Wepster, Jan Pieter

Captain Jan Pieter Wepster (Sr.)

Born on the 10th. of July 1886 in the Dutch town of Stellendam. Before he joined the HAL, he sailed for the Kon. Neth. West Indies Mail Dienst. ( Royal Dutch West Indies Mail service to the Colonies in the Caribbean)

He obtained his 3rd mates (3rd officer) certificate on 04 Nov. 1905 and his 2nd Mates on 29 July 1908. He joined Holland America Line on 09 July 1909 in the ss Sommelsdijk (I) 

Apart from that his son was with Holland America as well, I still do not know very much of his private life. So any reader who could provide some information please contact me on CaptAlbert1@aol.com.

 

On 01 Dec. 1910 he joined the Royal Dutch Nay as an ensign and is placed on board HMS Atjeh.  He had been promoted to 2nd officer on 9 july 1907 while still sailing for the KNIM. Passed his exam for 1st mate (Dutch captains license) on 29 Nov. 1911 and he HAL promotes him to Chief Officer on 07 Feb. 1913.

On 09 August 1914 he is temporary dismissed from HAL for Military service. As the threat of Imperial Germany invading Holland faded, he returned to HAL. On 29 Oct. 1916 he is honored for saving the crew of the Vigilant in bad weather while he was chief Officer of the ss Rijndam (I).

He received the “Presidential Binoculars” from the USA and the -small – Golden Medal of the Dutch South Holland Lifesaving Society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promotion to Captain follows on 16 July 1921 on the ss Zijldijk. He serves for 21 years as a Master retiring from the ss Nieuw Amsterdam in 1942. Because he joined in 1909 and was phased in sideways, he could not retire with the rank of commodore as he was not the most senior in HAL – years in the company. His only time on the flagship Nieuw Amsterdam was a bridging period between the old commodore retiring ( Capt. Bijl) and the new commodore coming. (Capt. Barendse)

He came from the ss Volendam, which he had commanded since 1938. The most wellknown exploit of the ship was the planned transfer of 320 childeren from war torn England to Canada. On board were 879 souls of which 273 crew, 320 children and their parents and guardians and 286 other passengers. The ship being the largest in the convoy (OB-205) had the convoy commodore Admiral G.H. Knowles on board. She sailed from Liverpool.

Around midnight 31 Aug. 1940 the ship was hit by a torpedo of the U-60 under command of Oberleutnant Adalbert Schnee about 200 miles West of Bloody Foreland NW. of Ireland. (56°04′ N. en 09°52′ W.) A large hole was torn in hold nbr 1. and hold 1 & 2 started to fill. It was decided to evacuate the ship which was accomplished under great discipline. It help that the weather was very good and the sea calm. All on board where picked up by the three ships, the freighter ss Bassethound, the tanker ss Valldemosa and the Norwegian freighter Olaf Fostenes. All were brought to safety. One crewmember, the purser Mr.Baron, perished  as he lost his footing while climbing the ladder into the lifeboat.

For his work on the Volendam he received the Dutch Cross of Honor with clasp (later replaced by the Bronze Lion). He also was an Officer in Order of Orange Nassau which is the highest ranking a  civilian can receive who is not a civil servant. The British Government gave the same recognition in the form of being an Honorary Officer in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

From the Nieuw Amsterdam he transfered to the ms Zaandam to sail home as an civilian. The Zaamdam (Capt. Stamperius) was first engaged in refugee transports on behalf of the Dutch Government from the Dutch East Indies to Australia. Then she came under control of the Allied Command.  The ms Zaandam departed from Capetown in November 1942 where Capt. Wepster had boarded. While the ship was on it’s way to New York it was torpedoed on 2 November 1942 near Recife off the Brazilian coast by the German submarine  U 174. of the 310 people on board 135 perished including Capt. Stamperius and Capt. Wepster.

 

Other Decorations:

30 January 1929 awarded the Silver Medal for meteorological Observations from the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute.

I do not know yet much about the family. There were at least two sons. One also went to sea with Holland America  and another son, Ben, who emigrated to Canada in 1930’s.

Ships and sailing dates:

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

09 jul. 1909          2^nd officer                            Sommelsdijk                      60,–

17 sep. 1909       2^nd officer                            Sloterdijk                             60,–

29 apr. 1910       2^nd officer                            Noordam                             60,–

27 nov. 1910       Temporary dismissed for Royal Navy Reserve and 1^st mates study.

