It is often forgotten that the crew of the Dutch merchant navy made an important contribution to the Allied efforts during the Second World War.
At the outbreak of the war, the Dutch merchant fleet was one of the largest in the world. These ships were quickly deployed for the war due to the sailing obligation. The ships were used in the evacuation of Dunkirk, the great invasion of North Africa and the supply of the United States, England, Iceland and Australia.
The various air raids, mine explosions and violence had a cruel effect on those on board the Dutch coasters, both on the English side and those in the occupied territory. As a result of the war, the Dutch merchant fleet was eventually halved and 3,400 Dutch sailors were killed.
Of the more than seventy sailors from Harlingen, 24 were killed. Most of them sailed on the large or small merchant shipping and five were employed by the Royal Netherlands Navy. In September 1995, more than 50 years after the end of the war, a monument was erected in Harlingen to commemorate the fallen sailors.
