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…
In all there were over a dozen WWII airfields in the Top End and many of them were at occasions used by the Dutch. Sometimes their planes were directed to these fields because of congestion or weather. Sometimes planes were more or less running out of fuel on their way Read more…
The following is the list of Dutch and Netherlands East Indies casualties mainly from the various squadrons that operated from the Northern Territory in Australia during the period 1942-1945, as published in: De Militaire Luchtvaart van het KNIL in de jaren 1942-1945. Dutch military initially buried at Adelaide River Cemetery Read more…
The link below is a PowerPoint presentation from Dr. Nonja Peters – 2023 See also: The Drama of Broome 3-3-1942 The 18 Netherlands East Indies Squadron RAAF Stories of the Dutch WWII submarines in Australia Dutch at WWII Camp Columbia Brisbane 1944 – 1947 Dutch merchant fleet delivered major contribution Read more…
Interview with David’s son Maurits Groen – 2005(?) See also: The 18 Squadron Netherlands East Indies – RAAF
Dirk Stellema, comes from Snake in Friesland, Born in 1917, Was in the airforce in the NEI in 1937, and was in Australia during the war from 1942, and came to Australia permanently in 1949 , and was in the 18th Squadron Note: Somebody in the group saying Allies in 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…
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…