Jan Dirk Stapel 1911 - 1980
Sources:
Service Record, Command Service-center, Bureau of Registration, Kerkrade.
Ministry of Defensie, The Hague, Section Staff-related Information.
Daughter Elma and husband Jo Waard, Lelystad; Ineke Franken Stapel, Bergen op Zoom,
Ad Stapel, Weert; Carel Stapel, Breda; family knowledge and papers, archives and internet.
===============================================================================
Jan Dirk Stapel was born the sixth child of Bernard Stapel and Bet Hintzen, Roosendaal July 14, 1911. Jan went to secondary school probably in Breda and started work at a bakery, but soon became a clark at the Roosendaal tax office. After his fathers second marriage, 17 years old, he left home for Flushing, where he joined the Navy sea-service August 30, 1928 as a volunteer ordinairy career seaman. Between 1929 and 1931 he made two voyages to the West Indies. At Willemsoord seaman 2nd class J.D. Stapel, navy nr.10552, acquired his gunner brevet 1st class October 4, 1930.
During his next 2˝ years of “Atlantic” service Jan married Guurtje Maria Zon January 5, 1934 in Anna-Paulowna. He made sure to be located on guard-ship Willemsoord in Den Helder by the time his only daughter Elma was born. Until worldwar II he made two voyages to the Dutch Indies via Suez, with in between 2˝ years Atlantic service again. Amply before the war against Japan he left the Indies February 1, 1941 for South Africa and England, where he reported to the submarine service for duty May 16, 1941 and participated in the conversion of the Columbia into a submarine-mothership in Dundee, on the East coast of Scotland. Meanwhile corporal constable he was charged with the care and maintenance of armament and ammunition, serving on mine-sweeper Jan van Gelder and the naval depot SS Oranje Nassau. His longest time in England he sailed on the frigate Hr.Ms. Johan Maurits, taking part in the 4th Escort Group protecting Africa bound convoys. For this he was awarded later the commemoration crosses "Krijg ter Zee 1940-1945" Common Service and “Middellandse Zee 1940-1945” Special Service. His record does not mention the invasion in Normandy. His ship the Johan Maurits was not there either. But likely in this period he sustained the war wound which October 1944 forced him to accept a Navy Staff function ashore in London.
Jan was transferred to Den Helder May 12, 1945. The previous day he visited his brothers Willem in Bergen op Zoom and Henk in Roosendaal in marine-blue uniform, in search of the whereabouts of his wife and daughter. In a green battledress and driven by a British truck with driver he came home May 15 in Hippolytushoef. The outlook there was none too bright: Guurtje was so underfed that the G.P. gave her no more than two weeks. Jan stayed home that night and delivered his artillery spare parts only the following day in Den Helder. His next job was to supervise condemmed Dutch nazi's at clearing the dunes between Petten and Den Helder from landmines. His expertise on explosives was extremely valuable in the safe handling of such dangerous work. That same expertise led in 1946 to his appointment as an instructor at HMS Excellent at Portsmouth. April 1947 he sailed for the third and last time to Surabaja, with the new Kortenaar (his earlier Kortenaar went down in the Javazee). He served there until 1951 on the Tjerk-Hiddes, the Kortenaer and ashore; his wife Guus and daughter Elma joined him in Surabaja. Jan became seriously ill again by the war wound operated already in Engeland and which needed intensive care in Soerabaja and again in Amsterdam and Overveen. Virtually recovered Jan stayed with the Navy until July 1, 1956 when his resignation from naval service was accepted.
Sergeant-constable Jan Dirk Stapel was honoured with the Silver Medal and the Badge of Honour and Peace 1947, with buckles. Yet, he was very reserved and avoided talking about his war experiences. After his retirement he worked for a year or so at the Ringers chocolate-mill, and later served customers in a petrol service-station. So he could still meet many people, without the need to talk about the war. He died in his sleep June 19, 1980, almost 69 years old.
