A. J. Kroef was a Dutch lieutenant ter zee of class A who commanded the steamship Zr.Ms. Somiingg during the expedition to Retch in the autumn of 1858. He led a detachment of 24 corporals and marines from the Dutch Marine Corps, of which four were killed and seven wounded, and later received a nomination for the Military Order of William. His actions are recorded in the Dutch naval reports of 1858.
Military Action
Kroef organised the landing at Retch, a coastal settlement on the east coast of Sumatra, north of Djambi. He coordinated with Lieutenant ter zee K. C. Bunnik and Lieutenant ter zee L. F. Tuckerman to assault the fortified main entrance, which was blocked by a heavy rattan barrier. The assault succeeded after intense close‑quarter fighting.
Recognition
Although four members of his detachment were nominated for the Militaire Willemsorde, the nominations were not acted upon.
See Also
Source
De geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Korps Mariniers van 1665‑1945, OCR text, pp. 112 – 113.