# WW2 Dutch Merchant Seamen



## Br1tv1c

Any help or suggestions would be most welcome to help me find some background on 11 sailors accredited with being members of the Netherlands Merchant Fleet and buried in unmarked graves in a cemetery in North Liverpool,their locations hitherto being unknown.
I have extensively researched this abandoned cemetery and its history and have now certain proof of where they lie. 
However,I am looking for background to their Lives, and Death. 
They mostly appear to be of Indonesian extraction from their names and I would guess them to be Moslem,(Assan, Kadir, Doerakim etc). Their Deaths are included in the GRO Indices but with one exception are all entered as "(male) _name_" so that is how they are recorded. 
They each died seperately between 1942 - 45, three dying in November 1944 and three during January 1945,? 
I have though it possible that the six of them were all injured on one ship and each died of wounds later.
I have contacted the Nederlands Institute of Military History [NIMH] and am awaiting news that they may find which I will post later should it arrive. 
I am also assuming that if my guess is correct they would have been in an atlantic convoy that was hit while heading into Liverpool (Irish Sea perhaps)


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## Hugh MacLean

Hello,
Do you have any full names and their dates please?

Regards
Hugh


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## Roger Griffiths

Hello,
Have you seen
http://srs.ogs.nl/ 

I have searched the index of the book Nederlandse Zeemansgraven and apart from Kadir, he died in the Java Sea so doubtful, the names you mention are not listed.
Like Hugh says can you give a comprehensive list of names.

regards 
Roger


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## Br1tv1c

*Dutch Sailors*

Birth years calculated from 'age' in BMD indices (italics)

Foreign National (1939-1945)

*ASSAN,* Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 15 November 1944. Unmarked Grave. Born 1908: _L’Pool N. 8B/397 Q4_

*DOERAKIM, *Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 26 November 1944. Grave Unmarked. Born 1894: _L’pool N. 8B/907 Q4_

*KADIR*, Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 5 September 1943. Grave Unmarked. Born 1898 : _L’Pool N. 8B/328 Q3_

LADIN, Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 8 January 1945. Grave Unmarked. Born1892 : _ L’Pool S. 8B/75 Q1_

*MARTIMAN,* Sailor, J. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 1 January 1945. Grave Unmarked. Born ? : _L’Pool N. 8B/465 Q1_

*MATALOEWI,* Sailor, BRAHAM. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 29 January 1945. Born 1919 :_Lancaster 8E/1083 Q1 _ [Matalois;Mataluewi]

*ODDER*, Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 8 May 1943. Grave Unmarked. Born ? : _L’Pool N. 8B/401 Q2_

*SARDJO*, Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 13 November 1944. Grave Unmarked. Born ? : _L’Pool N. 8B/397_

*SARGIDIN BIN HASSAN*, Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 9 May 1945. Grave Unmarked.Born 1896: _L’Pool N. 8B/275 Q2_

*SATI,* Sailor. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 13 March 1943. Grave Unmarked. Born1899 : _Wolverhampton 6B/636 Q1 _

*TOSSIR ALI,* Stoker. Netherlands Merchant Navy. 22 April 1941. Grave Unmarked. Born 1914 : _L’Pool N. 8B/747_


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## Br1tv1c

*Nederlandse Zeemansgraven*

Thanks Roger, I was not aware of that site but as you say,they dont seem to have any answers either.


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## Hugh Ferguson

Blue Funnel had several ships that had operated flying a Nederland's flag. Those ships often carried some British personnel as there were not enough Dutch to fully crew them.
I'll have a look in my Merchant Fleet at War by Roskill to see if that records some names.


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## Roger Griffiths

It gives their place of birth. Geboren te.
If Hugh or anyone else has nothing try an email to Henk Meurs
[email protected]

His website is in Dutch

http://members.ziggo.nl/hmeurs/

regards
Roger


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## Br1tv1c

*Henk*

Hi Roger, Henk is aware of my search and has put me in touch with a researcher at the NIMH who has been in contact to say she will begin searching their records next week.Good call though !


