57:
127:
34:
402:
of 4.5 metres (15 ft). Fitted with engines that were capable of producing 600 horsepower (450 kW), it could travel at between 9 and 10 knots (17 and 19 km/h; 10 and 12 mph). With a complement of 27, the
Belgians armed the ship with two
469:
During the escalating international tensions in the 1930s, the
Belgian government began moving large amounts of gold to the United States, Great Britain and Canada, but was forced to retain some gold in the country to maintain the Belga's value.
540:
in neutral Spain to avoid having to return to
Belgium and become German prisoners of war. They arrived in Spain on 26 June and spent the rest of the war interned. Control of the ship was returned to Belgium in 1946 and it was scrapped in 1948.
648:
915:
337:
to fund its operations but deprived the German occupiers of an important asset to support their war effort. After the
Belgian surrender, the vessel and its crew
501:
which was carrying refugees. After being transferred from port to port because of concerns for the safety of the cargo during unloading, the gold was landed at
446:
for "Belgium") in white, to prevent it being mistaken for a belligerent ship. After
Belgium was invaded by German forces on 10 May 1940, it was not repainted.
956:
976:
951:
477:
in May 1940, there were still 40 tonnes (39 long tons; 44 short tons) of gold left in
Belgium, held at the bank's offices in the port of
423:
was waiting to be scrapped, but the deteriorating international situation caused by German expansionism led to its reactivation by the
961:
868:
723:
886:
677:
517:, the civil servant charged with overseeing the evacuation of the gold to England and the future Governor of the National Bank.
769:
412:
256:
796:
946:
532:
Since
Belgium had officially surrendered on 28 May and no official Belgian government yet existed in England, the crew of
424:
748:
577:
613:
521:
334:
643:
524:
to finance its own operations, unlike most other exiled governments which had to rely on
British financial support.
971:
774:
463:
485:, commanded by Lieutenant Van Vaerenbergh. On 19 May 1940, the vessel was loaded with the gold and, avoiding
966:
740:
466:
amassed considerable gold reserves, amounting to some 600 tonnes (590 long tons; 660 short tons) by 1940.
287:
387:
89:
497:
314:
197:
941:
545:
398:
339 tonnes (334 long tons; 374 short tons), the vessel was 45 metres (148 ft) long, and had a
395:
711:
716:
A Small Nation in the
Turmoil of the Second World War: Money, Finance and Occupation, 1939–1945
864:
719:
474:
408:
330:
520:
The fact that so much
Belgian gold had been rescued before the German occupation allowed the
329:, the ship is notable for its role in evacuating Belgian gold reserves to England during the
910:
318:
856:
506:
435:
375:
342:
181:
39:
770:"A Brief History of Belgian Banknotes and Coins – 1914–1944: Wars and Monetary Upheavals"
505:
on 26 May, two days before the Belgian surrender. The gold was finally deposited at the
544:
For his role in the evacuation of the gold, Lieutenant Van Vaerenbergh was awarded the
537:
514:
443:
399:
935:
894:
830:
681:
459:
455:
383:
365:
430:
Because of Belgium's neutral status in the early stages of the Second World War,
804:
33:
371:
338:
322:
491:
404:
293:
621:
861:
Chasing Gold: The Incredible Story of How the Nazis Stole Europe's Bullion
718:(Rev. and trans. ed.). Leuven: Leuven University Press. p. 42.
502:
486:
132:
462:. The Belga was intended for international trading and meant that the
478:
416:
391:
93:
333:
in May 1940. The success of the operation not only allowed the
495:, headed for the British coast, accompanied by the ship
438:
painted on each side of its hull, as well as the word "
394:, North Yorkshire, and was launched on 2 October 1917.
