The 32 guns Dutch frigate Heldin was in 1796 by R. Dorsman built at the naval yard at Amsterdam with the dimensions 130 x 36 x 14 (Amsterdam foot=around 28,3cm). In 1799 the British captured the ship lying unmanned in the Nieuwediep. As the Helder the ship came in British naval service. But what was her final fate?
Colledge mentioned indeed a 28 guns 6th rate named Heldin, 636 tons builders measurement captured 28 August 1799 in the Texel (=Het Nieuwdiep, Texel is an isle) and sold in 1802. He does not mentioned her renamed as Helder but suggested that she served as HMS Heldin, the original Dutch name. The 28 guns consisted of 24-12pdr and 4-6pdr. He mentioned however two British ships named Helder, the Dutch Alarm captured 28 August 1799 in the Nieuwediep, 1800 renamed Helder and sold 1807 and the Helder, the Dutch Guelderland captured 19 May 1808, renamed Helder 1809 and sunk as breakwater in 1817. Yet the Heldin was in British service as Helder as can be proved.
In the meeting at the Naval Department (Secretary of State for the Navy) on Thursday 26 December 1805 the letter of the commanding officer of the ship-of-the-line Joan de Wit, captain Pool, had all attention. He wrote that in the night of 23 December a British transport was grounded on the Haaks (sandbank west of Den Helder) and continual distress-guns were heard. Next morning three launches armed and four boats were sent to the British ship. It was the British transport Helder (our own frigate Heldin wrote captain Pool!). She was armed with 26 guns, the master was Lee. On board were 25 officers, 26 sergeants, 9 drummers and 458 soldiers, the left wing of the 5th Regiment British Infantry. The transport was part of a convoy of 21 transports which left Downs for the Wezer. All men were rescued and made prisoners of war. Yet the Dutch took care of their prisoners, 53 sick and wounded were sent to the hospital at Enkhuizen. The British officers went on board of the Brutus, the other prisoners on the Verwachting. The Navy Department decided that a exchange of prisoners as soon as possible was required. Captain Pool was ordered to afloat the ship and bring her back into harbour. If that was impossible the ship was to set on fire and destroyed and to make her useless for the enemy. 26 December however wrote captain Pool that it was not possible to even come near the ship due to the bad weather and the ‘hollow’ sea and that she was complete broken into pieces!
Sources
-Archive Admiraliteits Colleges XLVII inv. no. 17 (National Archive at The Hague).
-J.J. Colledge. Ships of the Royal Navy: An Historical Index, vol 1, 1969.
-Archive Departement van Marine 1795-1810 inv. no. 61 (National Archive at The Hague).
Colledge mentioned indeed a 28 guns 6th rate named Heldin, 636 tons builders measurement captured 28 August 1799 in the Texel (=Het Nieuwdiep, Texel is an isle) and sold in 1802. He does not mentioned her renamed as Helder but suggested that she served as HMS Heldin, the original Dutch name. The 28 guns consisted of 24-12pdr and 4-6pdr. He mentioned however two British ships named Helder, the Dutch Alarm captured 28 August 1799 in the Nieuwediep, 1800 renamed Helder and sold 1807 and the Helder, the Dutch Guelderland captured 19 May 1808, renamed Helder 1809 and sunk as breakwater in 1817. Yet the Heldin was in British service as Helder as can be proved.
In the meeting at the Naval Department (Secretary of State for the Navy) on Thursday 26 December 1805 the letter of the commanding officer of the ship-of-the-line Joan de Wit, captain Pool, had all attention. He wrote that in the night of 23 December a British transport was grounded on the Haaks (sandbank west of Den Helder) and continual distress-guns were heard. Next morning three launches armed and four boats were sent to the British ship. It was the British transport Helder (our own frigate Heldin wrote captain Pool!). She was armed with 26 guns, the master was Lee. On board were 25 officers, 26 sergeants, 9 drummers and 458 soldiers, the left wing of the 5th Regiment British Infantry. The transport was part of a convoy of 21 transports which left Downs for the Wezer. All men were rescued and made prisoners of war. Yet the Dutch took care of their prisoners, 53 sick and wounded were sent to the hospital at Enkhuizen. The British officers went on board of the Brutus, the other prisoners on the Verwachting. The Navy Department decided that a exchange of prisoners as soon as possible was required. Captain Pool was ordered to afloat the ship and bring her back into harbour. If that was impossible the ship was to set on fire and destroyed and to make her useless for the enemy. 26 December however wrote captain Pool that it was not possible to even come near the ship due to the bad weather and the ‘hollow’ sea and that she was complete broken into pieces!
Sources
-Archive Admiraliteits Colleges XLVII inv. no. 17 (National Archive at The Hague).
-J.J. Colledge. Ships of the Royal Navy: An Historical Index, vol 1, 1969.
-Archive Departement van Marine 1795-1810 inv. no. 61 (National Archive at The Hague).
