The 7th Fleet was formed on March 15, 1943 in Brisbane, Australia, during World War II. It served in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) under the control of General Douglas MacArthur, and the 7th Fleet commander also served as commander of Allied naval forces in the SWPA. This Read more
Christiaan Vincent Gradwell (Chris) van Oosterzee, born on March 20, 1922, in Weltevreden (Batavia), and died on April 18, 1989, in Amsterdam, was a significant figure during and after World War II. His life included notable interactions with Australia during his military service. Early Life and Military Involvement Chris van Read more
There is an unconfirmed story that General Douglas MacArthur ordered the printing of money for the Netherlands East Indies at the Commonwealth Bank Note Printing Works in Melbourne. This printing facility, established in 1912, had its role taken over by the Reserve Bank of Australia in 1960. There are mentions Read more
Pell Airfield in the Northern Territory formed part of the network of bases that supported Dutch–Australian air operations from the Top End during the Second World War. Although No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF was principally based at nearby Batchelor, its B-25 Mitchell bombers could use Pell for maintenance, Read more
The human cost of Dutch air operations from Australia No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF conducted bombing, reconnaissance and anti-shipping operations from airfields in northern Australia during the Second World War. The squadron was a joint organisation. Dutch and Netherlands East Indies personnel formed most of its flying crews, Read more
This presentation by historian Dr Nonja Peters, prepared for a civic reception in Broome in March 2023, explores the evacuation of Dutch and Allied personnel and civilians from Java to Broome during February and March 1942. It provides historical context for the evacuation and the Japanese air raid on Broome Read more
Maurits Groen was a Dutch pilot and navigator who served in Europe before joining No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF in Australia. His recollections were recorded in an interview conducted by Dr Sue Summers for the Migration and Ethnicity Research Centre at Curtin University. The interview provides a first-hand Read more
Dirk Stellema was born in Sneek, Friesland, in 1917. He joined the Military Aviation Service of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army—Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, or ML-KNIL—in 1937. Stellema served as a radio operator and navigator aboard military aircraft in the Netherlands East Indies and Australia. Although Read more
ATIS was an integrated unit composed of Australian and American intelligence personnel and staff from the other Allied Forces (the Netherlands and China) Their primary responsibilities were the interrogation of Japanese POWs from Gaythorne POW Camp and the interpretation of captured Japanese documents. Given the low surrender rate of Japanese Read more
On February 28, 1942, Japanese troops rapidly advanced through northern Java, quickly occupying airfields and towns. Within hours, they were only 50km from Andir Airport (Bandung) in West Java, where five civilian Royal Netherlands Indies Airways (KNILM) planes were based. Only the next day did the Dutch Government in Exile Read more