458:
currency, called the Belga, which ran parallel to the
240:
9 to 10 knots (17 to 19 km/h; 10 to 12 mph)
454:During the interwar period, Belgium had created a
680:. National Bank of Belgium Museum. Archived from
370:in 1920, having previously served in the British
345:. Both crew and vessel were released in 1946 and
741:"Camille Gutt and Postwar International Finance"
8:
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
561:
481:. The only ship available in the area was
208:339 tonnes (334 long tons; 374 short tons)
261:1 × 89 mm (3.5 in) bomb thrower
382:(FY3566). The vessel was a Mersey-class
705:
703:
701:
699:
557:
671:
669:
667:
22:
608:
606:
604:
602:
600:
598:
123:
53:
7:
268:General characteristics Belgian Navy
957:World War II naval ships of Belgium
913:[Evacuation of NBB funds].
321:. Originally built for the British
245:General characteristics Royal Navy
14:
125:
55:
32:
891:National Bank of Belgium Museum
887:"Belgian gold in Foreign Hands"
678:"Belgian gold in foreign hands"
364:) was purchased by the Belgian
317:operated by Belgium during the
489:which was being bombed by the
349:was scrapped soon afterwards.
1:
739:Erik, Buyst (November 2011).
749:Economic History Association
425:Ministry of National Defence
413:47 mm (1.9 in) gun
288:47 mm (1.9 in) gun
257:5.4 kg (12 lb) gun
232:600 horsepower (450 kW)
977:Economic history of Belgium
952:World War II patrol vessels
863:. New York: Pegasus Books.
803:(in French). Archived from
620:(in French). Archived from
522:Belgian government in exile
335:Belgian government in exile
993:
450:Evacuation of Belgian gold
962:Ships of the Belgian Navy
797:"Nos marins et l'Espagne"
576:Pottinger, James (2006).
267:
244:
188:
48:
31:
775:National Bank of Belgium
473:By the time the Germans
464:National Bank of Belgium
224:4.5 metres (15 ft)
216:45 metres (148 ft)
189:General characteristics
911:"Evacuation fonds BNB"
582:Shetland Life Magazine
310:
614:"A4 ex HMS John Ebbs"
16:Belgian naval trawler
947:Ships built in Selby
897:on 21 September 2013
684:on 21 September 2013
315:Mersey-class trawler
712:Van der Wee, Herman
710:Verbreyt, Monique;
546:Order of Leopold II
536:took their ship to
28:
807:on 3 December 2013
624:on 3 December 2013
436:Belgian tricolours
405:Maxim machine guns
294:Maxim machine guns
23:
972:Battle of Belgium
441:
331:Battle of Belgium
301:
300:
148:(1920–1939, 1946)
984:
928:
926:
924:
906:
904:
902:
893:. Archived from
885:Bultinck, Leen.
874:
857:Taber, George M.
845:
843:
841:
817:
816:
814:
812:
793:
787:
786:
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782:
766:
760:
759:
757:
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736:
730:
729:
707:
694:
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676:Bultinck, Leen.
673:
662:
661:
659:
657:
644:"Photo n° 33893"
640:
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629:
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593:
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573:
439:
319:Second World War
135:
130:
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63:
60:
59:
58:
36:
29:
992:
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987:
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981:
932:
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922:
920:
909:
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898:
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881:
871:
855:
852:
850:Further reading
839:
837:
829:
826:
821:
820:
810:
808:
795:
794:
790:
780:
778:
768:
767:
763:
753:
751:
747:(Book review).