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## Hugh MacLean

Hello, Br1tv1c,
I am sorry but my sources have also drawn a blank on this occassion. Henk and NIMH, of course, may be fruitful. What about obtaining a death certificate would that not give a cause of death and where? 

Well done on your efforts to date. Having been involved in this type of research in the past along with Roger Griffiths and Billy McGee it can be a bit of a slog but with perseverance you will get there in the end. 

Regards
Hugh


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## Br1tv1c

*"Foreign Nationals 1939-1945)"*

Thanks for the words of encouragement Hugh I will persevere but just have to be patient I guess. "Slowly,slowly catchee XXXX" as we _used_ to be able to say ?

I may resort to buying at least one or two Death certs. but , given that there is only one name registered (in most cases) and that is assumed to be a Surname as the GRO lists them as, e.g 'male' KADIR etc, and in the case of Mateloewi, there are 2 alternative spellings given for the surname.
This indicates to me that they were isolated from anyone who had known them personally and in terms of who reported the death to the registrar, it is unlikely that that person would have known anything at all about the men, probably nursing staff !.
So the Death cert is only likely to contain the same vague information that is revealed by the indices alone, apart from the actual medical cause of death ? Not really worth £10 a pop to discover they died of wounds and likely it would not even have their 'address' as anything other than a hospital, certainly not a ship?
I have deduced that much from the info I have already and feel sure that those in Nov44 and Jan 45 are almost definitely connected in some way or other as I theorised earlier.
I am hoping that the NIMH comes up with something but your suggestion re Blue Funnel Line has given me something to think about for sure. 
It seems a shame that these men are completely forgotten about, brings a whole new dimension to the phrase 'war losses'? In the case of these men it seems that they lost everything including their having even existed at all ? 
Do they deserve to be considered so worthless ?

Added to all of their personal tragedies is the fact that Liverpool City Council and The Church of England abandoned the cemetery during the late 1960's and left it to vandals,smackheads and 'ne'er do wells' to 'do their thing'. Thankfully the local community had a champion who stepped in and made a case for using it as a community project and offer protection from such wanton destruction and from the worst vandals of all, the property developers.
In the event of any positive discoveries I will return to post them here.
In the meantime a big Thanks to you all for trying.


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## Hugh MacLean

Br1tv1c said:


> I am hoping that the NIMH comes up with something but your suggestion re Blue Funnel Line has given me something to think about for sure.


I will not take the credit for that, it's the other Hugh (Ferguson) . If the Dutch sources draw a blank then it will be difficult but not impossible and all options however small will need to be tried. Out of nowhere may come the lead that you need so hang in there. Good luck with it.
Regards
Hugh


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## chadburn

Although the Cemetary appears to have been abandoned usually the Black Book held by the Cemetery Department has more information. Could they have been killed or died as a result of injuries received during the Air Raids on Liverpool Docks?


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## Br1tv1c

*Black Book !*

Unfortunately we have the Luftwaffe to thank for the fact they bombed not only our chip shops but our Churches as well ! All records up till 1942 were destroyed by fire or possibly the subsequent deluge of water in putting out the incendiaries, whichever it was the outcome is the same. They are destroyed and what little thats left is what I am picking through to try and understand the layout as it was. I am exacerbated by the absence of headstones because there were over two and a half million souls buried there in "unpaid public graves" during its 150 yrs of existence. In fact most people find it remarkable for its apparent lack of monuments, although it is true a lot were vandalised in the 1970's.

In a nutshell there is no 'black book' and as it officially closed its doors in 1948 as being full to any burials other than 'family graves' there does not appear to be any registers for its last five years of business either i.e 1943-1948 or for that matter any time since. 
If there were it would probably be covered by the 100 year rule anyway ?
Local undertakers have not been of any help, probably as there is no money in it for them,pardon my cynicism, although the last burial there appears to be a family grave in 2009 ?
Unravelling the mystery of the Cemetery is my main task and these Dutch Sailors are my own personal quest.


