KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

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Peter H
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KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#1

Post by Peter H » 16 Feb 2005, 10:40

Any information on the Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger, KNIL, (Royal Dutch East Indies Army) would be appreciated.
In May 1940 KNIL consisted of 1,345 regular officers and 35,583 non-commissioned officers and lower ranks. With reserve officers, local conscripts etc. the total could grow to 3,200 officers and and 73,000 non-commissioned officers and lower ranks. When The Dutch government declared war with Japan on December 8, 1941, KNIL was mobilized. On March 9, 1942 KNIL capitulated. Only a small units escaped to Australia.
http://www.vanderheijden.org/ng/military.html

This link also has this to say:

http://niod.nihon.nl/en/diary_historinroduction.htm
There were about 294,000 Europeans living in the East Indies in 1942, a very small group by comparison with the 68 million Indonesians. Roughly half of the Dutch were Eurasians, i.e. of mixed Dutch and Indonesian ancestry. The Europeans formed the élite in society. However, most of the Eurasians were treated as social inferiors by the Dutch. Still, many of them obtained employment in the civil service, in the Royal Dutch East Indian Army (KNIL), and in the world of industry and commerce, usually in the lower or intermediate positions. The Indonesians occupied the lowest positions.....

....After the capitulation of the KNIL on 9 March 1942, the KNIL troops were made prisoners-of-war by the Japanese. The Indonesian prisoners-of-war were released after a short while, but the 42,000 Dutch remained prisoners. Although an exception was made for the Eurasian civilians on Java as far as internment was concerned, this did not apply to the Eurasian troops.

At first the prisoners-of-war were put into camps near the place where they had surrendered. Soon afterwards, however – in May 1942 on Sumatra, and starting in October 1942 on Java – the prisoners-of-war were taken to more remote locations, sometimes as far away as Japan or Manchuria. The regime to which the Japanese submitted the prisoners-of-war grew more and more strict. The Japanese also began to make the prisoners-of-war work. In Japan, for example, they had to work in the coal mines, and on the Moluccas airports had to be constructed on several locations. Prisoners-of-war were also deployed in the construction of railways, such as the notorious Pakanbaru line on Sumatra and the Burma-Siam line in Burma and Thailand. About 8,200 Dutch prisoners-of-war failed to survive the rigours.
It appears that conscription existed in the East Indies for Dutch Europeans/Eurasians?This would also indicate that the KNIL of around 76,000 men consisted of 42,000 Dutch and 34,000 Indonesians?

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#2

Post by Peter H » 16 Feb 2005, 10:51

Some good links as well:

http://groups.msn.com/KNIL-history

http://www.overvalwagen.com/
Battle weary troops of 10th Inf Bn returning from battle of Palembang (Sumatra) 15 Feb 1942. Note different headgear. Steel helmet M/1938 with badge and M/1940 without. The Bn returned to Java 20 Feb 1942.
From:http://groups.msn.com/KNIL-history
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#3

Post by Peter H » 16 Feb 2005, 10:54

This link also has this to say:

http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindie ... llery.html
In 1940, the so-called Stadswacht was erected to act against enemy paratroopers and "Vijdfe Colonne" (enemy spies) in areas
unprotected by regular KNIL forces. These were normally old draftees and volunteers, including foreigners like British.
Image
http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindie ... swacht.jpg

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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#4

Post by Peter H » 15 May 2009, 04:58

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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#5

Post by Peter H » 15 May 2009, 05:04

From: http://www.postzegelblog.nl/2008/06/05/ ... sch-leger/

This photo might be more earlier than 1942 but gives a general idea of Colonial troop uniforms
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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#6

Post by Peter H » 15 May 2009, 05:06

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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#7

Post by Peter H » 15 May 2009, 05:10

AWM 011779/23

February 1942
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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#8

Post by cstunts » 02 Jun 2009, 16:34

Hello,

These numbers look a little suspect, but may be more or less accurate. However, the ratio of Dutch to native troops [40,000+ Dutch and 30,000+ native troops] is quite erroneous. It would probably have been more along the lines of 1 in 4 or even less, I suspect. Perhaps much less.

Other sources give anywhere from 85,000 to 121,000 total for KNIL, including Stadswachten, auxiliaries, militias, etc.

I'll try to get better numbers, because it is a worthwhile subject.

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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#9

Post by Fatboy Coxy » 28 Jul 2009, 00:16

I believe a small KNIL Dutch Commando unit was sent to Malaya in 1941 to help fight the Japanese, about 60 men with pack mules.

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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#10

Post by Peter H » 09 Aug 2009, 09:18

From: http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2936

Poster George Eller

Gun crews
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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#11

Post by Peter H » 09 Aug 2009, 09:22

Same source--Vickers
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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#12

Post by Peter H » 09 Aug 2009, 09:32

Same again,native troops
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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#13

Post by Peter H » 09 Aug 2009, 09:35

Thanks to same link again.

Prewar Training
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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#14

Post by Peter H » 09 Aug 2009, 09:39

Youtube,poster falkonunga

"Colonial Dutch Army 1939" (in color)


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Re: KNIL:Dutch East Indies 1941/42

#15

Post by Peter H » 09 Aug 2009, 09:47

Fatboy Coxy wrote:I believe a small KNIL Dutch Commando unit was sent to Malaya in 1941 to help fight the Japanese, about 60 men with pack mules.
Haven't heard about that but a Dutch Glenn Martin B-10 bomber squadron did serve in Malaya.

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