738:
737:
733:
726:
709:
708:
697:
687:
685:
675:
674:
665:
655:
653:
642:
641:
637:
627:
625:
612:
611:
596:
586:
584:
578:"HMS John Ebbs"
575:
574:
559:
554:
530:
507:Bank of England
475:invaded Belgium
452:
376:First World War
367:Corps de Marine
362:Patrouilleur A4
360:(later renamed
355:
311:Patrouilleur A4
229:Installed power
152:Patrouilleur A4
131:
126:
124:
119:Sold to Belgium
61:
56:
54:
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
990:
988:
980:
979:
974:
969:
967:Naval trawlers
964:
959:
954:
949:
944:
934:
933:
930:
929:
907:
880:
879:External links
877:
876:
875:
870:978-1605987118
869:
851:
848:
847:
846:
831:"Mersey class"
825:
822:
819:
818:
788:
761:
731:
725:978-9058677594
724:
695:
663:
635:
594:
556:
555:
553:
550:
529:
526:
515:Hubert Ansiaux
451:
448:
354:
351:
341:themselves in
313:) was a small
304:Patrol vessel
299:
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194:Class and type
191:
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169:Decommissioned
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158:
157:
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149:
141:
137:
136:
121:
120:
117:
113:
112:
109:
108:Out of service
105:
104:
103:2 October 1917
101:
97:
96:
87:
83:
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79:
75:
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69:
65:
64:
62:United Kingdom
51:
50:
46:
45:
37:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
989:
978:
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566:
564:
562:
558:
551:
549:
547:
542:
539:
535:
527:
525:
523:
518:
516:
513:also carried
512:
508:
504:
500:
499:
494:
493:
488:
484:
480:
476:
471:
467:
465:
461:
460:Belgian franc
457:
449:
447:
445:
437:
433:
428:
426:
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
401:
397:
393:
389:
385:
384:naval trawler
381:
377:
373:
369:
368:
363:
359:
352:
350:
348:
344:
343:neutral Spain
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
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316:
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308:
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73:
70:
67:
66:
52:
47:
43:
42:
35:
30:
27:
24:Belgian ship
21:
19:
921:. Retrieved
914:
899:. Retrieved
895:the original
890:
860:
838:. Retrieved
834:
809:. Retrieved
805:the original
801:Marine Belge
800:
791:
779:. Retrieved
773:
764:
752:. Retrieved
744:
734:
715:
686:. Retrieved
682:the original
654:. Retrieved
647:
638:
626:. Retrieved
622:the original
618:Marine Belge
617:
585:. Retrieved
581:
543:
533:
531:
519:
510:
496:
490:
482:
472:
468:
453:
431:
429:
420:
379:
366:
361:
357:
356:
346:
326:
305:
303:
302:
205:Displacement
198:Mersey-class
180:Scrapped in
151:
145:
71:
41:George Bligh
40:
38:Sister ship
25:
20:
18:
919:(in French)
652:(in French)
419:. In 1939,
386:, built by
374:during the
154:(1939–1945)
942:1917 ships
936:Categories
824:References
456:gold-based
434:had large
396:Displacing
372:Royal Navy
353:Background
323:Royal Navy
273:Complement
923:20 August
901:20 August
840:20 August
835:Uboat.net
811:20 August
781:25 August
688:25 August
656:25 August
628:20 August
587:20 August
552:Citations
528:Aftermath
492:Luftwaffe
388:Cochranes
380:John Ebbs
327:John Ebbs
325:, as HMS
309:(French:
90:Cochranes
72:John Ebbs
859:(2014).
714:(2009).
649:CEGESOMA
503:Plymouth
358:Pilote 4
339:interned
281:Armament
250:Armament
161:Acquired
146:Pilote 4
100:Launched
916:KLM-MRA
754:13 July
487:Dunkirk
415:at the
407:on the
400:draught
378:as HMS
221:Draught
200:Trawler
133:Belgium
86:Builder
78:Ordered
49:History
867:
745:EH.net
722:
538:Bilbao
479:Ostend
440:BELGIË
411:and a
409:bridge
213:Length
184:, 1948
444:Dutch
417:stern
392:Selby
237:Speed
182:Spain
94:Selby
925:2013
903:2013
865:ISBN
842:2013
813:2013
783:2013
756:2013
720:ISBN
690:2013
658:2013
630:2013
589:2013
292:2 ×
286:1 ×
255:1 ×
177:Fate
172:1946
164:1920
140:Name
116:Fate
111:1920
81:1916
68:Name
498:P16
442:" (
390:in
938::
889:.
833:.
799:.
772:.
743:.
698:^
666:^
646:.
616:.
597:^
580:.
560:^
548:.
534:A4
511:A4
509:.
483:A4
432:A4
427:.
421:A4
347:A4
306:A4
276:27
92:,
26:A4
927:.
905:.
873:.
844:.
815:.
785:.
758:.
728:.
692:.
660:.
632:.
591:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
