Brought up by submarine

During the First World War, it became increasingly difficult to deliver mail to England. The British and German navies laid naval mines in the Channel, and German submarines patrolled heavily. The Zeeland Steamship Company (SMZ) maintained a connection with England. Sometimes, SMZ ships were stopped and searched by German torpedo boats. This also happened to ships from neutral countries, such as the Netherlands. This occurred, among others, on September 23, 1916, with the paddle steamer 'Prins Hendrik'. The ship was taken to Zeebrugge, which was occupied by the Germans, and thoroughly searched. Afterwards, the ship was allowed to depart again. On November 10, 1916, the paddle steamer 'Koningin Regentes', built in 1895, was stopped by a German submarine, the UB 19, and taken to Zeebrugge. The crew had to disembark and was sent home. It was not until December 15, 1916, that the ship was allowed to be reclaimed by the crew. Upon arrival in Vlissingen, it turned out that all mail had been confiscated, taken off the ship, and transported to Germany. Among this mail was the letter sent on November 7, 1916, by the Haarlem Steam Paint Factory, addressed to an address in London. This letter was censored in Berlin. After reading the letter, the envelope was sealed with a printed strip. However, the letter was not forwarded to London but remained in Berlin. This letter was not released until after the end of the First World War and returned to Haarlem on February 3, 1919. The letter had not reached its destination, but it did survive the war. That fate, however, was not reserved for the paddle steamer 'Koningin Regentes'. On June 6, 1918, the ship was torpedoed by the German submarine UB 107 near the Leman Bank in the North Sea. Seven of the 56 crew members lost their lives in the attack. An envelope that captures a piece of history never to be forgotten. A silent witness from 100 years ago.