GROOTE BEER of Holland - circa 1944 - 8"x 10" Black & White PHOTO.
The ship was converted from a Victory type cargo ship.
The photo is in excellent condition.
It weighs 14g and exact measurements are: 25.3 x 20.2cm.

HISTORY MINUTE
The SS Groote Beer (Dutch for "Big Dipper") was a prominent post-World War II
passenger ship chartered by the Holland-America Line.
Originally built in 1944 in California as the US Victory ship SS Costa Rica Victory,
she was purchased by the Dutch government in 1947 to transport soldiers, refugees, and immigrants. 
WWII Troop Transport
US Service (1944–1947): Launched as an enlarged Victory troopship, she first participated in
Operation Magic Carpet, returning Allied soldiers across the Atlantic and Pacific. 
Dutch East Indies (1947–1951): Renamed Groote Beer, the ship was initially used to transport
Dutch troops to the East Indies (now Indonesia) and repatriate former prisoners of war. 
Emigrant and Passenger Era
Rebuilding (1952): Recognizing a desperate need for mass transportation, the ship was heavily
rebuilt in Amsterdam as a single-class emigrant ship.
The refit added an extra deck and repositioned the bridge, allowing it to carry about 830 passengers.