Jan van Speijk

 

Yesterday we were looking and trying to find out ,what happened to Jan Vlieland.

 We finally dicovered how he died .

We knew from the records he died in the military hospital in Bergen op Zoom in 1832.

We knew it was the hospital where all the victims of the siege of Antwerp were hospitalised .

But that was it .But now we discovered he was a voluntary mariner on his majesty's gunboat.

While trying to find a picture of the gunboat, an historic event appeared.

A famous Dutch naval Lieutenant Jan van Speijk did not  want the Belgians  to  get his gunboat 

I'd) rather be blown up" than to surrender .
And that is what he did .

And now it is still a famous Dutch saying "dan liever de lucht in ".I'd rather be blown up


And you guess who was one of the victims on that ship......Jan Vlieland.

 

part of the coat of Jan van Speijk sold by Christies.

more items from the ship 

family tree of Jan Vlieland