Republished with permission.
Section Two: Military, from the book A Touch of Dutch – Maritime, Military, Migration and Mercantile Connections on the Western Third 1616–2016, edited by Nonja Peters.
This section explores Dutch military and civilian experiences in Australia during the Second World War and its aftermath, particularly the close connections between Western Australia and the Netherlands East Indies.
The chapters cover the evacuation of Dutch refugees, the activities of Dutch naval and air force personnel, the defence of Western Australia, and the experiences of those displaced by war and the subsequent Indonesian struggle for independence.