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## chadburn

The Black Book(s) are usually kept by the Local Council Offices, when I have been searching for Aircrew that's where I go to get the information which usually gives an indication of where an aircraft crashed, the hundred year rule applies to any possible development on the Graveyard like a park or playground.


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## Br1tv1c

*Black Books ?*

Chadburn,may I correct your understanding of my mention of the 100 yr rule first ? It applies to ALL data contained in any register that may also contain or impact on, _living_ persons details that may also be held therein ! i.e Census results are the best example, but the excuse is used and applied equally to any archived material anywhere unless that interpretation of the Data Protection Act is challenged legitimately ?
Another small point,and not wishing to be pedantic, a "graveyard" is attached to a Church, a "Cemetery" is a publicly owned burial ground as defined in the Public Cemeteries Act amendments of 1852.
My involvement with this investigation began over 2 years ago and Liverpool Council have been less than forthcoming with any reasons for any questions they have been asked.
And by the way, each search of the little 'Black Books' for those Cemeteries they do have records for, cost £10 per search (of each year) regardless of whether they find anything or not.
Suffice it to say that my dealings with them have been fruitless and are mostly referrals to the LRO at Picton Library where the Head Archivist has been more than helpful in finding and revealing what little information still exists,(as he would like our findings to be compiled and lodged with him). I repeat,there is no little black book, and the Cemeteries Dept do not hold the records of inactive burial grounds. This cemetery appears to be an enigma for all concerned except those at the Council chambers and the Church of England who would rather let it rot I am sure.
I'm grateful for your thoughts though,and yes it is possible that they were caught up in the same bombings we call the Xmas blitz that targeted the Canada Dock specifically but my searches at the Mersey Maritime Museum has yielded nothing of specific interest.


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## Hugh Ferguson

Try an E.mail to Ramsey Dugdale (Editor of the "Nestorian" B.F. newsletter.)
[email protected]


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## Br1tv1c

Thanks Hugh, I shall do that now and undertake to keep the thread updated as, and if, I should get any 'hits' with my searches. 
I thank you all for trying.  (Thumb)


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## WillyJamesMc

I have a list of all Merchant Seamen commemorated in the Hague lost during WWII and none of the names appear in these records. If the Durch rules of commemoration are the same as the British CWGC, then it is possible these men died from non war related causes and so are omitted from official records.


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## Br1tv1c

Of course, anything at all is possible when you start with nothing. Thanks for that info Willy. 
It still leaves me puzzled though as to why these men found themselves buried in wartime liverpool. 
The most annoying element of all of this, is that whilst it is true that the cemetery records were destroyed during the bombing of St Nicholas Church during the 1940 Xmas blitz, I would assume that, as the Cemetery and St Nicks are 2+ miles apart, the "currently in use" register of the day would have been still at the cemetery chapel ?. 
As mentioned earlier, the site closed to all but 're-openings' (i.e family graves) in 1948 so therefore, there should still exist all records between 1940 and 1948, the very period that these men were interred ?. 
Neither of the organisations responsible for the Cemetery seem to know anything about what happened to them ?. 

I guess your list will probably mirror the information available to the NIMH and so expect that these men's passing will go without further notice and their stories will never be told. 
I personally think the groupings around Nov 44 to Jan 45 is more than coincidence and find it difficult to accept that they are not dead as a consequence of war activities. 
I can empathise why they are not comemmorated/remembered simply by them being 'Merchant' Seamen first and Dutch 'Colonists' second, such was the prejudice in those days ? 
I am still hopeful that we get a breakthrough, either way.


