Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps

The Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps (Dutch: Commandant van het Korps Mariniers, lit. 'Commander of the Corps of Marines') is the head of the Dutch marines. The current commandant, since 2023, is Ivo D.L. Moerman.^[1]

Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps
Commandant van het Korps Mariniers
Incumbent Ivo D.L. Moerman since 11 October 2023
Netherlands Marine Corps
Precursor	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)
Formation	December 1665
First holder	Willem Joseph baron van Ghent

History

17th century

The billet was created in 1665 as the Colonel and Commandant of the Regiment of Marines (Dutch: 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 (Dutch: 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 (Dutch: Eerste Collonel van de Regimenten Mariniers). From 1711 to 1772 the billet was called Colonel and Commandant of the Marine Regiment (Dutch: Collonel en Commandant van het Regiment Mariniers).

19th century

From 1814 to 1817 the billet was known as the Commandant of the Marine Battalion (Dutch: 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 (Dutch: 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

Chiefs / Colonels / Inspectors / First Colonels / Commandants of the Netherlands Marine Corps

#	Name	Rank	Tenure start	Tenure end	Title
1	Willem Joseph baron van Ghent	Colonel	18 December 1665	25 September 1669	Colonel and Commandant of the Regiment of Marines
			25 September 1669	7 June 1672	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	Colonel and Commandant of the Regiment of Marines
4	Willem van Soutelande		30 December 1694	1 November 1698
			1 November 1698	1702	First Colonel of the Marine Regiment
5	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	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
For the period May 21, 1748 to July 23, 1763, no data is known about Regiments of Marines, but about ship detachments.
11	January Marius de Salve [nl]	Colonel (major general after 1766)	23 July 1763	21 September 1768	Colonel and Commandant of the Marine Regiment
12	Robert Douglas	Colonel	21 September 1768	24 August 1772
			24 August 1772	1 July 1795	First Colonel of the Marine Regiment
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	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	Acting Commandant of the Marine Corps
18	J.A. Besier	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	Commandant of the Marine Corps
21	C.M. Nabal	Lieutenant colonel	1 April 1855	1 May 1858
22	A.J. Voet	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	Colonel	1 May 1871	1 May 1875	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	J.B. Verheij		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	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	Chief of the Marine Corps
37	Corneille Jacques Odilon Dorren		1 November 1934	1 September 1938
38	H.F.J.M.A. von Frijtag Drabbe [nl]		1 September 1938	15 June 1940
		Major general	15 June 1940	1 March 1948	Commandant of the Marine Corps
39	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	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	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 Weezelenburg[2][3]		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	R. Verkerk	Brigadier general	24 August 2007	30 March 2012
56	R.G. Oppelaar [nl]		30 March 2012	18 March 2016
57	F.V. van Sprang [nl]		18 March 2016	25 August 2017
58	Jeff Mac Mootry [nl]		25 August 2017	11 December 2020
59	Jan Hut [nl]		11 December 2020	11 October 2023
60	Ivo D.L. Moerman		11 October 2023	present