Date of birth:

November 11th, 1924 (Breda/North Brabant, Netherlands)

Date of death:

June 12th, 1946 (Surabaya/Java, Dutch Indies)

Buried on:

Dutch War Cemetery Kembang Kuning
Grave: C170.

Nationality:

Dutch

Marine 3rd class OVW Marine Brigade

Constantinus was born on 11 November 1924 in Breda. After the end of World War II in the Netherlands, he enlisted as a war volunteer in the Royal Netherlands Navy. He travelled to the United States to train as a marine and prepare for service in East Asia, where the Japanese were still being fought at the time.

Two days after the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945, Soekarno and Mohammed Hatta declared Indonesia's independence. When, shortly afterwards, the British and Dutch appear to be making moves to restore the aged colonial authority, the period of the Bersiap (‘be prepared’) begins, during which mainly foreigners and European and Indonesian Dutch people declared enemies become victims of violence and persecution. The marines' destination was therefore changed to the Dutch East Indies, where they were to restore order and peace. In December 1945, Constantinus travelled with the marine brigade, divided among a number of troop transport ships departing in quick succession, to the East.

However, due to the landing ban on Dutch troops in Java and Sumatra, announced by the commander-in-chief of the South East Asia Command (SEAC), Admiral Lord Mountbatten, it was not until March 1946 that Constantinus was able to disembark in Surabaya. Until then, he was stationed in British Malacca. After taking over posts from the British troops still present on Java, Constantinus was mainly deployed in the east of the island, where fierce fighting was taking place against the revolutionaries on the Surabaya front.

Constantinus was killed in action during these battles around the city on 12 June 1946. He was 21 years old and was laid to rest at the Dutch military cemetery Kembang Kuning in Surabaya.

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• Photo 1: Oorlogsgravenstichting
• Photo 2: Oorlogsgravenstichting
• - Constantinus Josephus Lambertus van Steen | Oorlogsgravenstichting
  - Constantinus van Steen | Brabantse Gesneuvelden
  

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