This year it is 65 years ago
that many Dutch left independant Indonesia. It was the end of a traumatic period.
Civilians, living there for generations, felt that they had no option but to
escape increasingly hostile circumstances. Professional soldiers, many of them
with roots in the Dutch East Indies, will have felt the same. Among the
conscripts there must have been some relief. Relief that they went home after
having been involved in the so called police
actions which turned out to be a
guerilla war. Most of them travelled by ships chartered by the Dutch
government. The majority left from Tandjung Priok, the port of Djakarta, to
Holland. One of those ships was a P&O liner, the SS Ranchi. It was a
special ship. I had never heard about her until I saw a death notice in a Dutch
newspaper.
SS Ranchi
Sir Charles Stewart Addis (1861-1945) |
SS Ranchi |
But how about those Dutch
babies?
The KNIL and their offspring
When the Royal Netherlands
East Indies Army, commonly known as the KNIL, was disbanded in July 1950, the
larger part of its personel had to be moved to the home country. And in a hurry
please! The KNIL had been the military power in this former Dutch colony ever
since it was established in 1830. In the aftermath of the Dutch supremacy over
what is now called Indonesia, the KNIL (a.o.) was involved in the governments
last throes before it was forced to turn over the remains of its power to the
Indonesians and their leader/president Sukarno. For all civilians and military who
would not swear allegiance to the new rulers, the situation became unpleasant,
to say the least. So the Dutch government was forced to rapidly organize
sufficient transportation capacity. One of their actions was to charter a
number of ships among which the SS Ranchi. She made two voyages from Tandjong
Priok, the port of Djakarta, to Amsterdam. The first trip departed from the
Indonesian capital on August 29, 1950. The majority of passengers[4]
consisted of KNIL personnel and their families. It is tempting to believe that those
people were happy to return to the fatherland. But that ignores the fact that a
large percentage of KNIL staff was born and raised in the East Indies. And now
they had to travel to a country they only knew from stories and pictures.
Birth control
It is obvious that having to
move thousands of people in a relatively short period of time, requires
extensive planning. But to facilitate the planning proces one needs
information. Information about the ship and about her passengers. The Ranchi
file in the Dutch National Archives holds a letter from the KNIL quartermaster
general, colonel K.A. Warmenhoven. 48 Days before departure the man possesses
amazing information! Not only does he know how many KNIL wives are pregnant, he
also knows when the delivery is due plus the composition of the families. It
also implies that the troops at that time already knew on which ship they would
be travelling. His letter mentions the following numbers.
Pregnant women expecting when
|
Men
|
Babies < 1 year
|
1-3 years
|
3-8 years
|
Children >8 years
|
Total
|
|
August before departure
|
27
|
27
|
27
|
23
|
15
|
12
|
131
|
End of August
|
8
|
8
|
1
|
6
|
1
|
5
|
29
|
Early September
|
38
|
38
|
-
|
24
|
17
|
46
|
163
|
End of September
|
24
|
24
|
-
|
10
|
8
|
15
|
81
|
Early October
|
59
|
59
|
1
|
45
|
19
|
33
|
216
|
620
|
Speaking of intimate
knowledge...
But the proof of the pudding
is in the eating. How does the planning compare with real life. Based on these
figures the quartermaster predicted 70 newborns[5]
during the trip which lasted from August 29 u/i September 25. That was thought
to be a bit much for the available medical staff. So he shifted a number of
families to another ship thus aiming at less than 50 births for the SS Ranchi.
The actual number turned out to meet his expectation. Therefore, all mothers
and their sea babies will have received proper care.
But then there is the other
question. How come that so many women were pregnant during the same period? Or
was it just coincidence?
