Bernardus Johannes Meertens was born in Kruiningen, Zeeland, on 29 April 1920. He was the son of Leendert Jacobus Meertens and Geertruid Elsman. On 22 June 1950, Bernardus departed from Schiphol aboard the first KLM flight carrying Dutch workers associated with the organised dredging project in Australia. He occupied seat Read more
On 22 July 1950, Pieter Snoey, known as Peter, departed from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport aboard the KLM flight carrying Dutch workers and family members to Australia. He occupied seat G2 and arrived in Sydney on 26 July, following several intermediate stops. Peter’s presence on this flight places him among the Read more
Karel Frederik Lodewijk Morlang was born in Vlissingen on 3 December 1919, the son of Jan Morlang and Catharina de Buck. His father served as a sailor and victualling steward with the Royal Netherlands Navy, and Karel later followed him into naval service. On 29 July 1943, Karel married Agnes Read more
Jan Cornelis Maasland was born in Brandwijk, South Holland, on 17 March 1926. He was the son of Gerrit Maasland, born in Molenaarsgraaf in 1891, and Clara de Ruijter, born in Bleskensgraaf en Hofwegen in 1896. On 22 July 1950, Jan departed from Schiphol aboard the KLM flight carrying Dutch Read more
Dirk Hartman Dorchain was born in Rotterdam on 22 April 1925, the son of Dirk Hartman Dorchain, an office clerk, and Johanna Clazina Schalkwijk. Around 1950, he married Teuna Boer, whose name was sometimes recorded as Tuena. Born in Sliedrecht on 16 February 1925, Teuna was the daughter of Evert Read more
Dirk Groen was born in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, on 26 May 1927, the son of Johan Groen and Geertje Prins. His last recorded address in IJmuiden was 84 Bloemstraat. During the Second World War, Dirk was arrested by the German authorities and transported to Germany. Before this happened, he had Read more
Frederik Spackler, known as Fred, was born in Tjepoe, now Cepu, in Indonesia on 19 October 1923. He trained and worked as a marine engineer. During the German occupation of the Netherlands, Spackler was arrested by the Sicherheitsdienst in Apeldoorn on 1 December 1944. He was subsequently imprisoned at Kamp Read more
Jacob Adrianus den Hartog was born in Utrecht on 25 February 1921. He was the son of the unmarried Maggeltje den Hartog. Jacob chose a maritime career and worked as a merchant seaman with the Dutch shipping company Nievelt. His Dutch merchant-shipping personnel card records his address as Zouwendijk B Read more
Jelte Lubertus Bakker was born in Bussum on 1 April 1920. He was the son of electrical fitter Lubertus Jelte Bakker and Trijntje Hilferink. Jelte later worked as a seaman and mechanical engineer, acquiring technical and maritime experience that would accompany him to Australia. His future wife, Lizelotte Staudinger, known Read more
Adrianus Noels, known within the family as Janus, was born in Dordrecht on 30 July 1906. He was the son of skipper Jan Noels and Wilhelmina Zoutewelle. Growing up among Dordrecht’s rivers, harbours and shipping traffic, he became familiar with life on the water from an early age. On 12 Read more