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## WillyJamesMc

At least the Death Cert. should reveal if the deaths were war related. I have one such cert. for a Merchant Seaman, which actually names the ship he was killed on, while others I have detail their deaths being war related, so I would keep this option wide open.


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## Br1tv1c

One would hope so but I don hold out a great deal of hope for that for the reasons explained above. If they couldnt register a whole name then I would not expect there to be much else of use therein. I may be wrong but I am not going to buy 11 certificates at the cost they are and even if I were to take a sample application which ones to choose ?
It may just come to that though when I have exhausted every possible source of who should know. No news yet from the NIMH but "no news is good news" I hope ?


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## Br1tv1c

SUCCESS ! The NIMH researcher has today contacted me to let me know that there is indeed more info on these men and it shall be forthcoming soon.
The pieces of the puzzle are coming together at last ?
More later.....


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## Br1tv1c

*Some answers,more puzzles to solve ?*

It would seem my optimism was presumptuous to say the least having had only an e-mail to ask me what I was wanting (again) ?
I have however managed to glean some information from their website on line (OGS.nl,Slachtofferregister) but it throws up many more questions than it answers so no surprises there ?
An example is MATALOEWI,Braham who is listed as a "Bediende" (Servant) born on the island of Madoera in Indonesia and correctly dated as being buried on 29/1/1945 as per my BMD discoveries,
He is listed on the crew sheets for the "*Jagersfontein*" which was torpedoed by *U-107* 500 miles E of Bermuda and sunk.
All of the Crew & Passengers were divided among 4 lifeboats (one with telegraph luckily) and later rescued by a Swiss ship [*St Cergue*] where all the passengers and basic crew were to stay,heading for Gibraltar, while the Officers and men were later transferred to the *USS Bernardou* and taken to Bermuda.
From reports of the incident, the "Jagersfontein" was armed with at least a 105mm stern gun. 
The puzzle for me is that these events occurred on 26th June 1942, what happened next, as I assume that a number of the names on my list I suspect of being on the same ship from deep scrutiny of the crew lists accredited by the site "U-boat.net" ? 
The listing for the Jagersfontein says that the ship was travelling between Galveston and heading for Liverpool, did these guys 'work their passage' or were they transported by the Ministry to join other ships at Liverpool ? 

A similar anomaly exists with KADIR who is listed as 'Donkeyman' aboard the "*Salabangka*" which was sunk during June 1943 off the West coast of South Africa by U-107 but listed as dying in Liverpool during September of the same year at least.
More and more mysteries ?


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## RayL

Do keep going on this quest for the satisfaction of a job well done will be all the greater when you finally gain success. Your discovery about Braham Mataloewi is an example of what I mean, for it wasn't long beforehand that you were in doubt whether the deaths were war deaths or not. Good luck.


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## RayL

I note all of the above but should just like to say for the sake of completeness that the records of Liverpool's cemeteries are held at Allerton Cemetery Lodge, Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool, and the council relies on an organisation called Liverpool Direct (tel. 0151-233-3004) to have charge of them. You have to be the owner of the grave before Liverpool Direct will answer your enquiry about it and, as you say, they normally apply an exorbitant charge of £10 per year of search. It is encouraging that you have managed to get Liverpool Record Office interested in the matter; I would guess that they would be able to pull strings that we ordinary folks cannot. By the way, I rather suspect the LRO is in the William Brown Library, not the Picton Library.


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## Hugh MacLean

I have managed to locate a death at sea for Abdul Kadir x Ali Ahmed a 45 year old Donkeyman last place of abode was Campbelpur now called Attock in Punjab Pakistan. Missing killed. He is shown as signing on at Cardiff 24.3.43 previous ship WESTERLAND (Dutch). The date of death is shown as 1st June 1943 at sea (SALABANGKA).
Looking in depth at the Deaths at Sea Index I can see this man indexed at least 4 times 1943/4 - this I would put down to human error. The Deaths at Sea Register gives more information. It is also very possible that the date of September 1943 is the date the death was registered not the actual date of death which was 1st June 1943. There is little doubt that the man referred, KADIR, did not survive the sinking of SALABANGKA. However, my experience with lascar seamen also tells me those men were noted multiple times in do***ents and mistakes were commonplace. 
I am not sure if we are any further forward after all that as I cannot tell you why there is a grave for KADIR unless of course it is for a different person than he who served in SALABANGKA.