SS Ranchi with her rear funnel removed to allow guns being installed in 1939 |
In any case, the Ranchi
passengers who were in the final stages of their pregnancy, were
Dutch newspaper article |
Nationality
Before listing all those
newborns, there is always the question about the nationality of those born at
sea. Well, I am afraid I can’t give you a clear cut answer because the issue is
a complicated one. The nationality and the location of the ship may play a role,
but it may also be that the passport of the parents is determining. The Ranchi
is a British registered ship; in this case all parents involved hold a Dutch
passport. There are countries with laws based on the right of soil principle (ius
soli). In this case all babies have been born on British soil so all babies
ought to be British nationals, should this principle be applied. However, Dutch
laws have been based on the ius sanguinis or the right of blood. So, despite other
reports in the press[8],
I assume all babies will be Dutch nationals.
Delivery at sea
SS Ranchi cabin |
Also
the captain of the ship paid attention to what must have been a special trip
for him as well. In his farewell letter to all passengers he said:
“I trust that all passengers,
especially the little Ranchis and Ranchitas will remember this voyage to
Amsterdam with pleasant recollection. I noticed since Aden the local storks
have been very interested in this ship. I have personally seen dozens, which
probably accounts for the additions to our passenger list.”
I
doubt whether all these little ones will have any recollection about this trip.
But I’m certain that the good wishes of the captain are no less
well-intentioned.
The captain’s dozens
Below
is a list of all babies born during this trip. Fortunately a note was made
about the time[10]
when each of these babies was born. Combining this with the ship tidings
published in Dutch newspapers and the average speed of the ship (14 knots/hr),
the approximate position of the ship when a particular baby was born, may be
calculated. The original list also shows the place of birth of the parents.
These have been incorporated in the lemma More facts and figures. Also
the a’s, b’s and c’s between brackets are in reference to that lemma. The
number at the beginning of each line refers to the number on the map[11]
below.
# Date/time birth First/middle name (a) Last name father (b) Mother (c)
1 Aug 29, 20.50 hrs Jane Ranchita van
Muyen Kanaar
2 Aug 30, 07.15 hrs Ranchi Edwardine Kruller Vos
3 Aug 30, 10.45 hrs. Christiaan Victor Ranchis Silvester v.d. Heiden
4 Aug 31, 04.45 hrs. Elodie Wilhelmina Maria Wins Heirman
5 Aug 31, 11.00 hrs. Richard Edwin Ranchi Muller Müller
6 Aug 31, 15.10 hrs. George Rudolf Wagenaar Koster
7 Sep 1, 13.00 hrs. Antoinette Ranchia Schwarzler Tumusu
8 Sep 1, 14.00 hrs. Renie Konings Pfaff
9 Sep 2, 10.15 hrs. Harry Ranchi Hofstra Holsheimer
10
Sep 3, 08.10 hrs. Esther Henriette Ranchita Sprangers Veen
11
Sep 3, 11.00 hrs. Hendrik Eyk Tuininga
12
Sep 4, 07.15 hrs. Xenia Postma Drinhuyzen
13
Sep 4, 20.30 hrs. Benjamin Cornelis
Thomas van Rossum Vuursteen
14
Sep 6, 22.00 hrs. Glenn Roy Thomas Weygers Binjola
15
Sep 7, 20.15 hrs. Herman Otto Diesveld van
Luyk
16
Sep 8, 08.30 hrs. Maria Cornelia Schulte Rochani
17
Sep 10, 01.25 hrs. Judy Maureen Wijnandts Zwart
18
Sep 10, 18.55 hrs. Eric Ranchi Samson Reemer
19
Sep 11, 07.00 hrs. Anna Marie Reggers Pirson
20
Sep 11, 18.30 hrs. Robert Frank Cornelisz Heijne
21
Sep 12, 15.50 hrs. Hedi Ranchi Evers Heldernisse
22
Sep 12, 16.55 hrs. Albertus Maria Burger Nieuwenstein
23
Sep 12, 17.25 hrs. Johanna Maria Burger Nieuwenstein
24
Sep 14, 02.47 hrs. Eveline Ranchi de Jong Kramer
25
Sep 14, 17.15 hrs. Victor Pieter Jon Woerlee van Woerden
26
Sep 16, 05.30 hrs. Anna Margaretha Swerissen Hardy
27
Sep 16, 16.55 hrs. Franklin Delano de Jong Kuypers
28
Sep 17, 11.45 hrs. Sybilla Rosanne Nederbergh Herscheit
29
Sep 19, 22.25 hrs. William Ranchi Neyendorff de Ceuninck
van Capelle
30
Sep 20, 16.30 hrs. James Patrick Wüstlich Koot
31
Sep 21, 09.30 hrs. William Russell Klumpers Goudhuys
32
Sep 21, 18.30 hrs. Maria Emelie Alida Varkevisser Verhoeff
33
Sep 22, 05.00 hrs. Ranchi Timmermans Kühbauch
34
Sep 23, 00.45 hrs. Margaretha Ranchi de Groot Samuels
Nora
35
Sep 23, 00.30 hrs. Peggy Careen van Munster Roelofs
36
Sep 23, 00.50 hrs. Reni Mathilde van
Munster Roelofs
37
Sep 24, 05.50 hrs. Martin Theodoor Esser Wiegers
Some
of these names are written differently in other sources. See also More facts
and figures.
