Robert Holmes Setting the Dutch Fleet on Fire at Terschelling, Willem van de Velde (I), 1666
pen, h 447mm × w 760mm More details
During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the English Rear Admiral Robert Holmes raided the Vlie estuary in August 1666, setting fire to a large Dutch merchant fleet of 150 ships moored between the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling. As part of the same attack – which came to be known as Holmes’ Bonfire – he sacked and burnt down the village of West-Terschelling, killing mostly women and children.
