Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps
{{Short description|Head of the Dutch Marines}}
{{Expand Dutch|date=July 2023|topic=mil}}
{{Infobox office
| post = Commandant
| body = the Netherlands Marine Corps
| native_name = {{lang|nl|Commandant van het Korps Mariniers}}
| insignia =
| insigniasize =
| insigniacaption =
| insigniaalt =
| flag =
| flagsize = I.D.L. Moerman
| flagalt =
| flagborder =
| flagcaption =
| image = Brig. Gen. Ivo Moerman, Commandant of the Netherlands Marines, orating at the 2024 USMC Ball.jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| imagecaption =
|incumbent=Ivo D.L. Moerman
| acting =
| incumbentsince = 11 October 2023
| department = Netherlands Marine Corps
| style =
| type =
| status =
| abbreviation =
| member_of =
| reports_to =
| residence =
| seat =
| nominator =
| appointer =
| appointer_qualified=
| termlength =
| termlength_qualified =
| constituting_instrument =
| precursor ={{ubl|Colonel and Commandant of the Regiment of Marines (1665–1669, 1678–1698)|First Colonel of the Marine Regiment (1698–1711, 1772–1795)|Commandant of the Marine Battalion (1814–1817)|Commandant and Inspector of the Marine Corps (1850–1853, 1864–1871)|Inspector of the Marine Corps (1909–1927)|Chief of the Marine Corps (1927–1940)}}
| inaugural =
| formation = December 1665
| founder =
| named_for =
| first = Willem Joseph baron van Ghent
| last =
| abolished =
| succession =
| unofficial_names =
| deputy =
| salary =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
The Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps ({{Langx|nl|Commandant van het Korps Mariniers}}, {{Literal translation|Commander of the Corps of Marines}}) is the head of the Dutch marines. The current commandant, since 2023, is Ivo D.L. Moerman.{{cite web|access-date=30 April 2021|date=11 December 2020|publisher=Ministerie van Defensie|title=Korps Mariniers onder nieuwe leiding|url=https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2020/12/11/korps-mariniers-onder-nieuwe-leiding|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211125204/https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2020/12/11/korps-mariniers-onder-nieuwe-leiding |archive-date=2020-12-11 }}
History
=17th century=
The billet was created in 1665 as the Colonel and Commandant of the Regiment of Marines ({{Langx|nl|Collonel en Commandant van het Regiment de Marine}}), first held by Willem Joseph baron van Ghent. It was known under that title until 1669 and from 1678 to 1698. From 1669 to 1678 it was known as the First Colonel of the Regiments of Ship Soldiers ({{Langx|nl|Eerste Collonel van de Regimenten Scheepssoldaten}}).
=18th century=
From 1698 to 1711 and from 1772 to 1795, the billet was called First Colonel of the Marine Regiment ({{Langx|nl|Eerste Collonel van de Regimenten Mariniers}}). From 1711 to 1772 the billet was called Colonel and Commandant of the Marine Regiment ({{Langx|nl|Collonel en Commandant van het Regiment Mariniers}}).
=19th century=
From 1814 to 1817 the billet was known as the Commandant of the Marine Battalion ({{Langx|nl|Commandant van het Bataillon Mariniers}}).
In 1817 it received its current title of Commandant of the Marine Corps. From 1850 to 1853 and 1864 to 1871 the billet was known as Commandant and Inspector of the Marine Corps ({{Langx|nl|Commandant van het Bataillon Mariniers}}).
=20th century=
From 1909 to 1927 the billet was renamed to Inspector, then from 1927 to 1940 it was known as Chief. In 1940 it was renamed back to Commandant and has remained under that name.