Also this man was part of the crew and as far as I can tell was not travelling as a passenger to augment the crew of any other ship.
**added** - I also see from your post #4 that Kadir is noted as rank - Sailor, this would normally indicate a deck rating and a donkeyman would be an engine-room rating?

Regards
Hugh


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## Br1tv1c

*Curiouser and curiouser ?*

Thank you Hugh for your efforts,I am most grateful for any little piece of info that comes my way to solve this puzzle, I do feel sometimes that I may have bitten off more than I can deal with but like everything it will either reveal itself when the time is right or it will never be known ?
The more I learn the less I know it would seem !
_I also have my doubts about the background to KADIR,hence the confusion. The CWGC lists these men as 'Sailors' but the the OGS lists them as "Bediende" (literal translation=Servant,Workman)? The OGS also lists them as having been buried at another cemetery in another part of the city and the last comment says "Graf is geruimd" the literal translation being "Tomb is cleared" ?? All of which adds to my complete lack of confidence in ANY of the records I search ? _

Thanks are also due to RayL for the words of encouragement leading to (hopefully),"eventual success",I keep my fingers crossed but hope is fading.
I stand corrected Ray,I did mean the William Brown Library,just managed to confuse myself which is not too difficult these days B\)

In respect tof Grave/Burial records and to restate what has already been said:The official response from the Cemeteries Dept is "Liverpool (Walton) Parochial Cemetery was officially closed in 1948 and deconsecrated and abandoned in 1971. *All burial records* were destroyed in the May blitz of 1941" 

The very reason why I first embarked on my project to redefine and discover exactly where the 250,000 unmarked public graves are located. Armed only with an accounts ledger detailing the payments from various workhouses that were operating in the city right up till the beginning of the Welfare State system in 1948 and beyond.
They are the only records in existence pertaining to this site and we believe that we have cracked the key to at least 60% of its references but they only cover till 1936. 
The rest I am discovering from various arial photos through the years. 
I may just have to invoice Liverpool Direct sometime in the future if they should want to put a name to a place as they have been less than helpful to us to say the least ! 
The City Farm,as it now is, gets at least 10 enquiries a week that they cannot answer. 
Mostly from people who have already used that route and got nowhere.


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## RayL

"Men prize most highly what they win hardly" (Scottish mountaineer W.H. Murray).


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## Br1tv1c

*Ogs*

Today I received a phone call from the OGS and it looks like I have managed to get the ball rolling at last. They have assigned a researcher/archivist to the questions I put to them and hope that there will be some answers in the fullness of time (==D).
The discussion also touched upon full recognition of these men,if my discoveries are accepted, by some kind of memorial being placed there.
At last I feel I am making some headway and hopefully by this time next year will be able to conclude my search.
A big Thank You to all you posters and I will keep this thread updated as & when.B\)

The "Tomb is cleared" mystery is solved. 
What it means in the context of the data forms they use is that the headstone has been removed,if there ever had been one!


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## NY1917

Is it possible - just throwing this out there - that one or more of these men may have ended up in Liverpool because they were injured and needed care in a hospital after their adventures, and if that is the case, is there any chance their are records of at least who was there and why?

Likewise, would base commanders at bases these men were brought to from lifeboats have had an records?

I really have no idea at all I am just throwing out whatever I can think of.


