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Postoils (Shipping Company, The Netherlands)

image by Eugene Ipavec, 31 Mar 2006

Postoils
W.M. Goudsbloem

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Postoils

A somewhat odd house flag shown in b/w by Jansen & Van Heck in “Duwvaart” is that of Postoils – listed among the private Dutch operators, it is found between pages 113-138. It is described as having at left and at right ¼ of a green circle, on top ¼ of a red circle, ¼ of a blue circle at the bottom; the rest being white, is bears ‘WP’ in black. In fact four disk segments seem to push themselves into the picture.
The authors add that the company in question is named ‘R. Postoils BV’ at Pernis (Rotterdam) and show a photo of the ‘Calendula’. See the second – clickable – photo on this site, showing the ‘Calendula 9’ with the house flag in evidence, and an alternative name for the firm i.e. ‘Posstrans’.

The company site shows a tolerable picture (not quite the one shown in “Duwvaart” – the segments are really more triangles with a rounded top corner), using the name ‘Postoils B.V.’ adding ‘Member of the Atlantic Horizon Group’ a little conglomerate of firms I cannot discuss now. Comment on another site:
“Postoils BV is a supplier in Rotterdam. They have access to the Atlantic/Postoils 21-strong barge fleet for bunker deliveries" of oil that is.
As to the Binnenvaart site, it too show this flag listing three successive owners or firms: W. Post at Rotterdam (ship illustrated active since 1963), ‘Wm Post Olietransporten BV’ at Rotterdam (since 1969) and ‘Posttrans BV’ at Pernis (since 1977).
So the ‘WP’ monogram in the flag stands for an owner or founder called W(ille?)m Post! The pieces of the puzzle fall into place…
Jan Mertens, 30 Mar 2006

These aren't really circle segments, though, but rounded rectangles (lozenges?).
Eugene Ipavec, 31 Mar 2006

W.M. Goudsbloem

image by Eugene Ipavec, 22 Aug 2008

“Flaggen auf dem Rhein” (1952 ed.) shows the house flag of ‘Reederij W.M. Goudsbloem’ (i.e. W.M. Goudsbloem Shipping Company) at Rotterdam: White saltire between differently coloured segments: red (top), blue (bottom), twice green (hoist, fly); in the centre a white rectangle (cutting away the triangular segments’ tops) bearing a large black initial ‘G’.
The national colours red-white-blue are in evidence, but so are the green-white-green colours of Rotterdam.

Willem Goudsbloem founded his firm in 1906 and ordered a steamship to operate a regular inland line between Geldermalsen and Rotterdam, which was not a success:
See here. The ‘Kustvaartforum’ (“coastal shipping forum”) site features some comments on this firm: According to Mr Aad Overweg, recalling his time with the company, Goudsbloem was established at the Maaskade (“Meuse Quay”) at Rotterdam and operated a large number of towing boats. In the mid-nineteen fifties the firm changed course and abandoned towage in favour of transporting sand.
The company probably no longer exists.
Jan Mertens, 22 Aug 2008