The plotted places of birth of the Ranchi 37 |
There is also a report from
the ship’s chaplain, his name is Mgr. F. Gitmans. He describes the christening
of one of the babies[12]
on September 8, 5 pm. He states the ship is then near the island of Socotra at
the entrance of the Gulf of Aden (red pin). September 8 is also the birthday of
baby Maria Cornelia Schulte (#16). Her time of birth is 8.30 am.
Both pins coincide with the positions
on the map above.
The places of birth of babies #16 (red) and #20 (yellow) |
More facts and figures
In the following survey[13] the
first/middle names and the places of birth of the parents as well as other
information collected from public sources has been added. The ‘#-numbers’
correspond with the baby list. Deviations from the baby list have been printed bold. * = born, † = died, m. = marries
#1 (b) Christiaan van Muijen *Indramajoe 10-9-1919,
†17-9-2007, sgt KNIL; (c) Olga *Batavia
#2 (b) Edward Richard John *Rotterdam
11-11-1915, †12-12-2004, sgt KNIL; (c) Antje *Gombone
#3 (b) Marie *Amsterdam, adj
OO KNIL; (c) Elodie Wilhelmina Catharina *Magelang
#4 (b) Herman *Den Haag, capt
KL; (c) Sofia Louisa Petronella Maria *Noordwijkerhout
#5 (b) August Leonard Hendrik
*Makassar, corp KNIL; (c) Editha Victorine Alexandrine *Semarang
#6 (b) Rudolf *Semarang, corp
KM; (c) Amelia *Pangil
#7 (b) Alexander Daniel
Emanuel *Banjoewangi, corp KNIL; (c) Augustine *Palembang
#8 (b) Johannes *Malang, corp
KNIL; (c) Johanna *Malang
#9 (b) Jelte *Sneek, wmt KNIL;
(c) Nelly Maria *Kertosono
#10 (a) †Den Haag 12-2-2015;
(b) Cornelis Gerardus Anton *Düsseldorf 5-12-1906 corporal 4th battalion infantry,
sgt major KNIL m. Bandoeng 3-5-1930 (c) Gerardine Alexandrine Sephina *Magelang
8-10-1908 clerk civil registration.
Earlier the family travelled
to Holland on MV Tegelberg on 23 May 1946. At the time they lived in Heerde near Apeldoorn.
Before the end of that year they returned to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies.
#11 (b) Jan Cornelis *Z.O.