+ + + + +
(home = www.cstapel.nl)
Sources:
Service Record, Command Service-center, Bureau of Registration, Kerkrade.
Ministry of Defensie, The Hague, Section Staff-related Information.
Daughter Elma and husband Jo Waard, Lelystad; Ineke Franken Stapel, Bergen op Zoom,
Ad Stapel, Weert; Carel Stapel, Breda; family knowledge and papers, archives and internet.
===============================================================================
Jan Dirk Stapel was born the sixth child of Bernard Stapel and Bet Hintzen, Roosendaal July 14, 1911. Jan went to secondary school probably in Breda and started work at a bakery, but soon became a clark at the Roosendaal tax office. After his fathers second marriage, 17 years old, he left home for Flushing, where he joined the Navy sea-service August 30, 1928 as a volunteer ordinairy career seaman. Between 1929 and 1931 he made two voyages to the West Indies. At Willemsoord seaman 2nd class J.D. Stapel, navy nr.10552, acquired his gunner brevet 1st class October 4, 1930.
During his next 2˝ years of “Atlantic” service Jan married Guurtje Maria Zon January 5, 1934 in Anna-Paulowna. He made sure to be located on guard-ship Willemsoord in Den Helder by the time his only daughter Elma was born. Until worldwar II he made two voyages to the Dutch Indies via Suez, with in between 2˝ years Atlantic service again. Amply before the war against Japan he left the Indies February 1, 1941 for South Africa and England, where he reported to the submarine service for duty May 16, 1941 and participated in the conversion of the Columbia into a submarine-mothership in Dundee, on the East coast of Scotland. Meanwhile corporal constable he was charged with the care and maintenance of armament and ammunition, serving on mine-sweeper Jan van Gelder and the naval depot SS Oranje Nassau. His longest time in England he sailed on the frigate Hr.Ms. Johan Maurits, taking part in the 4th Escort Group protecting Africa bound convoys. For this he was awarded later the commemoration crosses "Krijg ter Zee 1940-1945" Common Service and “Middellandse Zee 1940-1945” Special Service. His record does not mention the invasion in Normandy. His ship the Johan Maurits was not there either. But likely in this period he sustained the war wound which October 1944 forced him to accept a Navy Staff function ashore in London.
Jan was transferred to Den Helder May 12, 1945. The previous day he visited his brothers Willem in Bergen op Zoom and Henk in Roosendaal in marine-blue uniform, in search of the whereabouts of his wife and daughter. In a green battledress and driven by a British truck with driver he came home May 15 in Hippolytushoef. The outlook there was none too bright: Guurtje was so underfed that the G.P. gave her no more than two weeks. Jan stayed home that night and delivered his artillery spare parts only the following day in Den Helder. His next job was to supervise condemmed Dutch nazi's at clearing the dunes between Petten and Den Helder from landmines. His expertise on explosives was extremely valuable in the safe handling of such dangerous work. That same expertise led in 1946 to his appointment as an instructor at HMS Excellent at Portsmouth. April 1947 he sailed for the third and last time to Surabaja, with the new Kortenaar (his earlier Kortenaar went down in the Javazee). He served there until 1951 on the Tjerk-Hiddes, the Kortenaer and ashore; his wife Guus and daughter Elma joined him in Surabaja. Jan became seriously ill again by the war wound operated already in Engeland and which needed intensive care in Soerabaja and again in Amsterdam and Overveen. Virtually recovered Jan stayed with the Navy until July 1, 1956 when his resignation from naval service was accepted.
Sergeant-constable Jan Dirk Stapel was honoured with the Silver Medal and the Badge of Honour and Peace 1947, with buckles. Yet, he was very reserved and avoided talking about his war experiences. After his retirement he worked for a year or so at the Ringers chocolate-mill, and later served customers in a petrol service-station. So he could still meet many people, without the need to talk about the war. He died in his sleep June 19, 1980, almost 69 years old.
+ + + + +
(home = www.cstapel.nl)