Vrijwilligers Korps

Gustavo Machado en Rafael Simón Urbina

In June 1929 the Venezuelan revolutionary Rafael Simón URBINA secretly arrives on Curaçao with a number of men. He wants to proceed to Venezuela in an attempt to overthrow the reign of President Juan Vicente GOMEZ, but he urgently needs weapons and finances for his attack.

On 8 June 1929 Urbina, his friend Gustavo MACHADO and their men attack the garrison in Willemstad. After a short and bitter fight in which one defender is killed and several others are injured, Urbina takes control of the Waterfort. He seizes a large amount of weapons from the arsenal and steals 3.500 guilders. The Dutch Governor and garrison commander are taken hostage and a merchant ship is commandeered to bring Urbina and his men to Venezuela. On arrival at the coast the merchant vessel is released, with the Dutch hostages on board.

Upon his return to Willemstad the Governor immediately informs the Venezuelan government of the invasion, after which Urbina and his force are met by government forces and defeated.
The Dutch government in the Netherlands is shocked by this blatant attack on the capital of the Netherlands West Indies. Two warships are sent to the islands at once and the garrison is strengthened with a detachment of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps.

Carel Nicolaas ‘Sjon Cai’ Winkel (1882-1973)

On the islands there is also a strong reaction on the Urbina attack. The well known businessman C.N. ‘Shon Cai’ Winkel organises a meeting on his estate Villa Maria on 23 June, only two weeks after the attack. At this meeting the ‘Vrijwilligers Korps Curaçao (VKC)‘ or ‘Volunteer Corps Curaçao’ is founded, and two hundred men sign on that very first day.
Winkel is also the man who, many years later in 1945, will be invited to act as Chairman of the Committee that starts the project towards realisation of War Monuments on all six Antillean islands.

Similar reactions on Aruba, Bonaire and Sint Maarten lead to the founding of the ‘Vrijwilligers Korps Aruba (VKA)‘, ‘Vrijwilligers Korps Bonaire (VKB)‘ and ‘Vrijwilligers Korps Sint Maarten (VKS)‘.

During WW2 the members of the Volunteer Corps served in the Armed Forces, side by side with the Schutters, Army, Navy and Airforce personnel.

Their sacrifice and efforts were crucial in the defense of the islands during WW2, and their names deserve to be remembered.

On these page an overview is given of the names of these young men, their registration or “stamboek” number, the Vrijwilligers Korps in which they served and, if known, their birthplace and -year.

