Following the extensive naval presence during WWII, the more peaceful years of the 1960s, saw a new approach emerged where Naval Visits were amalgamated with a national ‘Holland Promotion’. This represented a distinct new form of ‘Flying the Flag’, showcasing the national flag by sending one or more warships abroad. 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…
Alex war activities and memories are recorded by the National Library of Australia. A+P Leemhuis Builders was established in 1956 by Alex Leemhuis. Alex arrived in Australia in 1951 from Netherlands, met his wife (Urselina) and settled in Canberra. Since then they have built a multi-generational family business that’s now 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…
50 years of silence ‘How can you tell your daughters, you know? I mean, the shame, the shame was still so great. I knew I had to tell them but I couldn’t tell them face to face . . . so I decided to write it down.’ Jan Ruff O’Herne’s 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…
The following text is from a booklet published by the Federation of Netherlands Societies Ltd. in February 1985. The research for this booklet was done by Mijntje Hagen. The difficulties of the ‘first’ assisted immigrants were many, “housing” being one of the greatest problems. Although in post-war Holland housing was Read more…