Beemster, sgt major KNIL; (c) Antje *Ferwerderadeel
#12 (b) Rudolf Walter *Tjimahi
15-5-1913, corp KNIL m. Soerabaja 2-3-1949 (c) Henriette Johanna *Klaten
19-5-1911, †Eindhoven 21-11-1979
#13 (b) Anthonius *Ngawi, sgt
major KNIL; (c) Aaltje *Reo (Timor)
#14 (b) Wijnand *Surabaia,
sgt KNIL; (c) Erna *Solo
#15 (b) Hendrikus Johannes *Ambarawa
19-3-1910, †Almelo 17-2-1966, sgt major KNIL; (c) Elsa van Luijk *Cheribon 21-3-1914, †Almelo 24-6-1998
#16 (b) Jan *Tjilitjap, sld I
KNIL; (c) *Medan
#17 (b) Jacob *Batavia, sgt
major KNIL; (c) Martina Albertina *Batavia
#18 (b) David *Ambon, sgt
KNIL; (c) Maria *Batavia
#19 (b) Hendricus Hubertus *Maastricht
2-5-1910, †Maastricht 28-1-1981, sgt major KNIL; (c) Maria Josephine *Gombong
(Java)
#20 (a) sergeant major Dutch
RN Robbert †Oss 13-10-2012; (b) Eddy
Dick *Malang, corp KNIL; (c) Louise Antoinette *Semarang
#21 (a) †Den Helder
9-12-1988; (b) Harold *Blora (Java) 13-4-1925, †Den Helder 10-6-2003 matr I KM;(c)
Silphy *Soerabaia
#22 (b) Nicolaas
Wilhelmus Josephus *Amsterdam 19-9-1921, †7-8-2003, sgt KNIL; (c) Johanna *Zeist
19-9-1921, †23-8-2009
#24 (a) †4-7-2005; (b) Leendert
*Koepang (Timor), boatswain RN; (c) Eveline Anneke Cornelie *Kandangan (Borneo)
#25 (b) Arie *Utrecht
7-2-1922, lt1 Mariniers m. 22-5-1948 (c) Daniëlla Maria *Haarlem
#26 (b) August Antoine *Djockjakarta
28-8-1920, †7-4-1991, sgt KNIL; (c) Winniefred
Margaret *Djakarta 29-8-1926, †5-7-1993
#27 (b) Hendrik Antoine *Djockjakarta,
sgt KNIL; (c) Louise Helena *Tjimahi
#28 (b) Johannes *Amsterdam,
sgt KNIL; (c) Leonie *Djockjakarta
#29 (a) Neyendorff †23-6-1983; (b) Paul
*Djockjakarta, sgt KNIL; (c) Stanny *Soerabaia
#30 (b) George *Klaten,
†Assen 4-7-2004, sgt KNIL; (c) Louise Erna *Poeasri
#31 (b) Wilhelmus *Den Haag
2-2-1919, †Ossendrecht 19-5-2008, sgt KNIL m. Batavia 16-3-1948 (c) Louise Goedhuys *Pekalongan 20-5-1927, †Twello
22-9-2001
#32 (b) Cornelis *Berkel, sgt
KNIL; (c) Jacoba *Batavia
#33 (a) †San Francisco CA,
USA 2-1-1988; (b) Frederik *Den Haag ca 1916, †Dubuque IA, USA 11-9-1991, corp
KNIL; (c) Cornelia Wilhelmina *Rogodjambi 6-6-1916, † Salisbury NC, USA
11-7-2008
#34 (b) Arie *Gorinchem, sgt
major KNIL; (c) Maria Machaeta Saparia *Palembang
#35$ (b) Karel Eduard *Batavia,
sgt KNIL; (c) Wilhelmine Theodora *Semarang
#37 (a) electrical engineer
(b) Martinus Theodorus *Soerabaia 30-11-1912, A.O.O. KNIL m. Malang 14-1-1941
(c) Aurelia *Djockjakarta 15-9-1918, †Weesp 13-6-2005
Christening
Baptismal certificate |
Baptizing on board of a ship
is usually associated with Neptune, the god of the sea. That may be so but on
the Ranchi
the military authorities were so
attentive to add both a pastor and a chaplain to the ship’s staff. Not only the
parents of the newborns made use of their services, also older children have
been christened on board. Here it concerns Johanna Wilhelmina van Dam, born in
Djakarta on 24-2-1947. In memory of this event a Proof of Baptism was provided.
