© JAN VAN DER GAAG

JaN van der GaaG|16-09-1916~27-02-1942

This page is about my uncle Jan van der Gaag (Arie Johannes), brother of my father who served the Royal Netherlands Navy and died during the historical World War II 'Battle of the Java Sea' on the 27th of February 1942 when his ship, the light cruiser Hr. Ms. Java was hit by a Japanese torpedo at 23.32 PM, in complete darkness - and sunk almost instantly.

At that time the Hr. Ms. Java was part of the The American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) together with two heavy cruisers, HMS Exeter and USS Houston, three light cruisers, Hr. Ms. De Ruyter, HMAS Perth and nine destroyers, HMS Electra, HMS Encounter, HMS Jupiter, Hr. Ms. Kortenaer, Hr. Ms. Witte de With, USS Alden, USS John D. Edwards, USS John D. Ford, and the USS Paul Jones. The Dutch ships where under command of Admiral Karel Doorman (also killed in action) from his flag-ship the light cruiser Hr. Ms. De Ruyter.

More than 2300 sailors died during this sea-battle on the 27th of February of which 900 sailors from the Dutch ships Hr. Ms. De Ruyter, Hr. Ms. Java and the Hr. Ms. Kortenaer. From the Hr. Ms. Java total crew of 560, only 43 sailors survived.

Of course I never met my uncle and when my father (Gerrit van der Gaag 1917-2005) still was alive his name popped up occasionally but not very regular. I remember that my father told me that it was long uncertain for him and the family, if he had died during the battle or maybe escaped alive from the sinking ship and still was alive as Prisoner Of War in one of the Japanese camps in Indonesia or Japan. The official 'Act of Dead' from the bureau of civil status in Batavia (Jakarta - Indonesia) arrived at the family 6 years later on July 1948 where they confirmed that he had died during the battle of the Java Sea on the 27th of Februari 1942 aboard the Hr. Ms. Java, at the age of 25 year in the military rank of Leading Seaman (Kwartiermeester) of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Especially my grandmother could not stand the uncertainty and conflicting messages over those years and died in 1953 at the age of 58.

Recently I rediscovered a box with old family photographs and noticed a stack of very small photographs from my uncle in there. So I scanned the photo’s and digitally cleaned them from dust and scratches, edited them and enlarged the files in Photoshop. Now on the larger photo’s much more details were visable so I tried to identify his age and placed them in a timeline and the ships he sailed on, from the moment he signed at the Navy in 1935 at the age of 18 till the end of his life in February 1942. This all made it easier with the detailed information of original copies of his personal Marine records and officiall cards I received (on request) in 2017 from the department of Semi-Statistic Information Management of the Ministery of Defense of the Netherlands. After cleaning and coloring (some), as you will see below, some of the photo’s are so crisp and sharp as if they were not taken 80+ years ago.

Here an overview and a timeline from the moment he signed and started his training years till the moment of the battle in February 1942 ….

1935

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘7 May 1935, he signs a contract with the Navy defence administration in The Hague for a period of five years, he is hired as Seaman (Licht Matroos) and placed on the Watchship the Hr. Ms. Noord-Brabant in Vlissingen (NL)’ …

Below my uncly playing a horn instrument at the Naval academy marching band. On the left photo he placed a black X mark above his head to show his position.

1936

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘On 1 March 1936 he is promoted to Apprentice Seaman (Matroos 3rd Class) and on 29 April he is placed aboard of the armoured ship Hr. Ms. Hertog Hendrik

On 4 September he’s placed aboard the accommodation ship Hr. Ms. Schorpioen at the Naval Barracks Willemsoord in Den Helder (NL). On 1st of November 1 1936 he is promoted to Sailor 2° class’ …

1937

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘On 1 July 1937 he is placed aboard the minesweeper Hr. Ms. Jan van Amstel and departs on 30 August from the naval base Vlissingen (NL) destination Netherlands East Indies for a 3-year stay.

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘3 October 1937, the ship Hr. Ms. Jan van Amstel passes the Tropic of Cancer (Kreeftskeerkring) in southerly direction’ …

There is a tradition where sailors crossing the equator line for the first time they have to take part of an initiation-rite where they have to dress up like Neptune, got a ‘shave’ and have to drink a glass of Jenever of course paired with lot of laughs and watched by the more experienced sailors and crew. I’m not 100% sure but I think the guy with the crown and long beard (as Neptune) on the chair and following photo giving another seaman an old fashioned shave is my uncle.