Passed exam on 29 june 1911

01 jan. 1911        Because of a change in the wages                            110,–

31 jul. 1911          2^nd officer                            Maartensdijk                     115,–

08 nov. 1911       2^nd Officer                           Rijndam                               115,–

27 apr. 1912       wage increased                to                                  125,–

16 aug. 1912       2^nd officer                            Noordam                             125,–

29 nov. 1912       Wage increased to                                                          130,–

11 jan. 1913        Temporary dismissed

07 feb. 1913        Promoted to chief Officer                                            140,–

07 feb. 1913        Chief Officer                      Soestdijk                             140,–

17 dec.  1913      wage increase                                                                   150,–

29 jun. 1914        Wage increase                                                                  160,–

09 aug. 1914       temporary dismissed to due to mobilization        175,–

10 sep.t 191        Chief Officer                      Zijldijk                                   160,–

05 feb. 1915        Wage increased to                                                          175,–

08 sep. 1915       Wage increase                                                                  190,–

18 mar. 1916       Wage increase                                                                  200,–

12 may 1916       Chief Officer                      Zaandijk                               200,–

19 jul.    1916       Chief Officer                      Rijndam                               200,-

04 jun.  1917       Chief Officer                      Andijk                                   200,–

21 jun.  1917       Chief Officer                      Nieuw Amsterdam          200,–

03 jan 1918          Temporary Ashore                                                          on leave

20 feb. 1918        Chief Officer                      Noordam                             200,–

21 may 1918       Chief Officer                      Nieuw Amsterdam          200,–

30 may 1918       Chief Officer                      Andijk                                   200,–

23 jul. 1918          Chief Officer                      Nieuw Amsterdam          200,–

01 jul 1919           Wage increase                                                                  300,–

01 jan. 1920        Wage increase                                                                  330,–

29 sept. 1920      Temporary shore             on leave for 1 month and 5 days

01 jan. 1920        Wage increase                                                                  350,-

15 Oct. 1920        Wage increase                                                                  370,–

04 nov. 1920       Chief Officer                      Nieuw Amsterdam          370,–

16 jun. 1921        Captain                                 Zijldijk                                   650,–

16 oct. 1921        Wage decrease                                                                 585,–

16 feb. 1922        Captain                                 Zaandijk                               585,–

05 apr. 1922        Wage decrease                                                                 560,–

11 aug. 1922       Captain                                 Sommelsdijk                      560,–

28 dec. 1923       Captain                                 Blommersdijk                    560,-

13 jun. 1924        Captain                                 drechtdijk                           560,–

11 oct. 1924        Captain                                 Bilderdijk                             560,–

03 dec. 1924       Captain                                 Kinderdijk                           560,–

09 oct. 1926        Temporary ashore

24 oct. 1926        Captain                                 Kinderdijk                           560,–

04 apr. 1927        Wage increase                                                                  580,–

03 jul.    1927       Temporary ashore           on leave

14 jul.    1927       Captain                                 Kinderdijk                           580,–

09 nov. 1927       Captain                                 ashore                                  580,–                    on leave

19 mar. 1928       Captain                                 Noorderdijk                       580,–

01 jan. 1929        Wage increase                                                                  600,–

30 aug. 1929       Captain                                 Eemdijk                                                600,–

01 jan. 1930        Wage increase                                                                  620,–

30 jun. 1930        Temporary ashore                                                           620,–    in hospital at Port Angeles

14 jul, 1930          Captain                                 Eemdijk                                                620,–

15 feb. 1931        Temporary ashore                                                           620,–

In 3 years until 19 mar 1931 sailed 2 years and 9 months

18 May. 1931      Captain                                 Delftdijk                               620,–

19 dec. 1931       Wage decrease                                                                 496,–

03 aug. 1932       Temporary ashore                                           70%        496,–

23 aug. 1932       Captain                                 Drechtdijk                           496,–

01 nov, 1932       Wage decrease                                                                 446,–

13 Dec. 1932       Captain                                 Burgerdijk                           446,–

11 mar. 1933       Temporary ashore                                           70%        446,–

10 may.                1933       Captain                                 drechtdijk                           446,–

28 jun. 1933        Wage decreased with 5% in acc. with circulaire no 929 dated 27 june 1933

28 dec. 1933       Wage decreased with 5% in acc. with circulaire no 929 dated 27 june 1933

01 oct. 1934        Wage decrease                                                                 385,50

06 nov. 1935       Temporary shore                                                             385,50   regular leave

01 feb. 1936        Captain                                 Drechtdijk                           385,50

17 feb. 1936        Captain                                 Edam                                     385,50

24 feb. 1936        Temporary shore                                                             385,50   regular leave

11 mar. 1936       Captain                                 Damsterdijk                       385,50

Exact dates of following ships to follow:

Volendam September 1938 to April 1942

Nieuw Amsterdam May 1942 – October 1942

Sources:

• a. Holland America Line Archives Rotterdam
• b. Mr. H.Maazen  (nephew of the Captain and whose father was also a HAL Captain)
• c. NRC Handelsblad (Dutch Newspaper)

Last updated 01 Feb. 2016