On the document shown[14]
the army pastor’s last name very appropriately is ‘Van Boven’. His name may be
translated as ‘From Above’…
Arrival in Amsterdam
Disembarkation in Amsterdam |
Epilogue
As I mentioned earlier the
first name Ranchi until recently was
completely unknown to me. Last February I saw this death notice in a Dutch
newspaper (see below). Someone was born on board of the Ranchi [India?] in 1950. Somehow I
felt that this had something to do with the turmoil that had taken place in the
Dutch East Indies shortly after the second world war. Then I saw that the
middle name of the deceased was Ranchita. This aroused my curiosity as well.
The result of what I uncovered is before you.
Next August/September the
‘Ranchi 37’ will celebrate their 65th birthday. However, when writing this
article I found that unfortunately six of them are no longer among us. Esther
Henriëtte Ranchita Sprangers, the lady in the death notice and baby #10, is one
of them.
Esther Henriëtte Ranchita Sprangers when she was 17 years old |
I would therefore like to dedicate this article to them and especially to the memory of Esther Henriette Ranchita.
Male lineage
Below you will find the male lineage of Lambertus Sprangers. He is born during the second part of the 17th
century, most probably in the Antwerp region. A marriage at the end of the 18th
century causes the family to settle in Brabant in the southern part of the
Netherlands.
~ = baptized, * = born, † = died, m. = marries, b. = buried, do. = daughter of.
~ = baptized, * = born,
Generation I
From
this marriage:
Lambertus Sprangers m. Antonia Crols
From this marriage:
Generation II
Lambertus Lamberti Sprangers ~ Schoten (B) 25-7-1706, b. Meerle
(B) 5-12-1768, m. Meerle (B) 24-4-1736 Cornelia Gerards van Dun, ~ Meerle
26-3-1700, b. Meerle (B) 5-9-1764, do Gerardus and Joanna Verhoeven
From this marriage:
Generation III
Gerardus Sprangers ~ Meerle (B) 21-9-1738, † after 2-4-1786, m.
Meerle (B) 7-1-1772 Jacoba Petri van Bechoven ~ Meerle 11-2-1748, b. 2-4-1786, do
Petri Cornelii van Beckhoven and Anna Maria Petri van Dun
From this marriage:
Generation IV
Lambertus Sprangers ~ Meerle (B) 20-11-1772, † Princenhage
14-6-1844, carpenter, m. Princenhage 11-9-1796 Adriana Cornelis Bastiaan(s)sen,
~ Princenhage 31-1-1774, † Princenhage 25-12-1833, do Cornelij Bastiaensen and
Adriana Christiane
From this marriage:
Generation V
Adrianus Sprangers, *Princenhage
19-10-1799, †Princenhage 20-7-1879, timmerman, m. Princenhage 10-2-1825
Cornelia Houtermans, *Princenhage 4-3-1797, †Princenhage 4-4-1871, do
Joannis, taylor, and Catharina van de Gronde
From this marriage:
Generation VI
Gerardus Johannes Sprangers,
*Princenhage 12-12-1829 † Princenhage 21-4-1894 m. Princenhage 18-5-1865
Willemijna van de Made, *Princenhage 8-4-1839, † Princenhage 14-2-1891, maidservant,
do Cornelis and Johanna Horrevoets
From this marriage:
Generation VII
Cornelis Adrianus Sprangers *
Princenhage 27-2-1870, drummer, bagman, m. Utrecht 23-12-1896 Maria Helena
Jaick * Sonnborn (D) 21-5-1868 do Anton, foreman, and Maria Müller
Generation VII
Cornelis Gerardus Anton Sprangers *Düsseldorf (Gmy) 5 Dec. 1906, † Den Haag 22 Dec. 1983, corporal 4th battalion infantry Tjimahi, sergeant major KNIL, bailee, m. Bandoeng 3 May 1930 Gerardina Alexandrine Sephina Veen *Magelang (NI) 8 Oct. 1908, clerk civil registration
The couple had 10 children of which 9 girls. For reasons of privacy I will not publish all available data.
