After the Japanese occupied the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) in early 1942, Army, navy and civil airline (KLM) crews escaped and reassembled in Australia. As few ground staff had escaped the NEI, the four squadrons, that were gradually formed, were completed by Australian personnel and so designated as joint RAAF/NEI Read more
The preparation of the formation of the 18 NEI Squadron RAAF started in Archerfield, Brisbane and was formalised in Canberra on 4 April 1942. There is an annual reunion of the children of the 18th squadron (For enquiries: Leonie Killeen 18sqnei.aust@gmail.com). The world-wide reunion takes place in Arnhem , also Read more
In the presence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Australia, H.E. Mrs Marion Derckx, at an event hosted by the Pooh Corner Environment Centre and Dutchlink Brisbane a plan was launched to preserve the last remaining heritage items of Camp Columbia (which are situated in the Read more
The Dutch Merchant Navy at the start of WWII: Exhibition “NL KOOPVAARDIJ IN WO II” in Zwolle Dr Jack Ford wrote an extensive history of the Dutch war effort in the South West Pacific. He published this in: Allies in Bind: Australia and the Netherlands East Indies relations during World Read more
At the time of the Japanese invasion in the Dutch Indies Hendrik (Henk) Paardekooper was employed – since 1938 – by the Droogdok Maatschappij Surabaya (DSM) being responsible e.g. for the floating docks and cranes used for the maintenance and repair of larger sea-going vessels, including those of the Dutch Read more
Roland Spuij attended a guided tour by conservator Maggie Patton of the “Maps of the Pacific” in the Mitchell Library in Sydney. A brilliant exhibition of original maps going back to 1490, including the famous Tasman map of 1644 and other beautiful maps of Dutch cartographers and wonderful globes. And Read more
After the heavy losses during the Battle of the Java Sea the British and American forced started to withdraw and the Dutch and Australians were left on their own. On Sunday, 8 March, Lt. Gen. Hitoshi Imamura met with the Governor-General of the NEI, Jonkheer (Lord) Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer and set a deadline for the next day for an unconditional surrender.
KNILM an early aviation pioneer Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (in English: Royal Dutch Indies Airways) was the airline of the former Netherlands East Indies (NAI). It was founded on 16 July 1928 as the NILM by a group of 32 Netherlands Indies. KNILM was not a subsidiary of the better-known Read more
Battle of the Java Sea The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, or ABDACOM, was established in Bandung, Java, on 15 January 1942 and became operational shortly afterward. However, by this time, Japan had already been at war with the Allies since 7 December 1941, and its forces were rapidly advancing through Southeast Read more
by Doug Hurst – 2001 The Fourth Ally tells of the Dutch forces who fought from Australia against the Japanese during WW II. Driven by the Japanese from Indonesia (then the Netherlands East Indies), they relocated ships, aircraft and personnel to Australia. They joined with United States, British and Australian Read more