List of commandants
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Chiefs / Colonels / Inspectors / First Colonels / Commandants of the Netherlands Marine Corps |
| #
! Name ! Rank ! Tenure start ! Tenure end ! Title |
|---|
| rowspan="2"| 1
| rowspan="2"| Willem Joseph baron van Ghent | rowspan="6"| Colonel | 18 December 1665 | 25 September 1669 | Colonel and Commandant of the Regiment of Marines |
| 25 September 1669
| 7 June 1672 | rowspan="2"| First Colonel of the Ship Soldier Regiment |
| 2
| George Johan baron van Weede van Walenburgh | 7 June 1672 | 12 September 1678 |
| 3
| Johan Belgicus, graaf van Hoorn, baron van Boxtel, heer van Lokeren | 12 September 1678 | 30 December 1694 | rowspan="2"| Colonel and Commandant of the Regiment of Marines |
| rowspan="2"| 4
| rowspan="2"| Willem van Soutelande | 30 December 1694 | 1 November 1698 |
| 1 November 1698
| 1702 | rowspan="2"| First Colonel of the Marine Regiment |
| 5
| {{ill|Karel Willem baron de Sparre|nl}} | Major general (until 1704 a lieutenant general) | 1702 | 11 September 1709 |
| 6
| Philippe Claude Touroud de St. Amant | Major general | 11 September 1709 | 7 September 1711 | Major General and First Colonel of the Marine Regiment |
| 7
| Lodewijk baron van Leefdael | Colonel | 7 September 1711 | 11 March 1729 | rowspan="4"| Colonel and Commandant of the Marine Regiment |
| 8
| Jacob van Berchem | Colonel (after 1742 a major general) | 11 March 1729 | 27 July 1744 |
| 9
| Willem van Dijssel | Colonel | 27 July 1744 | 18 June 1745 |
| 10
| Dirk van Hoolwerf | Colonel (after 1747 a major general) | 18 June 1745 | 21 May 1748 |
| colspan="6"| For the period May 21, 1748 to July 23, 1763, no data is known about Regiments of Marines, but about ship detachments. |
| 11
| {{ill|January Marius de Salve|nl}} | Colonel (major general after 1766) | 23 July 1763 | 21 September 1768 | rowspan="2"| Colonel and Commandant of the Marine Regiment |
| rowspan="2"| 12
| rowspan="2"| Robert Douglas | rowspan="2"| Colonel | 21 September 1768 | 24 August 1772 |
| 24 August 1772
| 1 July 1795 | First Colonel of the Marine Regiment |
| colspan="6"| From July 1, 1795 to February 6, 1814: no commander known. |
| 13
| P.R. Cantzelaar | Captain | 6 February 1814 | 27 October 1815 | Commandant of the Marine Battalion |
| 14
| J.Stelling | Major | 8 November 1815 | 9 December 1816 | Acting Commandant of the Marine Battalion |
| 15
| F.W. Fagel | rowspan="2"| Captain | 9 December 1816 | 1 February 1817 | Commandant of the Marine Battalion |
| 16
| P. Ziervogel | 1 February 1817 | 3 December 1831 | Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| 17
| R. de Sitter | Major | 3 December 1831 | 22 July 1837 | rowspan="2"| Acting Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| rowspan="2"| 18
| rowspan="2"| J.A. Besier | rowspan="2"| Lieutenant colonel | 22 July 1837 | 16 November 1842 |
| 16 November 1842
| 30 April 1850 | Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| 19
| J.D. Musquetier | Colonel | 1 May 1850 | 1 January 1853 | Commandant and Inspector of the Marine Corps |
| 20
| G.C. Zoutman | Captain lieutenant | 1 January 1853 | 11 March 1855 | rowspan="3"| Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| 21
