Q: Can you tell us something about yourself ?

A:  My full name is Jan Visser. I go by the nickname Visje on the various naval message boards on the web. I have broad historical interest, but they focus on the war at sea during 1939-1945. I started this site in 1999 with the intention of giving basic information on Dutch warships of the period 1939-1945 (the somewhat outdated site title reflects that), but the content has grown beyond the site's initial scope since then.

Q: I need information about a person who served in the Dutch navy. Where do I find this ?

A:  For persons from the pre-1908 period, try the Netherlands Institute for Military History (NIMH). They keep records the records for persons from this time frame. These are ordered by date of birth, so you might want to include that. Some files are thick, with information about promotions and other details regarding the person in question. Some are thin, with only a few papers. You can contact them here.

For persons which served from 1908 til now (which of course includes World War II), try the department Semi-Statische Archiefdiensten of the Ministry of Defence ((formerly the "Bureau Registratie en Informatie Ontslagen Personeel"). They have their own homepage.

Another site you can try is the Dutch Oorlogsgravenstichting (War Graves Foundation), which has a site online at www.ogs.nl. There is an online database with information on people who died during the war.

Q: I need information about a Dutch warship ship that didn't serve in World War II

A:   I have far less information about post-war warships, although I do know most of them. Contact me to see if I have more. The following site should be helpful as well: Marineschepen.nl.

Q: How can I help ?

A:   Simple, if you have information to fill omissions or to correct mistakes, please send them to me ! I also collect photos of Dutch merchants and warships of the WW II era.

Q: Can I use photos from your site ?

A:   Sure, but you'll have to ask me first. I probably won't say no. You'll also have to credit this site.

Q: I am a modeller and I'm looking for drawings of Dutch warships. Where can I find these ?

A:   Again, the Netherlands Institute for Military History (NIHM) is the place to ask. They sell drawings for reasonable prices (app. €12 each). An example of what they offer can be found here.