![[KNRM pennant]](../images/n/nl~knrm.gif)
image by Jarig Bakker, 21 May 2007
Last modified: 2023-10-07 by rob raeside
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image by Jarig Bakker, 21 May 2007
The KNRM pennant is a real pennant; not merely a sticker as described above. The other bits of descriptions refer to images that no longer are there. There may be information elsewhere, though.
Currently, there is a pennant. It looks like they are year pennants, showing the
year in which the owner contributed, but I asked them to be more certain. There
are honorary versions of the year pennants, being a "gold pennant", "silver",
and "bronze." The representative pennant is the "KNRM - newer version".
The old version is indeed that: The old version of the KNRM flag.
https://henk-en-willem.webnode.nl/knrm shows it's not the flag of one of the
constituent parts.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 8 September 2023
![[KNRM old version]](../images/n/nl~knrm1.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 May 2007
Royal Dutch Life Saving Society / Koninklijke Nederlandsche Redding Maatschappij (KNRM)
On 11 November 1824 Noord en Zuid Hollandsche Redding Maatschappij
(NZHRM) was established in Amsterdam.
On 20 November 1824 Zuid Hollandsche Maatschappij tot Redding van
Schipbreukelingen (ZHMRS) was established in Rotterdam.
26 December 1824 first rescue using a rowing boat; five people had
been saved.
In 1865 first retreatment room for shipwrecked was established in Terschelling.
In 1885 a baywatch system based on watchtowers was established.
In 1949 both organizations gained the title "Koninklijke" (=Royal).
In 1951 the search and rescue service of Dutch Navy was established.
In 1953 the last rowing boat was replaced by a motorboat.
In 1974 both organizations are celebrating there 150-anniversary together.
On 22 May 1991 the KNZHRM and the KZHMRS merge, forming the KNRM. As
usual the date of establishment 11 November 1824 was kept.
In 1999 the KNRM celebrates its 175-anniversary.
For further information: See Society's
website.
Description of flag: Old version: It's a blue flag divided by an orange
cotized white saltire. In the centre of the flag is a blue crown.
Source: this one or similar spotted on 26 November 2006 at Modellbauwelt
Hamburg on a donation box. This image is based on a photo of Arie van Dijk
(KNRM).
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 May 2007
In reality this gives the history of the life-saving societies. Separate the
history out from the part about the first KNRM flag. That history tells us the
typical rivalry in Holland, between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The 4th of March
1824, the National Institution for the Preservation
of Life from Shipwreck was set up in the United Kingdom.
This was an
excellent idea, and when 14 October 1824 a storm caused havoc among the Dutch
ships, already on the 11th of November, Amsterdam set up a life-saving society.
Yet even though they said explicitly that is was intended for the entire Holland
coast - Noord en Zuid Hollandsche Redding Maatschappij (Northern and Southern
Hollandic Life-Saving Association) - Rotterdam within 10 days set up their own
Life-Saving Association, the Zuid Hollandsche Maatschappij tot Redding van
Schipbreukelingen (South Hollandic Society for the Saving of the Shipwrecked).
OK, they did have some justification: There were no life-saving societies in all
of Flanders, thus they were the southern-most such a society in all of The
Netherlands, until Belgium became independent.
In this way, we get to the
Noord- en Zuid-Hollandsche Redding-Maatschappij (Northern and Southern Holland
Life-Saving Society) [Though I would go for "Hollandic"]:
Apparently before
1924, there was a version of the flag bearing the lettering "N. & Z. H. R. M.".
The colour might be a tricolour of green over white. Curiously, those would be
the Rotterdam colours on a Amsterdam Society.
https://www.knrm.nl/tijdlijn-historie/1910
On the other hand, maybe our
source is mistaken? The KNRM uses the image to illustrate Prince Henry becoming
the Patron of the Life-Saving Societies, but whether the date is accurate, I
don't know.
The next one is the 1924-1949 version:
This one was
created for its first centennial, but nearly 100 years later, I do not know the
painter. But then again, I don't live in Holland.
Post 1949:
We write
that in 1949, the societies became Royal, which added a crown to the image.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 8 September 2023
![[KNRM newer version]](../images/n/nl~knrm0.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 May 2007
Newer version: It's a white flag with the orange logo and black capital
letters "KNRM" at the bottom edge of flag. The logo to me seems to show
a drowning person (head above two waves).
Source: spotted on 26 November 2006 at Modellbauwelt Hamburg.
The new flag might have been established after the merging in 1991,
but I couldn't find out more details. I also do not know, whether the "old"
flag is flag of the KNRM or of one of its predecessors.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 May 2007
1924-1949 version
![[NZHRM flag]](../images/n/nl~nzhrm.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 29 August 2017
From Mattern (1987): Noord- en Zuid-Hollandsche Redding-Maatschappij (Northern and Southern Holland Life-Saving Society), est. November 1824, flag designed E. M. Eden (Matern claims he was a well known Dutch marine painter), in 1924 for the centenary. Matterns describes the flag as orange-white-blue, adding a golden crown above the life-buoy in 1949 (when the societies were granted the title Royal). It would be dificult to draw anything from the description and to guess colours from Mattern drawing, but luckily enough images of these flags are on-line, e.g. https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODY2WDEwMjQ=/z/93gAAOSwAPVZMsOK/$_82.JPG. The buoy is in the horse-shoe shape.
1924-1949 version
![[NZHRM flag]](../images/n/nl~zhrm.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 29 August 2017
From Mattern (1987):
The "first flag" is described by Mattern but not shown, as a green flag with
letter "N.Z.& H.R.M" (sic! should be "N.& Z.H.R.M"?),
documented in 1914.
Zuid-Hollandsche Maatschappij tot Redding van Schipbreukelingen (Mattern:
Southern Holland Society for Life-Saving Shipwrecked persons), est. also
November 1824. Flag white, light blue cross fimbriated orange, black ZHRM in
each canton, designed 1924 by A. J.M. Goudriana.
Željko Heimer, 29
August 2017
For the 1924-1949 flags, but now for the southern society:
The name we
mention is probably A.J.M. Goudriaan, the shipowner.
After 1949, this
flag also most like had a crown added. The shape and location seem obvious, but
we lack details. That same GIFfer might speculate, though. But we do have some
evidence. There's some room for
interpretation, but we have:
https://www.marktplaats.nl/v/verzamelen/speldjes-pins-en-buttons/m1995839166-z-h-r-m-broche-emaille.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 8 September 2023
