Johan Cornelis van der Wijck
Encyclopedia
Jhr.
Johan Cornelis van der Wijck (born 11 January 1848 in Buitenzorg, died 12 October 1919 in The Hague
) was a Dutch lieutenant general
of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
(KNIL) and governor of Aceh
and related territories.
and in 1869 he was promoted to second lieutenant
. In 1874 he was promoted to first lieutenant
and became commander of the IIIrd military department. Van der Wijck became captain
in 1888, major
in 1892 and lieutenant colonel
in 1894. In 1895 and 1898 he was military commander of Palembang
and in 1880 he became commander of the infantry in Magelang
. In 1898 he was promoted to colonel
and in 1900 as major general
he became commander first of the first and then of the second military department on Java
. Then he became chief of the weapon of the infantry as well as chief of the second department of the Dutch war ministry
in the Dutch East Indies
.
After Van Wijck temporarily became head of the KNIL in 1903 he was thanked by the government for the quality of his command. In 1904, during the absence of the civil and military governor of Aceh Van Heutsz
Van Wijck temporarily took his responsibilities. A year later he was honorarily discharged from the function. In 1905 he became lieutenant general, commander of the army and head of the Department of War in the Dutch East Indies. In the same year he became member of the central committee of the Dutch East Indies Red Cross.
At his own request Van Wijck was honorarily discharged from the army in 1907 and was thanked for his services to the country. He became knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion
and received the Aceh Medal for his military achievements in the Kraton
during the Aceh War
. He got a honorable mention for his military actions in the XII and XXVI Mukim
s in Aceh in 1879. He died on 12 October 1919 and was buried at the Algemene Begraafplaats (General Cemetery) in The Hague.
Jonkheer
Jonkheer is a Dutch honorific of nobility.-Honorific of nobility:"Jonkheer" or "Jonkvrouw" is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady". In medieval times such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high ranking knight or nobleman...
Johan Cornelis van der Wijck (born 11 January 1848 in Buitenzorg, died 12 October 1919 in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
) was a Dutch lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was the military force maintained by the Netherlands in its colony of the Netherlands East Indies . The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force...
(KNIL) and governor of Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
and related territories.
Career
Van der Wijk was educated at Koninklijke Militaire AcademieKoninklijke Militaire Academie
The Royal Military Academy is the service academy for the Dutch Army and the Dutch Air Force. Located in Breda, the Netherlands, the KMA has trained future officers since 1828.-Description:...
and in 1869 he was promoted to second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. In 1874 he was promoted to first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
and became commander of the IIIrd military department. Van der Wijck became captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
in 1888, major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1892 and lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in 1894. In 1895 and 1898 he was military commander of Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
and in 1880 he became commander of the infantry in Magelang
Magelang
Magelang is one of the largest cities of the 1,130 km² Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. It is also the largest town in the Kedu Plain between Mount Merbabu and Mount Sumbing in Central Java, Indonesia...
. In 1898 he was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and in 1900 as major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
he became commander first of the first and then of the second military department on Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. Then he became chief of the weapon of the infantry as well as chief of the second department of the Dutch war ministry
Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)
The Netherlands Ministry of Defence governs the Netherlands Armed Forces. The Minister is assisted by a State Secretary...
in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
.
After Van Wijck temporarily became head of the KNIL in 1903 he was thanked by the government for the quality of his command. In 1904, during the absence of the civil and military governor of Aceh Van Heutsz
J. B. van Heutsz
J. B. van Heutsz , was a Dutch military commander who was appointed governor general of the Dutch East Indies in 1904. He had become famous years before by bringing to an end to the long Aceh War.-Aceh war:Following twenty-five years of protracted warfare, J. B...
Van Wijck temporarily took his responsibilities. A year later he was honorarily discharged from the function. In 1905 he became lieutenant general, commander of the army and head of the Department of War in the Dutch East Indies. In the same year he became member of the central committee of the Dutch East Indies Red Cross.
At his own request Van Wijck was honorarily discharged from the army in 1907 and was thanked for his services to the country. He became knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion
Order of the Dutch Lion
The Order of the Netherlands Lion is an order of the Netherlands which was first created on 29 September 1815 by King William I of the Netherlands....
and received the Aceh Medal for his military achievements in the Kraton
Second Aceh Expedition
The Dutch dispatched a second expedition in Aceh in late 1873 during the Aceh War following the failed First Aceh Expedition of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army to Aceh....
during the Aceh War
Aceh War
The Aceh War, also known as the Dutch War or the Infidel War , was an armed military conflict between the Sultanate of Aceh and the Netherlands which was triggered by discussions between representatives of Aceh and the U.S. in Singapore during early 1873...
. He got a honorable mention for his military actions in the XII and XXVI Mukim
Mukim
In Brunei, a mukim is a subdivision of a daerah . The equivalent of the word 'mukim' in English would be 'sub-district'.In Malaysia, a mukim can either be a subdivision of a daerah or a subdivision of sub-district, In Singapore, a mukim is one of two varieties of survey...
s in Aceh in 1879. He died on 12 October 1919 and was buried at the Algemene Begraafplaats (General Cemetery) in The Hague.