Willem Beekman

Wilhelm Marie Okko Anne “Willem” Beekman also known as Wim Beekman (15 March 1895 – 20 December 1934) was a Dutch aviator. He was one of the pioneering aviators of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and became and senior KLM captain. He was the pilot of the DC-2 Uiver that crashed in December 1934 during a long-distance flight to the Dutch East Indies.

Early life and career Beekman was born in Brouwershaven, Netherlands in the province of Zeeland. Shortly after his birth, his father was appointed bailiff in Gulpen in the province of Limburg where he grew up. He attended Hogere Burgerschool in Maastricht. During his military service he served as a pilot at Soesterberg. Afterwards he joined the aviation division and earned his pilot's license on 8 December 1922. He was employed by KLM starting 14 May 1924.

During his career, Beekman became one of KLM’s most experienced long-distance pilots, especially on the Amsterdam–Batavia route (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia). He was known for his composure and professionalism during flights through difficult and often unpredictable weather conditions. It was later stated that Beekman initially refused to start the flight because he did not trust the plane and was tired. Eventually Beekman started the flight against his will.

A memorial service was held for the crew and passengers. All victims were buried at the English cemetery in Baghdad on 23 December 1934. They were however exhumed again, on 22 January 1936. With the "Drachenfels" they were transported to the Netherlands. Beekman was reburied on 1 April 1936 at the cemetery in Muiderberg.