The jungles and rugged mountains of New Guinea became a grueling battleground during World War II, witnessing some of the most arduous and harrowing combat faced by Allied forces. Far from the spotlight of Europe, the New Guinea Campaign was a protracted struggle against a tenacious Japanese enemy and the unforgiving tropical environment. At the […]
Brisbane: Strategic Heart of the Brutal New Guinea Campaign Read More »
The Digulists This story is about the Digulists – prisoners of war who were captured after the Indonesian uprising of 1926/27. These political prisoners were transported to a specially established concentration camp in Tanah Merah on the Digul River in Dutch New Guinea. By the start of WWII, a large number of these political prisoners
The Digulists who brought a Gamelan with them to Australia Read More »
This story is written by Maria Douwes and published in her book: Back to Australia The Douwes family was one of the last families to move from Amsterdam to Australia for a hundred guilders. Both the Australian and Dutch governments sponsored this trip. On December 9, 1960, Maria Douwes emigrated to Australia with her parents, five brothers and
Dutch migrant family Douwes settles from Wacol in Inala, Brisbane – 1961 Read More »
Gunther Bonnin form Oregon in the USA was stationed as an intelligent officer in Brisbane during WWII. In this capacity he was commissioned to the Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS). He apparently wrote a paper on Sukarno as part of his intelligence work. He was probably also a translator. After the war Gunther married in
Lieutenant General Simon Hendrik Spoor was born on December 12, 1902, in the Netherlands, Spoor’s military career spanned several critical periods, from the war in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) to his contributions during World War II in Australia and his involvement with the Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS). Spoor’s military journey began in the
For his extraordinary courage and perseverance, Kokkelink was knighted at Camp Columbia in Brisbane on April 12, 1945. His commendation highlighted his decisive actions, perseverance, and skill during the Japanese occupation, emphasising the “indescribable difficulties and hardships” he faced. Mauritz Christiaan Kokkelink, born on June 17, 1913, at the military fort Willem I in Ambarawa,
Mauritz Kokkelink – Award ceremony at Camp Columbia Read More »
In late August 1942, a little-known bay at the eastern tip of New Guinea erupted into a fierce battle that would mark a turning point in the Pacific War. The remote Milne Bay became the stage for a decisive Allied victory, orchestrated from the unlikely command center of Brisbane, Australia, and bolstered by the crucial
Brisbane’s Blueprint for Victory: The Strategic Planning Behind the Battle of Milne Bay Read More »
The U.S. 7th Fleet holds a significant place in history, particularly during World War II. Established on March 15, 1943, in Brisbane, Australia, it was a crucial component of the Allied forces in the Pacific theater. Under the leadership of Admiral Arthur S. “Chips” Carpender, the fleet played a pivotal role in the South West
US Seventh Fleet established in Brisbane Read More »
The long Dutch relationship with Southeast Brisbane began during World War II, when in 1942 the Americans established Camp Columbia in Wacol, Brisbane to stop the Japanese advance in the Southwest Pacific. The camp became the staging ground for the American campaign, covering an area of 20 by 15 square kilometers, covering most of the current suburbs
The long Dutch relationship with the Southern and Southeast suburbs of Brisbane. Read More »
Hans and (Luberta) Beppe Goote migrated from Indonesia to Australia in 1956 after Indonesia nationalised all Dutch assets. The Goote family worked on a Dutch-owned tea plantation in Indonesia. They had the following children: Henny, Meika, Josje, Hans (jnr) and Conny. That is oldest to youngest. Hans (snr), Beppe and Henny have all passed away
Beppe Goote – ‘Dutch Mayor’ at Wacol, Brisbane Read More »
At Camp Columbia and the surrounding military facilities, two groups of women were employed. Firstly, there were the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), comprised initially of American women, later supplemented by Dutch recruits. The primary duties of the WACs encompassed a range of administrative, technical, and communication tasks, effectively freeing men for combat roles. Their responsibilities
The Women of Camp Columbia Read More »
By 1946, most Dutch troops had left Camp Columbia. Ammunition and equipment were either dumped at sea or buried at some isolated spot. The quarry at Acacia Ridge was a convenient dump, and Willawong, also, received its share of disposals. Some army huts and buildings at Camp Columbia were left on site, and these were
From Camp Columbia to Wacol Army Camp later Sanananda Barracks Read More »
Coosje Ayal, also known as Costavina Aya Ayal, left an indelible mark as a formidable resistance fighter in Western New Guinea during World War II. Born on 15 April 1926, in the village of Titawaai on the island of Nusa Laut in the Moluccas, her early life took a significant turn when, at the age
Coosje Ayal’s resilience and legacy in wartime Western New Guinea, rescued to Brisbane Read More »
MORE than 5000 Dutch soldiers will migrate to Australia soon after demobilization in Java. Their entry will be under a mutual agreement between the two countries, to be concluded soon. It is understood that the Australian Government stipulated in the agreement that the men should be single and under 30. The Government’s objective is to
Plan to settle 5000 Dutch soldiers in Australian 1949 Read More »
Ludolph Hendrik van Oyen was a distinguished Dutch military officer who played a vital role in the defence and rebuilding of Dutch forces during World War II. Early Military Career: Ludolph Hendrik van Oyen embarked on his military journey at the cadet school in Alkmaar in 1906. From 1906 to 1911, he further honed his
General Major Ludolph van Oyen in charge of the Netherlands Indies Forces in Australia Read More »
From Camp Columbia in Brisbane to Camp G in Hollandia Advance headquarters was established at Port Moresby early in 1943. After the Battle of Hollandia (see below) General Douglas MacArthur moved his staging camp from Camp Columbia in Brisbane to Hollandia in Netherlands New Guinea (present-day Jayapura in West Papua). Already in In early 1944,
MacArthur’s staging camp moved from Camp Columbia to Hollandia in Netherlands New Guinea Read More »
Christiaan Philip Karel (Flip) Winckel (Batavia (Nederlands-Indië), April 16, 1919 – Wassenaar, September 18, 2009) was a Dutch “Engelandvaarder” (soldiers who escaped to England during World War II) and a jurist. When World War II broke out, he was studying at Leiden University. Winckel belonged to the Winckel family listed in the Dutch Patriciate. Flip
Engelandvaarder Flip Winckel had a short stint as military auditor at Camp Columbia Read More »
The monument commemorates the men and women of the Netherlands who joined in the defence of Australia from 1941 to 1945 during World War Two. On Friday 3 November 2017, the monument was rededicated at Memorial Corner in Roma Street Parkland. It was relocated from its former location at Queen’s Place (corner Alice and George
Netherlands & Netherlands East Indies WWII Memorial Brisbane Read More »
Bernice Volz who, in the 1950s, lived in one of the huts in the former Camp Columbia – Camp Area No. 1 recalls that it was hut No. C1 that was allocated to her family when they arrived at the Wacol Migration Centre. More information on this hut and its occupants, as well as on
Hut C1 Camp Columbia used by migrant family Volz in 1950 Read More »
Sultan Muhammad Jabir Syah (4 March 1902 – 4 July 1975) was the 47th ruler of Ternate from 1929 to 1975 and the last Ternatan Sultan with executive powers. In 1944, during World War II, the Western Allies began liberating parts of eastern Netherlands East indies. They contacted Sultan Jabir, who had moved to the
Sultan of the Spice Island of Ternate at Camp Columbia Read More »