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘2 November 1937 he arrives in Sabang on the island of Weh (Aceh, North Sumatra - Netherlands East Indies) and stays there for 3.5 months’ …

1938

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘19 February 1938 he is posted to the Marine Barracks Oedjoeng in Surabaya (East Java)’ …

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘9 July 1938 he is placed aboard the light cruiser Hr. Ms. Java - and 4.5 months later - 21 November 1938 he is again posted to the Marine Barracks Oedjoeng in Surabaya (East Java)’ …

1939

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘21 January 1939 he is placed aboard the gunboat Hr. Ms. Soemba - and one month later - 27 February the placement (detachering) ends and once again he returns to the Naval Barracks Oedjoeng in Surabaya (East Java)’ …

‘on 1 April he’s promoted to Seaman (Matroos) 1st Class’.

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘8 April 1939 he gets his diploma for “Range Finder Operator” (Afstand Waarnemer) and at the same time he’s placed aboard of the destroyer Hr. Ms. Kortenaer (or Hr. Ms. Jan Van Galen)’ … not sure acc. the official reports from MoD.

1940

According the Ministery of Defence: ‘1 July 1940 he is placed aboard the destroyer Hr. Ms. Banckert - and 5 months later - 28 December he is placed on board the gunboat Hr. Ms. Soerabaja’ …

1941

According the Ministery of Defence: 1 October 1941 he’s promoted to the military rank of Leading Seaman (Kwartiermeester) - and 3 days later - 4 October he is again placed aboard the light cruiser Hr. Ms. Java’ …

1942

According the Ministery of Defence: On 27 February 1942 he is killed during the Battle of the Java Sea.

During the evening phase of the battle both the Hr. Ms De Ruyter and Hr. Ms. Java were hit around 23.30 hr. by a salvo of long lanced torpedoes launched from the Japanese cruiser Nachi. One torpedo hit the Hr. Ms. Java, detonated and blew the stern off the ship, causing flooding in the engine room and setting fire to the anti-aircraft deck. The flooding caused the electrical equipment to shut down. The crew abandoned ship and the Java sank about fifteen minutes after being struck by the torpedo. 512 of her crew lost their lives in the sinking.

The text “On 27 February 1942 he is killed during the Battle of the Java Sea” was easier to write in 2017 but for the Ministery of Defense, the Red Cross and the family it was long unsure what really happened if my uncle, and hundreds of other sailors -had died or taken Prisoner of War by the Japanese.

1945

Learned from the Documents: that on 6 September 1945 his parents (my grand parents) were informed that their son was aboard the Hr. Ms. Java. I found also on an official MoD document a handwritten note on his record “Lost (vermist) date: 27 October 1945”

1946

Learned from the Documents: On 26 January 1946 his family (my grand parents) are informed by the Ministery of Defence (or the Red Cross) that he ‘is lost’ after the Battle of the Java Sea on 27 February 1942. (even 4 years later no confirmation what had happened so it kept the family in uncertainty)

1947

Learned from the Documents: 23 July 1947 the MoD made a collective Request for the War Commemorative Cross (Dutch: Oorlogsherinneringskruis) awarded to them who serviced during the war in specified locations, time periods, or character of service. In his situation: JAVA-ZEE 1941-1942

1948

The official ‘Dead Certificate’ the legally confirmation of his death signed on 24 May and 31 May 1948 by the bureau of civil status from Batavia (Indonesia) now known as Jakarta …

On 3 July 1948 the Dutch Ministerie van Overzeesche Gebiedsdeelen, Commissariaat voor Indische Zaken (Ministry of Overseas Territories) in The Hague (Den Haag) received this document …

I guess below the two very last photo’s of my uncle at the end of 1941 …

On te backside of the photo below, a stamp: ‘afgedrukt door FOTOHUIS JAHN & Zn’ : which I found in MALANG (East-Java)

Herewith an overview of his years in the Navy from the moment he signed on 7 MAY ‘35 to the day the Hr. Ms. Java was torpedoed on 27 FEBRUARY ‘42

At the cemetery Kembang Kuning (Surabaya - Indonesia) is the Karel Doorman Memorial located, which commemorates the Battle of the Java sea. On the backside of the Memorial there’s a bronze plaque with all names (alphabetical order) of the 915 Dutch sailors who died during this battle.

GAAG, A. J. van der  /  17-09-1916  /  KWARTIERMEESTER (LEADING SEAMAN)

with special thanks to Dhr. Arno Bastin of the Ministerie van Defensie Semi-Statisch Informatiebeheer, Utrecht for supplying me so much detailed information in 2017.

with special thanks to the Nationaal Archief (The Hague) for providing me more additional information about my uncle in June/July 2023.

Any questions or additional information about locations, names from other Sailors is welcome of course … please contact me: Jan van der Gaag > janvdgg@me.com