Jan van Speyk
| Jan van Speyk | |
|---|---|
Van Speijk shoots into a barrel of gunpowder, blowing up his own ship.
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| Born |
January 31, 1802 Amsterdam, Batavian Republic |
| Died | February 5, 1831 (aged 29) Harbour of Antwerp, Belgium |
| Buried at | Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom of the Netherlands
|
| Service/branch | Dutch Navy |
| Years of service | 1820 - 1831 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Commands held | Gunboat No.2 |
Jan Carolus Josephus van Speijk, also written Van Speyk (31 January 1802 – 5 February 1831), was a Dutch naval lieutenant who became a hero in the Netherlands for his opposition to the Belgian Revolution.
Born in Amsterdam in 1802, van Speijk was orphaned only a few weeks after his birth. When he was 18 years old, he joined the Royal Netherlands Navy and served in the Dutch East Indies from 1823 to 1825. He successfully attacked Bangka and Java, which earned him the nickname Schrik der Roovers (Terror of the Bandits).
When the Belgian War of Independence began, Van Speijk was given command of a Dutch gunboat. Van Speijk despised the Belgian independence movement, and he said he would rather die "than become an infamous Brabander". On February 5, 1831, a gale blew his gunboat into the quay at the port of Antwerp. The Belgians quickly stormed his ship, demanding Van Speijk haul down the Dutch flag. Rather than surrender his ship, he fired a pistol (some versions say he threw a lighted cigar) into a barrel of gunpowder in the ship's magazine. According to legend, he shouted "Dan liever de lucht in" ( "(I'd) rather be blown up"). The number of Belgians killed is unknown, though it probably numbered in the dozens. Twenty-eight of his 31 crewmen also perished in the blast.
Eight days after Van Speijk's death, the Netherlands declared a period of mourning. His remains were buried in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, where the remains of naval hero Admiral Michiel de Ruyter also are interred.
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