Vice-Admiral J.W. Termijtelen

Vice-Admiral Jan Willem Termijtelen

Born Soerabaja (Java) January 10, 1893 - Died The Hague, September 12, 1977

Vice-Admiral Termijtelen was an officer well-liked and respected by his fellow officers. He joined the navy in 1910, and graduated a year before the start of World War I. During this conflict, he was involved in clearing Holland's coast of mines. In November 1918, he was seriously injured in an accident on board the auxiliary minelayer Hellevoetsluis.

Termijtelen recovered, and joined the submarine service, eventually commanding the submarines K-I and K-IV. During his career, he was typically given many positions which involved discretion, such as his appointments as aide-de-camp of Prince Hendrik, and later Queen Wilhelmina. Between 1936 and 1938, Termijtelen was Vice-Admiral Furstner's deputy chief of staff in Holland, and it is no surprise that when Furstner had to rebuild his staff in Britain after Holland's defeat in May 1940, he requested his trusted aid. There, Termijtelen most certainly was the right man in the right place, since he was (much more than Furstner) a people person.

Termijtelen remained chief of staff, this time under Admiral Helfrich, until 1947. During the two post-war years, he was faced with the enormous task of rebuilding the Royal Netherlands Navy to its former strength.
Ranks
Midshipman 1st class August 23, 1913
Sublieutenant January 16, 1915
Lieutenant August 23, 1915
Lieutenant-Commander September 1, 1923
Commander November 5, 1935
Captain September 16, 1939
Rear-Admiral September 1, 1943
Vice-Admiral September 1, 1944
Retired May 1, 1947

Postings
Commanding Officer, submarine K I April 1, 1922 - August 7, 1922
Aid to Minister of Navy September, 1923 - February 16, 1927
Aide-de-camp Prince Hendrik February 16, 1927 - March 15, 1934
Commanding Officer, minelayer Prins van Oranje 1934 - 1936
Aide-de-camp Queen Wilhelmina November 28, 1935 -
Deputy Chief of Naval Staff October, 1936 - July, 1938
Commanding Officer, light cruiser Tromp July 3, 1939 - July 19, 1941
Chief of Naval Staff, Britain October 16, 1941 - September 1, 1945
C-in-C, Dutch naval forces, Britain October 16, 1941 - September 1, 1945
Director Air forces July 26, 1944 - August 28, 1945
Chief of Staff, Ministry of Navy September 1, 1945 - January 15, 1947

Awards
Dutch Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion (NL)
Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau (ON.3)
Officer in the House Order of Orange (HO.4)
War Remembrance Cross, with 1 bar (OHK.1)
Mobilization Cross 1914-1918 (Mk)
Service cross for naval officers, for 30 years' of service (XXX)
Foreign Officer in the Order of civil and military merits of Adolf of Nassau of Luxemburg (Luxemburg)
Companion in the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CMB) (Britain)
Cross 1st class in the Order of the German Eagle (Germany)
Officer in the Order of the Legion of Honour of France (France)
Officer in the Sword Order of Sweden (Sweden)
Commander 2nd class in the Order of Wasa of Sweden (Sweden)
Commander, Legion of Merit (U.S.A.)

Sources
Klaassen/Van 't Haaff "Gedenkboek Adelborsten-opleiding te Willemsoord 1854-1954"
"Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland", volume 1 (entry by J.A. van der Kooij)

January 30, 2008 Fixed some bugs in the lay-out

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