The collapse of the Netherlands under German occupation in May 1940 left its overseas empire, particularly the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), to operate with significant autonomy. Based in Batavia, the colonial administration continued to govern its territories while the Dutch government-in-exile established itself in London. As the war progressed, tensions Read more
In the months leading up to the Pacific War, the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) attempted to balance neutrality with quiet resistance to Japan. But to Australian officials, this stance seemed naïve—and potentially dangerous. As early as November 1941, the Australian government was growing concerned that the Dutch in Batavia were Read more
In the early hours of 7 December 1941, Japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into the Second World War. Among the many casualties at the nearby Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station was a lesser-known victim: Dutch Catalina flying boat Y-68, belonging to the Read more
During the desperate early months of the Pacific War, Allied cooperation in Southeast Asia was marked by confusion, mismatched priorities, and poor coordination. Dutch naval forces, particularly the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) submarine fleet based in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), played a critical role in resisting the Japanese advance. Read more
The short-lived Allied defence of Ambon in early 1942 is remembered in Australia as one of the most tragic military episodes of the Pacific War. The Battle of Ambon with the near-annihilation of the Australian 2/21st Battalion (‘Gull Force’) and the subsequent Japanese massacre of prisoners at Laha remain seared Read more
This compelling first-person account, written by her daughter Claire Smith-Burns, traces the remarkable wartime journey of Anna Wiebrigje Beetstra, a Dutch-Canadian woman who served in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) during the final years of World War II. Born in Friesland in 1923 and raised in British Columbia, Read more
In October 2024, Dutch journalist and copywriter Jorien Wallast published a groundbreaking work titled Saluut Batavia: Het verhaal van de vrouwelijke KNIL-soldaten (Salute Batavia: The story of the female KNIL soldiers), offering a rare window into a little-known facet of Dutch post-war military history. This non-fiction book explores the experience Read more
This in-depth military study by Major Rene W. A. van den Berg of the Royal Netherlands Army explores the rise and rapid collapse of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), the first multinational Allied command in the Pacific during WWII. Often overlooked in mainstream histories, the Netherlands East Indies played a central Read more
In 1994, the Australian Government Publishing Service released a remarkable volume titled Diplomasi: Australia & Indonesia’s Independence. Documents 1947, edited by political analyst and public servant Dr Philip Dorling. This collection of declassified documents sheds new light on a transformative year in Australian foreign policy—one that placed Australia in the Read more
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford on 29 June 2025, at his home in Brisbane. Jack had recently returned from hospital following heart treatment and, when we last spoke two days before his untimely death, he told me that the new Read more