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## Br1tv1c

*Been out there already ?*

Best Wishes to everyone for 2015 Everybody.
Hi NY1917, if you go back a little ways through this thread to post #10 you will note that the possibility of being wounded/hospitalised was a prime consideration in my thoughts then (and still is). 
Note also that you can only find records for an event if you know who and what you are looking for. In this case I have 11 dead men who have no markings/no record of them being there and only one half of their name. The body that is supposed to look after War Graves in the Commonwealth [CWGC]doesnt realise that they have had the information all this time and dont know how to apply it, the national organisation dealing with the graves of Dutch casualties has completely the wrong information as to who and where they are, this data apparently supplied by aforementioned organisation.
So to answer your musings,I have 11 _half_ names, all common amongst '"Lascars"? all died on different dates throughout 1940-45, no information as to who they were working for,what ships they were sailing with,and no records of their seamans logbooks anywhere, on line or in print, and neither in Dutch or English. 

I have already spent a considerable number of hours searching newspapers of the time for accounts of possible casualty lists from the Atlantic flotillas,all done the hard way ! On microfiche !
Of course lets not forget the possibility that each of these men could well have been taken off ship by way of illness and there were many such nasty things quite prevalent amongst the Navies of all nations.
All of which brings us back to buying Death certificates at $17.50 a pop ?
As for records from'rescues', I dont believe that such things exist and even if they did they would be made unreachable by the 100 yr secrecy rule that is operated here in the UK when it comes to viewing any 'public' records. (Again,mentioned in a previous post ?)(MAD)
I think the above option is now the responsibility for the OGS at least, and possibly the CWGC to resolve, but it will prove very interesting when they report back to me,which they will have to as it appears I am the only person alive who can show them the exact location and tie that up with the do***entation I posess to prove I am correct. It has taken them some time but my last conversation with them revealed that they had "requested all manner of info from multiple Gvt Archives and it would take some time yet", so I live in hope .(You also need to bear in mind that Xmas in Holland starts on Dec 6th and goes on until today the 6th Jan)?(Thumb)


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## nickwilson89

It is touching to see the Brothership of the Sea is still alive and well and functioning (as I hope it always will) through these pages. 

I am certain there are Commonwealth War Graves in Indonesia from 1942 -45 still being tended by Indonesians seventy years on and it is only right that Britons should reciprocate where possible. 

These men's grandchildren and great grandchildren would be heartened to know their own are being cared for and maybe if this venture is completely successful they will be told.


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## Br1tv1c

Hello Shipmates, Its been some time since I had anything to say about this project but I can at least offer an interim statement of optimism.
I have been asked by the OGS to gain permission and consent for us all to meet at the site within the next few months and discuss the issue of individual headstones or a memorial plaque for these men. 
Their decision will obviously revolve around a number of considerations and their acceptance of my finds and conclusions. I am 100% confident in my research so it will depend on their confidence in their very own records ?
I still havent managed to discover why they were buried in the UK nor the cir***stances of their particular demise,the stock answer is always that "its complicated" and "The info is stored in many databases not under our control"
Consequently, I may have to just accept that I have done as much as I can for them and their stories will never be told. At least they will have been given the recognition they have every right to expect ?


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## Br1tv1c

*Steady as you go !*

Just wishing to bring this thread,and those interested,up to date with current progress.
I now have the Death Certificates for 8 of the men and all without exception died from illness rather than action,nonetheless they are still entitled to be remembered for their service. The OGS have agreed with my outline research findings and is in the slow progress of decision making with the Dutch Armed Forces as to what,where and when etc.
At least I have now managed to get ALL of them on the OGS register and I am informed that this will mean they will be included on the next panels to be attached to the appropriate monuments in both the Netherlands and Indonesia [Dutch East Indies].
With only two exceptions they were all from the Island of Java.
No final decision is expected much before the Spring of 2016 and even then it will probably only be more investigation works but at last, they_ will _be remembered.
My next post will probably only be at the conclusion of this quest but I thank those from this forum who have tried to help and for the support and encouragement of all during this very frustrating task, I Thank You all.

