With a hat tip to Tony Cunneen in Sydney, we were made aware of a folder in the National Archives of Australia: Netherlands Legation – Tasman Tercentennial (NAA: A6661.180). It begins with suggestions made in April 1942 to find an appropriate way to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman’s Read more
Following the fall of Singapore in February 1942, Japanese forces advanced rapidly into the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), marking a decisive turning point in the Pacific War and signalling the beginning of the end of British imperial dominance in Southeast Asia. Japanese planners were well aware that the Allies would Read more
The Dutch submarine K IX, later commissioned as HMAS K9, was a K VIII-class vessel built for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) in the early twentieth century. She was ordered on 27 June 1917, laid down at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen on 1 March 1919, launched Read more
HNLMS K XI was a Dutch submarine commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1925. Built at the Fijenoord shipyard in Rotterdam, she was designed for patrol duties in the Dutch East Indies. Before departing for her station, K XI participated in a Baltic Sea exhibition tour, visiting ports in Read more
The Netherlands East Indies aviation units established in Australia during the Second World War depended upon close cooperation between Dutch, Indonesian and Australian personnel. This cooperation was most visible in the joint Netherlands East Indies–RAAF squadrons. Dutch authorities generally provided the aircraft and most of the aircrew, while the Royal Read more
The book The Devil’s Grin by Toni Harting provides an in-depth exploration of the Japanese military’s imprisonment of Dutch civilians in the Dutch East Indies during the Pacific War (1941-1945). Harting offers a detailed account of the Japanese occupation, focusing on the brutality endured by prisoners in the concentration camps, Read more
This year, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a momentous milestone in Australia’s history and the conclusion of the war in the Pacific. Brisbane played a pivotal role as a strategic hub for Allied operations, cementing its place in global wartime history. The Camp Read more
Auteur: Peter Wigleven Het bewogen leven van Ada de Bruyn In de documenten hieronder vindt u het bijzondere relaas van mijn moeder, Ada de Bruyn, zoals beschreven door K.W.L. Bezemer in Verdreven doch niet verslagen. Haar verhaal biedt een unieke inkijk in de ervaringen van vrouwen en kinderen die tijdens Read more
On the night of June 23, 1944, the small town of Dodewaard in the Netherlands became an unwilling witness to the horrors of World War II. A Handley Page Halifax III bomber, serial number MZ 715, was shot down during a mission over occupied Europe. This tragic incident not only Read more
In Grantlee Kieza’s compelling book, Sister Viv, the harrowing experiences of Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel during World War II are vividly recounted. The narrative highlights the profound connections between Australian and Dutch wartime histories, particularly through the events on Bangka Island in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), now Indonesia. Read more