Last modified: 2018-12-15 by rob raeside
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image by Jarig Bakker, 17 Sep 2007
See also:On 4, 5, and 6 September 1864 an international armada (with ships from the USA, France, the UK and the Netherlands) quelmed the Japanese guns which guarded the Street of Shimonoseki. After hearing this news the Netherlands celebrated extensively.
One of the participating ships was the frigate "Het Metalen Kruis". It had been baptized as the "Soerabaja" in 1862 and had Batavia as its homeport. The Society "Het Metalen Kruis", representing veterans, who had participated thirty years earlier in the war against the rebellious Belgians, had asked the King for this honor. It also asked for a special Dutch silk flag charged with the medal of Het Metalen Kruis.
The King granted this wish. The silk flag was shown on 5 February 1865 to the veterans at a special meeting at the Marinewharf of Amsterdam. It cost the society HFL 263,10. It was transported to Batavia and handed to Captain De Man on 18 July 1865. By Royal Permission the flag was only to be used at special occasions as a Dutch flag.
The flag was used until 1878, when the frigate was stricken. It got into the Modelroom of the Navy Ministry, and in 1886 the Navy gave it to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The medal contains inscription in relief, not visible on the flag
Sources: This
website for an image of the medal.
Jos Poels: "Bewaard gebleven: Metalen Kruis vlag", in Vlaggenlijn #2,
edited by Stichting Vlaggenmuseum, Rotterdam, n.d. (c. 2000), for flagdescription
and explanation.
drs. Marijke van den Brandhof: "Vlaggen, vaandels & standaarden
van het Rijksmuseum te Amsterdam", 1977, for flagimage.
Jarig Bakker, 17 Sep 2007