ACOSTA, Federico Eduard – stamboeknummer 101 – VKA – Curaçao 1918
ARENDS, Jan Nicolaas – stamboeknummer 685 – VKA – Aruba 1922
ARNEMAN, Rudolfo v.d. Wall – stamboeknummer 194 – VKA
BATISTA, Boti Lesle – stamboeknummer 326 – VKA – 1920
BERG, Adrianus George van den – stamboeknummer 857 – VKA – Suriname 1914
BILDERDIJK, Emile Arnold – stamboeknummer 308 – VKA
BIRGE, Victor Laurencio – stamboeknummer 383 – VKA
BITORIA, Ignacio Obispo – stamboeknummer 135 – VKA
BLANCA, Manuel Dominico – stamboeknummer 483 – VKA
BLANCK, Ludwig Alfred Richenel – stamboeknummer 235 – VKA
BOEKHOUDT, Juan Cancio – stamboeknummer 103 – VKA
BOEKHOUDT, Lorenzo – stamboeknummer 104 – VKA – Aruba 1910
BOER, Pieter – stamboeknummer 690 – VKA
BOERENSTAM, Johannes Richenel Gustaaf – stamboeknummer 490 – VKA
BOERMAN, T. – geen stamboeknummer – VKA
BOERSMA, Frank – stamboeknummer 544 – VKA
BOESTERT, Hendrik den – stamboeknummer 699 – VKA
BOKSHOVEN, Julius Willem – stamboeknummer 491 – VKA
BRITTEN, Servero – stamboeknummer 107 – VKA – Aruba 1923
CAMERON, Paul Louis – stamboeknummer onbekend – VKA
CHIRINO, Precipiterio – stamboeknummer 110 – VKA – Aruba 1910
CLEMENT, Julio Antonio – stamboeknummer 111 – VKA – Curaçao 1917
COMENENCIA, Moises Erasmo – stamboeknummer 112 – VKA – Cuba 1923
CROES, Jacobus – stamboeknummer 305 – VKA – Aruba 1919
CROES, Mario Rofino – stamboeknummer 113 – VKA – Aruba 1914
CROES, Remaclo Nicolaas – stamboeknummer 114 – VKA – Aruba 1913
CRUZ, Johannes Hendrik de la – stamboeknummer 361 – VKA – Curaçao 1921
DANIA, Jose Maria – stamboeknummer 115 – VKA
ENSER, Lodewijk Benjamin – stamboeknummer 121 – VKA
ERSELINA, Seferino – stamboeknummer 495 – VKA
ESSER, Wilfred Lothar – stamboeknummer 303 – VKA
ETMON, Francisco Eugenio – stamboeknummer 141 – VKA
EUGENIA, Hermegildo Alcides Julian – stamboeknummer 274 – VKA
EUGENIO, Pablo Enrique – stamboeknummer 294 – VKA
EUSTATIA, Selecio Frederico – stamboeknummer 955 – VKA
EVERTS, Jose Antonio – stamboeknummer 333 – VKA
FINGAL, Bruno Selin – stamboeknummer 123 – VKA
HENRIQUEZ, Juan – stamboeknummer 127 – VKA – Aruba 1914
JANSEN, Julio – stamboeknummer 27 – VKA
KELKBOOM, Miguel Jacobo – stamboeknummer 135 – VKA – Aruba 1908
KELLY, Jose – stamboeknummer 134 – VKA – Aruba 1923
KOCK, Catalino – stamboeknummer 136 – VKA – Aruba 1913
KOCK, Juan – stamboeknummer 137 – VKA – Aruba 1922
KOETSVELD, Petrus Bernardus – stamboeknummer 138 – VKA – Curaçao 1913
LAMPE, Juan – stamboeknummer 143 – VKA
LEEST, Gallus – stamboeknummer 145 – VKA
LEONARDO, Ricardo – geen stamboeknummer – VKA
MADURO, Esteban – stamboeknummer 148 – VKA
MADURO, Serapio Liccius – stamboeknummer 149 – VKA
MARS, Arthur Alexander – stamboeknummer 152 – VKA
MATEO, Aug Mauricio – stamboeknummer 153 – VKA
ODUBER, Jose – stamboeknummer 156 – VKA
ODUBER, Rodolfo Cerillo – stamboeknummer 157 – VKA
OLIVER, Luis Beltram Herman – stamboeknummer 158 – VKA
ORMAN, Antolino Esteban – stamboeknummer 159 – VKA
ORMAN, Cerilio – stamboeknummer 160 – VKA
OVIEDO, Sixto – stamboeknummer 162 – VKA
PAESCH, Antonio – stamboeknummer 163 – VKA
PAESCH, Ceferino – stamboeknummer 164 – VKA
PAESCH, Pablo – stamboeknummer 166 – VKA
PARDO, Alberto Seferino – stamboeknummer 167 – VKA
PEÑA, Raymundo – stamboeknummer 168 – VKA
PETERS, Alrett Bertraund – stamboeknummer 309 – VKA
PETERSON, Garnet Leo – stamboeknummer 169 – VKA
PETROCHI, Francisco Quintino – stamboeknummer 171 – VKA
QUANT, Epaminondo – stamboeknummer 172 – VKA
QUANT, Theodoor – stamboeknummer 173 – VKA
RAFAEL, Eleuterio – stamboeknummer 174 – VKA
RAS, Ireneo – stamboeknummer 175 – VKA
RAS, Jacobo – stamboeknummer 300 – VKA
RICHARDSON, Raymond – stamboeknummer 216 – VKA
RIDDERSTAAT, Jacobo – stamboeknummer 176 – VKA – Aruba 1922
RIDDERSTAP, Jose – stamboeknummer 177 – VKA – Aruba 1922
RIDDERSTAP, Nemesio – stamboeknummer 178 – VKA – Aruba 1917
RIJKE, Luisito Telesforo – stamboeknummer 180 – VKA – Curaçao 1915
RODRIQUEZ, Esteban – stamboeknummer 179 – VKA – Venezuela 1906
SENVINGER, Emeliano – stamboeknummer 182 – VKA
SENVINGER, Esteban – stamboeknummer 18 – VKA
THIELMAN, Bernadino – stamboeknummer 184 – VKA
TRIMON, Th. Ambrosio – stamboeknummer 185 – VKA
TROMP, Damian – stamboeknummer 186 – VKA
TROMP, Donata Pascual – stamboeknummer 187 – VKA
TROMP, Gregorio – stamboeknummer 188 – VKA
TROMP, Nic. Johannes – stamboeknummer 189 – VKA
TROMP, Sinforiano – stamboeknummer 191 – VKA
VELDE, Pieter van der – stamboeknummer 53 – VKA
VLIJT, Juan Miguel – stamboeknummer 192 – VKA
VROLIJK, Pedro – stamboeknummer 193 – VKA
WEBB, Francisco – stamboeknummer 195 – VKA
WEBB, Julian Basilio – stamboeknummer 454 – VKA
WERLEMAN, Bernard – stamboeknummer 196 – VKA
WERLEMAN, Jose – stamboeknummer 197 – VKA
WERLEMAN, Jose Maria – stamboeknummer 367 – VKA
WEVER, Porfilio Jacinto – stamboeknummer 198 – VKA
WIEL, Frederico Ignacio – stamboeknummer 199 – VKA
WILLEMS, Alejandro – stamboeknummer onbekend – VKA
WILLEMS, Guillermo – stamboeknummer 304 – VKA
WILLEMS, Jose – stamboeknummer 200 – VKA