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Wm. Müller (The Netherlands)

N.V. Wm. H. Müller & Co., Rotterdam

Last modified: 2003-11-28 by jarig bakker
Keywords: muller |
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[Wm. Müller & co houseflag] by James Dignan, 15 Oct 2003 See also:

Wm. Müller & co

This is indicated as the houseflag of the Batavierlijn (London - Rotterdam Service): White, Red, White horizontal Bands with
Wm. H M & Co in White and two narrow White Bands on Red.
Source: "The dumpy book of ships and the sea" (ed. Henry Sampson, published by Sampson Low, London, circa 1957).
All about Ships and Shipping, 1959.
Jarig Bakker, 15 Oct 2003

Although the company has been around a long time and the two flags shown by sundry sources beginning with Lloyds 1904 through to Stewart 1963, none of them have shown both versions or given any indication that there was another apart from the one they showed. The first version shown here appears in Brown 1926 through to Stewart 1963, the second one from Lloyds 1904 through to Wyt's Digest of 1960 ands just to confuse things a bit more the Liverpool Journal of Commerce chart of 1909 shows the band as a diagonal bend. The answer may lie in the services operated. The Batavier Line was a cargo/passenger service operated between Rotterdam and London until 1958 and they also had smaller cargo ships trading between Rotterdam, Europe & U.K. In the mid 1960s they shown as by Lloyds as Wm. H.Müller & Co. (Batavier) N.V. There seems to have been another company associated, Wm. H. Müller & Co.'s Transport Maatschappij N.V. which was involved with tankers.
It is shown as based The Hague but Wyt's Digest associates it with the triband flag. None of these companies appear in Lloyds by 1973 but I note in 2000 that the London branch of Wm. H. Müller & Co. (U.K.) Ltd. was acting as owners representatives for the India Steamship Co. Ltd. so the Netherlands company may also still be in business.
I wonder whether there is confusion here with the towage company of the "Muller" name as the only one I can trace is  Willem Muller Nederland B.V., operating out of Terneuzen, having changed name 1990 from Willem Muller Zeesleepdienst B.V., and which appears to have been taken over by Wijsmuller and then coming under the Dockwise N.V. group. This company has a blue flag with thick yellow "M" which can be seen on Josef  Nüsse's site.
Neale Rosanoski, 7 Nov 2003

Wm. Müller & co diagonal bend

[Wm. Müller & co diagonal bend] by Jarig Bakker, 10 Nov 2003

After image sent by Neale Rosanoski, 7 Nov 2003.
The original founder was named William H. Müller from Germany; his wife left a very valuable souvenir in the Lage Vuursc