Charles Gesner van der Voort (1916-1991) had started his career in Rotterdam, at Holland-China Trading Company (HCHC). In 1938, he went to Shanghai for the firm. The Japanese interned him, and most other Dutch nationals, from 1943-45. In camp, he met his wife Nancy and they married after the war. After a leave in The Netherlands, they returned to the Orient, where Charles continued to work for HCHC in Hong Kong. <Read more ...>
Charles Gesner van der Voort (1916-1991) worked in Shanghai for Holland-China Trading Company from just before WWII. After the outbreak of war, two of his colleagues went to England, to join Dutch forces, they became "Engelandvaarders" from the East. One of them was Karel Baggerman (1918-1982). He joined Princess Irene Brigade, was trained as one of the first Dutch commandos and participated in two major military operations in The Netherlands: Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Walcheren. <Read more ...>
Franciscus Hubertus Joseph Alphonsus Lafleur was born in Rotterdam, his father originated from Roermond, The Netherlands. He is shown in a 1918 photo of the Holland-China Trading Company Hong Kong Textile department. From 1915 to 1941, he was juror in Hong Kong. With his family, he was interned in Stanley Camp (as per Greg Leck, Captives of Empire). His wife was named Lily, "daughter of a mandarin", their daughter was Ah Kan (Mary) and their son Ah Tong. <Read more ...>
Gerard Hendrik van den Poll worked at Holland-China Trading Company in Hong Kong as an assistant in 1918. He was photographed there and also at the Guangzhou office. He is listed in the 1918 Juror's list. <Read more ...>
Ferdinand Bernard (Frits) s'Jacob (1872, Rotterdam-1941, London) was one of the founders of the company which employed Charles, Holland-China Trading Company (HCHC). <Read more ...>
Willem Kien came to China at the end of the 19th century and started to work for Holland-China Trading Company at the start of the company, 1 October 1903. For several year he worked in Hong Kong, then in Shanghai. In 1921 he left China and returned to The Netherlands, to work at the head office in Rotterdam. He continued to work for HCHC until the company was taken over by Internatio Muller in 1948. He returned to Hong Kong at least for one journey in the 1930s, when he also visited Macao. <Read more ...>
Jan Marsman was a Dutch-Filipino civil engineer and businessman. He was caught in Hong Kong by the Japanese attack, was present during the siege of the Repulse Bay Hotel, avoided internment by asserting Filipino nationality, and quickly escaped from Hong Kong. He wrote a book about his experiences: I Escaped from Hong Kong (1942)
