Summary

Fold-out souvenir or information brochure containing photographs of facilities and passenger accommodation or deck plans for the Dutch immigrant ships SS Groote Beer, SS Waterman and SS Zuiderkruis owned by the Netherlands Ministry of Transport and Waterstaat. The markings on the plan indicate where the migrant family who used this plan were accommodated on their voyage to Australia.

These three vessels were originally part of a fleet of 413 "Victory" ships built to standardised plans by numerous American shipyards during the later half of World War II. Following the war these three ships were purchased by the Dutch Government in 1947 for use in migrant transport to Australia and other locations.

Physical Description

Four-way folded and staple-bound DDL format shipping brochure printed in blue, black and red ink on white or cream stock. The cover has a large aerial photograph of Groote Beer steaming at full speed in open water, and a silhouette of an immigrant family with luggage in front of a stylised depiction of the sun with radiating light and dark blue rays. This image is repeated on the back cover. The plan includes photographs of: Lounge A-Deck, 6-Berth Cabin, Nursery, Hairdresser, Writing Room, Bar, Dining Saloon, Lounge D-Deck, Lounge C-Deck, Laundry, Baby Washroom and Ironing Room; deck plans of: A-Deck, B-Deck, C-Deck, D-Deck, E-Deck and part of F-Deck. There are several crosses in blue biro ink and grey-lead pencil which mark various berths in cabins 326, 331 & 329 on E-Deck.

Significance

These three vessels were originally part of a fleet of 413 "Victory" ships built to standardised plans by numerous American shipyards during the later half of the Second World War. Intended primarily for use as general cargo ships and troopships, the "Victory" design was an improved version of the earlier standard "Liberty" cargo ship design also built in large numbers for various United States shipping lines and the US Navy in the early part of the war. Both designs incorporated innovative construction techniques including the extensive use of arc-welding in place of traditional riveted plate fabrication and modular construction which allowed the hulls to be produced off-site in sections by various sub-contractors with final assembly only taking place on the shipyard slips. These three vessels were amongst 97 of the "Victory" ships completed as troopships before the War ended. Cranston Victory was launched on 5 May 1944 and after fitout was operated for the US Maritime Commission by the South Atlantic Steamship Corp., of Savannah. Costa Rica Victory was launched on 17 June 1944 and completed 3 months later for the US Government being operating under the management the American Hawaiian Steamship Corp., of New York. La Grande Victory was launched on 16 January 1945 and managed by the Shepard Steamship Co., of Boston, although it saw little active service before being laid up with the Cranston Victory and Costa Rica Victory and dozens of other surplus Victory ships in 1946. The three vessels were purchased by the Dutch Government in 1947

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