HEIKE'S GENEALOGY - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
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| Our Immigration to Canada on the ship 'BEAVERBRAE' Mrs. Johanna Marie Luise Petermann (nee: von der Kammer) left Germany to live in Canada in 1952. Johanna Petermann just had her 33rd. birthday that 9th of June in 1952 and celebrated what was to be her last birthday celebration in Germany. Johanna's oldest daughter, Ingrid Petermann (nee: von der Kammer) had been living for the past ten and a half years with Johanna's parent's: Johanne Fischer and Ferdinand Karl von der Kammer. Johanna's youngest daughter, Heike Petermann had been living with her father: Friedrich Petermann and his new wife Herta Petermann for the first three years and for the next four years in numerous homes away from family members. Ages of Johanna's children in June 1952: Ingrid Petermann: Almost 11 years old. Heike Petermann: 8 years old. The two half sisters had never lived together and had never lived with their mother either. So this trip was a get acquainted and all live together experience for all three passengers! June 24, 1952: Departed in the city of Bremen on a ship called the Beaverbrae to live in Canada. Bremen is a large sea port city in upper north/west Germany. The Beaverbrae was to take them from Bremen to Quebec, Canada. Arrived in Quebec on July 9, 1952 and traveled via CNR to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, due to Saskatchewan's extreme weather conditions and flat lands, lack of an ocean and mountains, we experienced an extreme culture shock and left after two months for Vancouver, British Columbia. September 30, 1952: Arrived in Vancouver, B.C. Ingrid just celebrated her 11th. birthday. The Beaverbrae was built as the Huascaran for the Hamburg America Line by Blohm and Voss, Hamburg in 1938. She was built as a 10,480 gross ton ship with a length of 487.5 foot by beam, 60.3 foot, one funnel, one mast single screw and a speed of 17 knots. There was accommodation for 32 passengers. Launched on 15.12.1938, she sailed on her maiden voyage from Hamburg to the West coast of South America and on her return was taken over by the German navy and converted to a submarine depot ship. She spent most of her time in Norway where she was captured undamaged by the Allies in 1945. Taken over by the War Assets Corporation, she arrived in Liverpool in April 1947 for a refit. In June she sailed for Montreal as part of Canada's war reparations and was allocated to North American Transports Inc. for use as a cargo liner. At that time she was Canada's largest merchant ship. Purchased by Canadian Pacific on September 2, 1947, she was renamed Beaverbrae and rebuilt to 9,034 gross tons, one funnel, two masts and with cabin accommodation for 74 passengers and dormitory accommodation for a further 699. On February 8 she sailed on her first voyage from St John NB with cargo for London and then to Bremen for passengers; and made 51 sailings from Bremen to Canada. She was the only Beaver ship to carry cargo eastbound and passengers westbound and was also the only one under Canadian registration and with a Canadian crew. The Beaverbrae made an average of one sailing each month and usually carried between 500 and 700 emigrants of whom approximately one in five were children. The Beaverbrae made her last voyage when she left Bremen on July 28, 1954. Sold to Compagnia Genovese d'Armamento, Genoa on 1.11.1954, she was rebuilt at Monfalcone to 10,022 tons and with accommodation for 1,124 tourist class passengers. Renamed Aurelia, she sailed from Trieste on 13.5.1955, via Suez to Australia and made later voyages from Genoa. Re-engined in 1958-59 and rebuilt to 10,480 tons, she started her first Bremen - Suez - Australia voyage on 12.6.1959. In June 1960 she made a Bremen - New York voyage for Council on Student travel. She made a total of 34 round voyages between English Channel ports and New York between May 1962 and August 1969. In 1970 she was sold to Chandris Lines and was renamed Romanza in 1970, she was registered at Piraeus, refitted and used for cruising. Registered at Panama in 1977 and transferred to Armandora Romanza SA, Panama in 1979.
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