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le meilleur/the best br>

DUTCHMEN JOIN LEGION AFTER DESERTION FROM THEIR SHIP

Wednesday July 27

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Probably because their ship had sailed without them, these two young sailors let themselves being Shanghaied in the North African port of Oran and signed a contract with he Foreign Legion. It will be tried to get both young men the 22 year old J. Klaasen-Bos from Amsterdam and the 18 year old J. van Raamt from IJmuiden released via diplomatic channels. The chance that this will succeed is very small.

The Amsterdammer and the IJmuidenaar respectively Deckhand and Cook's helper were part of the crew  of the MS Hector of the Royal Dutch Steamship Company (KNSM). When the ship docked in Oran on July 26, the boys went ashore with the instruction to be back the same night.

Ronselaar=headhunter =one who Shanghais men.

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When they did not return that night, nor the following morning did the Hector leave the port of Oran without them.

The Captain notified the KNSM via telegraph of the desertion. The KNSM then notified the Dutch vice-consulate who then stated that the boys had been persuaded to sign a five year contract with the Foreign Legion.

From the investigation it proved that they indeed on the 27 July went to the Hector, but after discovering that the ship had left they went to agent of the company. It was after that, that they came in contact with an headhunter.

In name of the Mother of van Raamt, the Velser police contacted the ministry of foreign affairs. However, according to insiders, the probability of them returning home is in theory very small. The chance would have been greater if they had been in a collection center in France. Furthermore, even the youngest had attained the age military adulthood.