Journal entries of Vice Admiral F. Pinke, who was Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet in the Dutch East Indies 1914-1916

Edited by G. Teitler

The journal entries of Vice Admiral Frederik Pinke (1860-1917) provide us with an insight into how the Dutch policy of neutrality was applied during World War I in the Dutch East Indies. Rear Admiral Pinke assumed the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet and Chief of Naval Staff in the Dutch East Indies on 1 May 1912. On 1 February 1914 he was promoted to Vice Admiral of the Fleet; the highest position within the navy at that time.

Exact copies of the journal entries have been published together with the notes that Pinke jotted down in the margins next to his entries. They concern the period August 1914 – December 1916.

The journals are part of the F. Pinke collection which is kept in the National Archive in The Hague. This collection also consists of draft proposals and letters, concerning professional matters, which were exchanged between Pinke and different local bodies. A number of different collections housed in the National Archive, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Documentation Centre for the History of Dutch Protestantism (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)were also consulted for additional background information concerning the entries made in the journal. This edition of documented sources contains a detailed introduction as well as indexes of personal names, names of ships, and geographical names.