Brandenburg, Henricus J.

Name:  Henricus J. Brandenburg.

Born:  24 June 1921 at Hoek van Holland.

About his early years, family and education still very much is unknown.

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What I know sofar:

He sailed for six months as sailor O.G  (= Onder de Gage or Sailor O.S.) . on the ss Randwijk of Erhardt en Dekker during WW II. the idea was to jump ship in Sweden. The plan did not succeed.

Next pland was to go to a Maritime academy and back to sea on the “Stadt Dordrecht” of the Halcyon Line, a company whose ships were  also sailing to Sweden. This time he managed to jump ship in the port of Lulea.  While trying (for over 18 months) to get to England he worked locally as a lumberjack, and as a house servant, and spend some time at the maritime academy in Gothenburg on request of the Dutch Government who needed signal men and radio officers.  Made his first attempt to England in December 44 by means of a Liberator plane, which slid of the run way, broke the nose wheel, and then smashed the  gun window in the nose so the snow started coming in. All crew escaped via the bomb hatches.

Finally in January 1945 he managed to get to England and from there with the ss Queen Mary to New York. There he was  assigned to the ss “Japara” of the Rotterdam Lloyd. He had sometime during his period in Holland followed a course with the company so he felt sort of at home. The plan was after his leave in January 1946 to join that company as 4^th. Officer. But while in New York (The Dutch Government maintained a sort of “pool” of Officers and Sailors without a direct company links ), he was then asked to join as 4^th. Officer with HAL.

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

01 Feb. 1946       4^th. Officer                         Sloterdyk                            at NY.

GAP

20 May. 1952     Chief Officer                      Aalsdyk.

GAP

01 Jan. 1955       Chief Officer                     Aagtedyk (joined 06 Jan. at Amsterdam)

GAP

23 Mar. 1957      Chief Officer                      Westerdam                        until 21 apr. 1958

GAP

14 Jul.    1958     Captain.                              Abbedyk.

GAP

15 may 1970 Appointed Harbour Master of the port of Rotterdam.

Last update:21 July 2024