Nico Leonard Willem van Straten was born in Zwolle, September 3, 189 and died in Arnhem, September 18, 1968. He was a Dutch soldier of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) and bearer of the Military Order of William. At the start of WWII Lieutenant Colonel N.L.W. van Straten Read more…
The beautiful restored and well maintained Miegunjah home was built in Newstead, Brisbane close to Breakfast Creek around 1885 by William Perry an ironmonger with an extensive business selling ironware. The house was sold in 1926 to Marie Menzies, wife of dentist Dr Andrew R. Menzies. When Dr Menzies died Read more…
The following is a translation of a story recorded in the book: “De KNILM vloog door..“ (The Royal Netherlands Indies Airways continued to fly) On Thursday, March 26, 1942, a Lockheed Super Electra SE-14 PK-AFM operated by KNILM (Royal Netherlands Indies Airways) failed to arrive at its destination of Batchelor Read more…
In the occupied Netherlands East Indies, Japan sought to eradicate all Western influence from public life. In the outlying regions, non-Asian individuals were promptly interned following the occupation. Consequently, women from the Netherlands, Australia, England, and the Dutch East Indies found themselves compelled to coexist in internment camps. In the Read more…
The physical environment of a Japanese prisoner camp serves as more than mere confinement; it becomes a stage for survival and adaptation. Whether situated in remote jungles, barren deserts, or urban centers, each camp presents its own set of challenges and opportunities. Natural features like harsh climates, rugged terrain, and Read more…
Changi Prison, originally designed to hold 600 inmates, was overwhelmed with around 2,400 internees, including civilians associated with the British and Dutch colonial administrations. Among them were women and children, housed alongside male prisoners of war. Despite being overcrowded, Changi was relatively modern, boasting amenities like flushing toilets, though hygiene Read more…
The Battle of Ambon, which raged from January 30 to February 3, 1942, in the Netherlands East Indies during World War II, held significant strategic implications due to its potential for facilitating air attacks on Australia. The Dutch garrison, ill-equipped and understaffed, found itself confronting Japanese aggression alongside Allied forces, Read more…
The following information is from the Australian War Memorial. Anton van Beurden was born in 1912. He joined the Dutch merchant navy as a young man, specialising in radio telegraphy. In 1933, he was selected for officer training in the Royal Netherlands Naval Reserve (RNNR). After attending the Royal Naval Read more…
Dutch war veterans in Australia oral history project [sound recording] The aim of this project “is to collect interviews that will recapture the life experiences of a representative group of Dutch veterans in Australia. Most of these veterans served with the Royal Netherlands Army in the Netherlands East-Indies (NEI) during Read more…
The following breakdown provides a comprehensive overview of completed and ongoing research projects in the field of DACC. Allies in a Bind: Australia and the Netherlands East Indies in the Second World War Australia Explained: A Site for Newcomers and Old Hands Children Born on Ships En Route to Australia Read more…