 1898

10 Mar. 1898      3^rd Officer                           Edam                                   50,-

21 Oct.  1898      Temporary dismissed to join the Royal Navy for 3 months

06 Feb.  1899      3^rd Officer                           Edam                                   50,–

09 Sep.  1899      3^rd Officer                           Rotterdam                         50,–

16 Oct.  1899      Temporary dismissed to join the Royal Navy for 6 months

02 May 1900       Act. 2^nd Officer                  Potsdam                          60.–

31 Jul.    1900      Act. 2^nd Officer                  Statendam                       70,–

12 Dec. 1900      2^nd Officer                          Amsterdam                        70,–

16 Jul.    1901      2^nd Officer Jr.                     Statendam                        70,–

28 Aug. 1901      Act. 2^nd officer   Sr.          Potsdam                             70,–

02 Oct.  1901      2nd Officer                         Amsteldijk                          70,–

13 Mar. 1902      Act. Chief Officer              Amsteldijk                        90,–

26 Apr.  1902      2^nd Officer                          Amsteldijk                           70,–

29 Aug. 1902      2^ND Officer Sr.                    Potsdam                              70,–

12 Dec.                1902      Act. Chief Officer              Sloterdijk             90,–

01 May  1903      Temporary dismissed to go to school for first mates license. Passed 11 Sep. 1903

18 Sep.  1903      Chief Officer                      Sloterdijk                            100,–

27 Oct.  1903      Chief Officer                      Amsterdam                        100,–

29 Mar. 1904      Temporary dismissed to go the royal navy for 3 month period placed on board HMS Ceberus at Amsterdam

12 Jul.    1904      Temporary Sr. 2^nd Off.     Rotterdam                         70,–

16 Jul.    1904      Promoted to 2^nd Leutnant Royal Navy

26 Oct. 1904      Temporary dismissed for the Naval Reserve

01 Nov.  1904     For a six month exercise placed on board HMS Gier

16 Nov. 1904      On board of HMS Evertsen at Willemsoord

26 May.1905      2^nd Officer                         Rijndam                                  70,–

20 Nov. 1905      Act. Chief Officer              Sloterdijk                            90,–

18 Feb.1906        2^nd Officer                          Nieuw Amsterdam           90,–                     From  Belfast to R’dam

27 Feb.  1905      Act. Chief Officer              Sloterdijk                            90,–

02 Jan.  1907      Chief Officer                     Nieuw Amsterdam           90,–

16 Jan.  1907      Chief Officer                     Statendam                         100,–

12 Oct.  1907      Act.  Captain                     Statendam                         100,– (due to illness Capt. Bruinsma)

12 Nov. 1907      Chief Officer                      Statendam                         100,–

15 Jul.    1908      Temporary dismissed to join the Royal Navy

28 Oct. 1908       Chief Officer                      Noordam                            100.—

20 Mar. 1909      Chief Officer                      Potsdam                             100,–

06 May  1909      Placed in charge of looking after the ss Statendam docked in the Maashaven  while waiting for the assignment as captain.

08 Jun.  1909      Captain                               Zaandijk                              200,–

01 Jan. 1911      Due to wage review                                                      250,–

25 Mar. 1911      Captain                               Amsteldijk                          250,–

06 April 1911      Got married

04 Mar. 1913      Temporary dismissed for the Royal Navy.

30 Jun.  1913      Captain                               Westerdijk                          250,–

30 Jun.  1914      Captain                               Noorderdijk                       250,–

18 Mar. 1915      Captain                               Potsdam                                250,–

22 Apr.  1915      Captain                               Noorderdijk                       250,–

01 Jan.  1916     Wage increase                                                                     300,–

08 Jan.  1916      Temporary ashore

27 Jul.    1916      Captain                               Noorderdijk                       300,–

22 Feb.  1917      Noorderdijk is torpedoed on  23 Feb. 1917 at 06.10 in the morning about 27 miles west of bishops rock by German submarine. Picked up by the ……. And landed on 24 Feb. at Penzance. Arrives home with the Amsteldijk on 23 April.

12 Jun.  1917      Captain                               Oosterdijk                          300,–

12 Apr. 1918      Oosterdijk is confiscated and goes ashore. On standby, returns with the Nieuw Amsterdam

01 Aug. 1918      Wage increase                                                               350,–

20 Nov. 1918      Captain                               Andijk                                  350,–

01 Jul.    1919      Captain                               Andijk                                  700,–

01 Jan.  1920      Captain                               Andijk                                  725,–

16 Feb.  1920      Discharged with honors from the Royal Navy.

15 Oct.  1920      Captain                               Andijk                                  750,–

08 May 1921       Temporary ashore

02 Jul.    1921      Captain                               Westerdijk                          750,–

13 Sep.  1921      Captain                               Edam                                      750,–

16 Oct.  1921      Wages decreased to                                                     685,–

24 Oct.  1921      Captain                               Leerdam                             685,–

18 May  1922      Wages reduced                                                              660,–

10 Nov. 1922      Temporary ashore

14 Nov. 1922      Captain                               Rijndam                              660,–

30 Mar. 1923      Temporary ashore

25 Apr.  1923      Captain                               Edam                                   660,–

22 Mar.1924       Captain                               Edam                                   660,–                   Rdam – Antwerp

28 Mar. 1924      Captain                               Moerdijk                             660,–                   Rdam to Hamburg

02 Apr.  1924      Captain                               Rijndam                              685,–

25 Sep.  1924      Captain                               Binnendijk                          685,–

12 Nov. 1924      Captain                               Maasdam                           685,–

01 May 1925      Captain                               Rijndam                              685,–

29 Sep.  1925      Temporary ashore

16 Oct.1925        Captain                               Volendam                       685,–

01 Apr.  1927      wage increase                                                                705,–

18 Nov. 1927      Captain                               ashore                              705,–

19 Dec. 1927      Captain                               Volendam                       705,–

01 Jan. 1929      Wage increase                                                               725,–

01 Jan. 1930      Wage increase                                                               745,–

26 Apr.  1930      Temporary ashore

01 Jul.    1930      Put on stand by money.

Sources:

a. “Stamboek” and “movement boeken” from the HAL archives, as held by the Municipal Archives of the City of Rotterdam.

b. Photos and other information from the Captain Albert Archives.

c. Website www. Begraafplaatsen.nl

d. Information provided by Mr. Maarten Blietz grandson of the captain.

Last Updted: 18 Aug. 2025