Cornelis Gerardus Anton Sprangers *Düsseldorf (Gmy) 5 Dec. 1906, † Den Haag 22 Dec. 1983, corporal 4th battalion infantry Tjimahi, sergeant major KNIL, bailee, m. Bandoeng 3 May 1930 Gerardina Alexandrine Sephina Veen *Magelang (NI) 8 Oct. 1908, clerk civil registration
The couple had 10 children of which 9 girls. For reasons of privacy I will not publish all available data.
Children from this marriage:
8. Eugenie Charlotte Annemona * Apeldoorn 1 Oct. 1946, †
1994, m. 17 Dec. 1969
10. Esther Henriëtte Ranchita * on board SS Ranchi 3 Sep.
1950, † The Hague 12 Feb. 2015
Earlier I wondered whether it
was a coincidence that so many pregnant women were all together at the same
time on the same ship. I argued why it was not. Let me try another one.
Thirteen babies on the SS Ranchi have been given a Ranchi-like name. Would you
believe that SS Ranchi launching Lady Addis gave birth to thirteen children[16]? And
that one was named Henrietta? Coincidence? Well, I leave that up to you.
Update Apr. 13/14, 2015
More facts and figures
#5 (b) August Leonard Hendrik *Makassar 26-8-1921, †Amsterdam 6-7-1990, korp KNIL m. Watampone 14-8-1946 (c) Editha Victorine Alexandrine *Semarang 23-4-1924, † 15-3-2007
More facts and figures
#5 (b) August Leonard Hendrik *Makassar 26-8-1921, †Amsterdam 6-7-1990, korp KNIL m. Watampone 14-8-1946 (c) Editha Victorine Alexandrine *Semarang 23-4-1924, † 15-3-2007
Update Apr. 24, 2015
Nationality
In the Dutch version of this post I added a number of (British) documents about the subject of the dual nationality.
More facts and figures
#4 (b) Herman *Den Haag 2-8-1917, † 17-2-1999, kapt KL; (c) Sofia Louisa Petronella Maria *Noordwijkerhout
#11 (b) Jan Cornelis *Z.O. Beemster, sgt majoor KNIL tr. Bandoeng ?-8-1939 (c) Antje *Ferwerderadeel
#17 (b) Jacob *Batavia 25-11-1915, † 2001, sgt majoor KNIL tr. 1939 (c) Martina Albertina *Batavia 1918, † 1988
#28 (b) Marinus Johannes *Amsterdam 11-3-1913, † IJmuiden 16-1-2013, sgt KNIL tr. Singapore 6-3-1947 (c) Auguste Leonie *Djockjakarta 28-9-1908, †Nieuw Vennep 30-9-1986
Male lineage
In the male lineage Sprangers significant changes have been made to all generations after generation IV! Also a Veen lineage has been added.
Literature:
Dutch National Archives
Archive inventory 2.13.103 inv.nr. 178, 220, 299, 302
[1] Photo ex http://www.npg.org.uk/
[2] The Peninsular and
Oriental Steam Navigation Company
[3] SS Ranpura, SS Rawalpindi
and SS Rajputana
[4] Some 973 passengers all
together of which 781 KNIL related
[5] 8+38+24. Based on these
figures and the duration of the trip, my guess would have been 56.
[6] In 1950 a total of 95
ships left for The Netherlands, carrying over 100,000 passengers.
[7] SS Goya
[8] Leids Dagblad, 26
September 1950
[9] Most mothers have been
assisted by Lt. 2nd class W.L.R. Loomans MD from Venlo. Limburgs Dagblad 26
September 1950
[10] Presumably this is the
ship´s local time.
[12] According to the chaplain
the names of this baby are Antoinetta Maria Ranchitta. Presumably he means baby
#7, Antoinette Ranchia Schwarzler.
[13] The letters (a), (b) and
(c) refer to the baby, the father and the mother respectively. *, † and m stand for born, died and marries.
[16] 1) Thomas, 2) Elizabeth
(Betty), 3) Charles Thorburn, 4) Robina Scott, 5) William, 6) Susan, 7) George
Herbert, 8) Henrietta Mary, 9) Margaret Kathleen, 10) Jean Ellison, 11) Rachael
Forrester, 12) John Mansfield, 13) Richard Graham