Abraham Leeman van Santwitz (Santwits, Santwijk), a 17th-century Dutch sailor, embodies the spirit of resilience and leadership in the face of overwhelming adversity. His experiences as a navigator with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) are a testament to the perils and challenges of maritime exploration during this era, particularly Read more
Australian Shipbuilding Industries Ltd (ASI) was founded by Dutch Australian brother Dirk and Nick Verboon. Historian Nonja Peters wrote in her PhD thesis that “Dirk Verboon was a Netherlands trained marine engineer and he found his way back into boat building more by chance than design. ‘When dad came to Read more
The Dutch merchant vessel Maetsuyker, weighing 4,131 tons, played a significant role during World War II. It managed to escape from the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) to the safety of Fremantle, Australia, just before the final surrender on Java Island. This article traces the journey of the Maetsuyker as it Read more
In 1932, a daring attempt to circumnavigate the globe by air turned into a harrowing survival story for German pilot Hans Bertram and mechanic Adolph Klausmann. Their journey in the Junkers W 33 seaplane, Atlantis, registration D-1925, took an unexpected turn when they were forced to make an emergency landing Read more
On the night of the 28 April 1656, the Vergulde Draeck struck a submerged coral reef midway between what are now the coastal towns of Seabird and Ledge Point, Western Australia. On board were 193 crew, eight boxes of silver coins worth 78,600 guilders and trade goods to the value Read more
When she was built in 1930, she was the largest ship yet built by the Nederlandse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij. She had berths for 770 passengers: 366 in first class, 280 in second, 64 in third and 60 in fourth class. She had berths for 360 crew. She had four decks and Read more
During the final months of World War II, the Australian 460 Lancaster Squadron played a pivotal role in Operation Manna, a humanitarian mission that delivered desperately needed food to the starving people of the Netherlands. During the harsh winter of 1944-1945 the Dutch population endured a major famine. Known as Read more
On February 28, 1942, Japanese troops rapidly advanced through northern Java, quickly occupying airfields and towns. Within hours, they were only 50km from Andir Airport (Bandung) in West Java, where five civilian Royal Netherlands Indies Airways (KNILM) planes were based. Only the next day did the Dutch Government in Exile Read more
The SS Waterman, initially constructed as the enlarged Victory troopship SS La Grande Victory (VC2-S-AP3), holds a notable place in maritime history. Post-World War II, the State of the Netherlands procured three ships from the US War Shipping Administration, and the SS Waterman was one of them. Designed with reinforced Read more
By: Jan Tent Studies of proper names have revealed naming patterns which may provide insights into the attitudes and values of the contemporaneous name bestowers. This essay analyses the names conferred upon thevessels of the United East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), in order to ascertain whether there Read more