Van Speijk
An item referred to the magazine Noord-Hollandsch Nieuws- en Advertentieblad Extra Tijding published by the Parliament member Staalman (1) dealing with the (extreme) worse quality of the food supplied the naval sailors at Willemsoord, Netherlands without any national newspaper responding. The grits served on board of the Friso (2) and Van Speijk (3) almost green coloured was now alive. In the grits were white coloured worms found with a length of 1,5-2 centimetres.
Notes
1. Andries Popke Staalman (2 November 1858 Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands-6 March 1938 Driebergen, Netherlands), politician but also journalist and publisher in Den Helder, Netherlands where the major naval base was situated. He ‘fought’ for the interests of the widows of fishermen, low ranked naval personnel and conscripts. The magazine was later even forbidden on board of the Dutch warships.
2. Johan Willem Friso, screw steamship 1st class, also called frigate, call sign GQLN, laid down as the Kortenaer at the naval yard at Amsterdam, Netherlands on 22 October 1883, launched on 10 June 1886, commissioned on 1 February 1888, decommissioned on 16 September 1896 and sold on 25 May 1899 at Willemsoord for ƒ 82.154, 60½ to F.H. de Goeij cum suis at Den Helder to be broken up. Dimensions 80-91,85 x 12,64 x 7,00 metres, displacement 3.710 ton, horsepower 3.133 hp, speed 14,8 miles, crew numbered 280 men and an armament of 6-17cm guns and 8-12cm guns. Engines and boilers manufactured at the Nederlandse Stoomboot Mij, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Iron-built wood planked.
3. Screw steamship 1st class, also called frigate, call sign GRBK, on stocks at the naval yard at Amsterdam, Netherlands on 9 February 1880, launched on 7 June 1882, commissioned on 1 March 1887, decommissioned on 6 September 1897 and stricken, converted into accommodation ship for the shipyard division at Den Helder, Netherlands in 1904, transferred from Den Helder to the Coenhaven, Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1942 and sold to be broken up at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht begin March 1946. Displacement 3.575 ton, horsepower 2.891 hp, speed 14,25 miles, her crew numbered 280 men and an armament of 6-17cm guns, 8-12cm guns. Iron-built and wood-planked. The engines and boilers were manufactured by the Koninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere werktuigen te Amsterdam, Netherlands.