| C.M. Nabal | Lieutenant colonel | 1 April 1855 | 1 May 1858 |
| 22
| A.J. Voet | rowspan="2" | Captain | 1 May 1858 | 1 May 1864 |
| 23
| H. Camp | 1 May 1864 | 1 May 1871 | Commandant and Inspector of the Marine Corps |
| 24
| D. Vreedenburg | rowspan="16"| Colonel | 1 May 1871 | 1 May 1875 | rowspan="8"| Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| 25
| J.H. Stengel | 1 May 1875 | 1 November 1881 |
| 26
| Floris Adriaan van Braam Houckgeest | 1 November 1881 | 1 May 1892 |
| 27
| A.H.W. de Gelder | 1 May 1892 | 1 May 1896 |
| 28
| J.H. van Wely | 1 May 1896 | 1 August 1903 |
| 29
| 1 August 1903 | 17 September 1903 |
| 30
| J.R.J.P. Cambier | 17 September 1903 | 17 August 1908 |
| 31
| A.P. Timmers | 17 August 1908 | 1 April 1909 |
| |
| 1 April 1909 | 1 April 1913 | rowspan="5"| Inspector of the Marine Corps |
| 32
| G.A. Linckers | 1 April 1913 | 1 September 1917 |
| 33
| L. De Jonge Oudraat | 1 September 1917 | 1 September 1920 |
| 34
| C.P. van Borselen | 1 September 1920 | 2 August 1924 |
| 35
| P.S. Groen | 2 August 1924 | 1 January 1927 |
| 36
| J. Oele | 1 January 1927 | 1 November 1934 | rowspan="3"| Chief of the Marine Corps |
| 37
| Corneille Jacques Odilon Dorren | 1 November 1934 | 1 September 1938 |
| rowspan="2"| 38
| rowspan="2"| {{ill|H.F.J.M.A. von Frijtag Drabbe|nl|Hubert von Frijtag Drabbe}} | 1 September 1938 | 15 June 1940 |
| Major general
| 15 June 1940 | 1 March 1948 | rowspan="23"| Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| 39
| {{ill|Mattheus de Bruyne|nl}} | Major general (from 16 February 1953 to 27 February 1953 a lieutenant general) | 1 March 1948 | 15 February 1953 |
| 40
| P.J. van Gijn | rowspan="15"| Major general | 27 February 1953 | 13 September 1954 |
| 41
| Henri Otto Romswinckel | 23 September 1954 | 17 July 1958 |
| 42
| H. Lieftinck | 17 July 1958 | 1 July 1960 |
| 43
| {{ill|Johannes Gerardus Maria van Nass|nl}} | 1 July 1960 | 17 February 1967 |
| 44
| A.M. Luijk | 17 February 1967 | 10 April 1970 |
| 45
| C.C. Schoenzetter | 10 April 1970 | 19 April 1973 |
| 46
| A.C. Lamers | 19 April 1973 | 1 February 1977 |
| 47
| A.J. Romijn | 1 February 1977 | 10 January 1980 |
| 48
| J.J.A. den Haan | 10 January 1980 | 7 January 1983 |
| 49
| T. Rudolphie | 7 January 1983 | 18 September 1987 |
| 50
| W.J.I. van Breukelen | 18 September 1987 | 3 October 1991 |
| 51
| Roy Spiekerman van Weezelenburghttps://www.korpsmariniers-wjb.nl/2023/03/03/wjb-lid-generaal-bd-roy-spiekerman-van-weezelenburg-vertelt-over-bbe-m/https://bibliotheeknlda.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p21075coll12/id/721/ | 3 October 1991 | 16 December 1995 |
| 52
| E.C. Klop | 16 December 1995 | 6 September 2001 |
| 53
| Willem A.J. Prins | 6 September 2001 | 9 September 2004 |
| 54
| R. Zuiderwijk | 9 September 2004 | 24 August 2007 |
| 55
| rowspan="6"| Brigadier general | 24 August 2007 | 30 March 2012 |
| 56
| {{ill|R.G. Oppelaar|nl}} | 30 March 2012 | 18 March 2016 |
| 57
| {{ill|F.V. van Sprang|nl}} | 18 March 2016 | 25 August 2017 |
| 58
| {{ill|Jeff Mac Mootry|nl}} | 25 August 2017 | 11 December 2020 |
| 59
| {{ill|Jan Hut|nl}} | 11 December 2020 | 11 October 2023 |
| 60
| Ivo D.L. Moerman | 11 October 2023 | present |