I am looking for the circumstances leading to the death of Jan Minnema. All I know was that he was born in Soerabaya in the 1920's. his parents were Wilhelmina Morbeck and Jacobus Minnema. he had 2 brothers - Henri Melle Minnema and Jack Minnema. I have been told he was a member of the Merchant Marines and "he fell off a boat and drowned".Nobody knows if he was married,had children or if he was found.
This week I found the grandchildren of Wilhelmina Morbeck in America who didn't know anything about their Morbeck background. The children of Henri Melle Minnema. I asked the son today if he knew what happened to his uncle and that is all he knew. Apparently their dad didn't talk about his history very much. I have also found the son of Jack (both Jack and Henri are deceased). It was a shock to them to know they have 2nd cousins scattered all over the world. Nobody has ever mentioned a daughter before which is interesting but I can't work out what her name is Renee.
Going by the dates of the other 2 boys I think once again you have solved my question.
Thank you Elisabeth but that lady is too young.Interesting though as I found 2 of thr grandchildren in Lansing but they know nothing about an aunt. Henri's children told me their father spoke little of the family and the 4 children were extremely young when their parents died.
Beate Egberts - 4 mar 2021 - 23:44 (laatst bijgewerkt 4 mar 2021 — 23:52 door auteur)
Since I saw recent activity in this topic:... also recently, the files of the Dutch War Graves Foundation ('Oorlogsgravenstichting') have been declassified and released for online publication. There is a file on Jan George to be found here:
deceased 31st of August, 1947 on the Indian Ocean, near Tjilatjap (which is south of the island of Java). This information was already known. What is new: the scans of the paper trail:
Buried: seamen's grave ('zeemansgraf'). Place of burial: 'body not recovered (or exhumed) - drifted off into the sea'
Army number: 14710268, army unit: 4th Esc. Panserdivisie 'V' brigade (which is an armored division)
Cause of death: 'according to a telegram of the military mail he drowned while taking a bath in the sea'.
So: he was not in the Merchant Marines or Navy, nor did "he fell off a boat and drowned". He was an army soldier, probably having a good time on the beach during troubled times ("politionele actie 1947 midden Java" - which is a controversial period in Dutch colonial history)
The answer comes years after the question was asked, but that's what happens when files get declassified.
PS: This is where Tjilatjap ( today: 'Cilacap' ) is on Java:
In het standaardwerk "Laatste Bericht" van Jack Kooistra komt op blz. 551 het volgende voor: "Minnema, Jan George: Pasoeran 21 julli 1925 - 31 augustus 1947 Tjilatjap, Soldaat II, stbnr. K 14710268, van 4e Eskadron Pantserwagens, Zoon van Jacobus Klazes Minnema en Wilhelmine Morbeck. Minnema is tijdens het baden in de Indische Oceaan voor de kust van Tjilatjap verdronken. Zijn stoffelijk overschot is nimmer geborgen. Zeemansgraf. OGS: gedenkboek 38.".
Onderzoek in Indonesië » What happened to Jan Minnema 1948
