Dutch and German Immigrants The Prins Family - Pier 21

to have a look at the two beached ships. Apparently they weren’t theonly ones who had that idea! Eventually the 'Kerkplein' was floatedagain, but the tugboat was cut up for scrap at her last resting place.When the war started, one of Opa’s trawlers was at sea and was orderedto go to England, where she went fishing for the duration of the war.Among the trawlers directed to England was the IJM 26 Caroline withSkipper Albert 'Stokkie' de Graaf. He was Aunt Arendje’s dad. Histrawler was one of a number of trawlers that was, after modifications,used as a minesweeper on the west coast of England. On the 21st ofApril 1941 a mine exploded under his hip killing the complete crew. Heand his men are buried in Milford Haven, England.Sometime during the war a sloop was purchased and rebuilt as a fishingvessel. A cabin was installed as well as a Chevrolet gasoline motorcomplete with wooden enclosure and exhaust. And of course thenecessary fishing gear. Uncle Theo, being the mechanic, was working onthe motor, cigarette in his mouth, when the gasoline fumes ignited. Thefollowing explosion blew the engine enclosure in the water. Uncle Theo’sface was blackened but the cigarette was still in his mouth. The onlything he said was "god-monde ju".The partners to provide the purchase money were Dirk de Groot, CorPrins, Uncle Klaar and Phil Prins. After a while however Uncle Klaartook his money out. The crew consisted of a hired skipper, K Gouda,Uncle Theo as machinist and Klaar as deckhand.The first fishing forays were for shrimp. They sailed the vessel throughthe canals in North Holland to Den Helder. Once, with Uncle Dirk at thehelm (an experienced captain!), they were following another vessel (theydidn’t know it was a flat-bottomed one) and the boat was grounded upona shoal. Klaar went down to his underwear and walked a line andanchor out to deep water, after which the boat winched itself across theshoal. The locked harbour of Den Oever had to be warned that they werecoming in late, so the chain could be lowered for them to enter.Later on they finished out of Ijmuiden under the coast as far asCallantsoog and back; plenty of fish out no chance to escape to Englandas they and other boats were closely guarded by German patrol boats.When in harbour, the boat was moored in the eastern part of theharbour where all the spilled oil accumulated on the water surface.During one air raid, this oil started to burn and the fire destroyed theboat along with others. Even the copper bell that Klaar wanted salvagelater was melted to a clump of metal.