P.S If there is anyone out there who has in depth knowledge of the Seamans Mission activities during WW2 or a comprehensive list of 'sanctuaries' or 'respite' homes in or about the Liverpool area that were used during that period, I am trying to make some sense of the Death Certificate addresses given ?


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## Br1tv1c

Success !
Although it will be some time yet before a proper memorial is in place for these Sailors I can report that it is now officially recognised by all that these men are back in from the cold. It would appear that during WW2 when they were initially buried there were grave markers put in place of a design previously agreed with Moslem religious leaders of the time. 
Sadly it seems that these were targets for mindless vandals during the early 1950's even before the Cemetery was finally abandoned and although some modifications and repairs were carried out at the time it would appear that they were finally destroyed beyond any recognition.
This was inevitable during the years of total closure and neglect during the 1970's but then the local community took control and turned it into a useful 'project' that now benefits the area.
Somehow during this period these graves were forgotten and the authorities lost track of their very existence - until now ? 
Happily I can now report that the "Mission has been accomplished" 
Thank You for the support.


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## Hugh MacLean

Excellent - your perseverance and hard work has paid off - well done!

Regards
Hugh


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## Roger Griffiths

Yes. Well done indeed. Your perseverance and tenacity are to be admired.
Lest we forget.

regards
Roger


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## 40907

Well done! You are perseverance personified!

One wonders what their families would say about your diligence - do they even know?


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## Br1tv1c

Thanks for the compliments but it was just something I had to put right.
Sadly Reefknot, it seems that they were all Indonesian islanders (mostly Javanese) and I would guess that their families are too poor to have the luxury of even considering the fate of their ancestors.
During my researches I contacted a few NGO's and Embassies but received no response from any of them. This did not seem to surprise the Dutch Army 'Recovery' unit who suggested it would be a further waste of effort to go any further down that road. Never mind, they are back in the records for the future and we can only remain optimistic ?


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## Br1tv1c

A surprise find. This photograph of the original approved grave markers for 'Assan'. vandalised in the late 50's /60's .It is assumed this fate also befell at least 6 of the other mens tomb, and a redesign put into place.
Earlier this year,the OGS visited and brought a "discovery" team.
We uncovered and pinpointed exactly what they had expected and is now coming to a satisfactory conclusion. Headstones for all have been approved I am delighted to say.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/...able/Walton Park -Dutch/assan_zpsocsmcc77.jpg


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## Br1tv1c

*Mission completed.*

This journey is now almost complete ! On Thursday 10th November 2016 (how appropriate ?) there will be a re-dedication service held at the gravesides of all 11 men who all now have new headstones.
Their details are now listed correctly in both the CWGC and the OGS database.
Its been a long slog but I finally got there and I hold perhaps a vain hope that one day maybe a descendant will find them listed and say a prayer for them.

http://s264.photobucket.com/user/br1tv1c/library/military/Dutch Seamen


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## Br1tv1c

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/remember-new-head-stones-previously-12157414


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## Br1tv1c

Soon after completion of this project in 2016, the OGS approached me with a similar request to locate the graves of a further 31 Chinese/Dutch sailors that had no markers or headstones.
I am glad to report that once again I completed the task and the 'Re-dedication' took place in Oct 2017 involving the whole Chinese community in Liverpool and beyond.
More at this link :-

https://www.madetelevision.tv/catchup/?c=news&p=x54qkn&v=x6aq6qv

B\)


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## Roger Griffiths

Hello,
I can only echo my comments of the 14/April/2016.
Nice one Br1tv1c.
regards
Roger


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## Hugh MacLean

Yes, concur with Roger - very well done in keeping the memory of those seamen alive.

Regards
Hugh


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## Br1tv1c

Thanks Chaps, Just had to do my bit I suppose.
Thanks to both of you for the encouragement you have given me in the past,its well appreciated.


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