Tankers for the Dutch Oliefabrieken Insulinde according to Dutch newspapers in 1919

Ron van Maanen

The Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated 13 May 1919 reported that the Dutch Oliefabrieken Insulinde intended to build her own tankers with a result that a new issue was to be expected.

The edition dated 17 May reported that the shares were in problem decreasing from 246 tot 242 probably caused by the rumours about a new issue. The newspaper doubted if this rumours were correct while the latest issue provided 8,500,000 guilders necessary for the buying of tankers. It was unknown why this new issue was done. The edition dated 14 June reported that the Oliefabrieken Insulinde expected within two months the first of the two tankers built at a British yard. The third tanker was still on stocks at a Dutch yard and was expected to arrive [in the Dutch East Indies] at the end of the year.

According to the newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad evening edition dated 28 May was the tiding coming from Weltevreden, Dutch East Indies dealing with the building of own tankers and the issue of new capital nonsense. Probably there was a confusion while the plant bought some time ago two tankers from the British government.(1) The morning edition dated 24 June reported that the first two tankers build at a British yard were expected to arrive within two months in the Dutch East Indies.

According to the newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant evening edition dated 28 May stated the board of the factory at Amsterdam that the tiding of the new building and the issue nonsense was and probably a confusion with the two bought British tankers.

Note
1. The website http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-limeleaf-ships-details mentioned the former British Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Limeleaf launched at the White Inch Yard, Barclay Curle on 28 October 1916, commissioned on 19 December of the same year and which was sold in 1919 to the N.V. Insulinde Tankstoombootmaatschappij (managed at that time by Franz Hoynck) at Amsterdam and rechristened California. Her management changed in 1921 and 1923 and she was in 1925 sold to the British company United Molasses Co. Ltd. At Liverpool and was rechristened Atherill. The Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant morning edition dated 20 January 1924 published the news item dated Amsterdam 19 January that according to a received tiding the California owned by the Insulinde Tankstoomboot Maatschappij which was since almost 3 years laid up in the Houthaven which short time was taken into service again.
Further more was the former RFA tanker Boxleaf bought. She was launched on 9 December 1916 at the same yard, commissioned in February 1917 and sold on 26 August 1919. In 1925 she was sold to the same company as the California and rechristened Atheltam.