Marie
says:
This story
covers my early childhood years whilst living in the Netherlands East
Indies. It recounts the happy and care-free years prior to the second
world war and the love and care bestowed on us by my parents.
The Fall of
Singapore followed by the Bombing of Padang, Sumatra, resulted in my family
having to part from my father and flee through the jungle of Sumatra to its
most southern point. From here we caught the last boat to Java whilst my
father, a Dutch Captain of a KPM ship, joined the other Allied ships.
Where did these ships go? What was their fate? What did they
do? Just as well we did not know that my father's ship was sunk in the
Bay of Bengal! Then his period in Townsville, Australia, followed by
joining other Dutch merchant seamen sailing in the dangerous waters around New
Guinea as part of the Allied fleet. The bravery of these sailors, as
recorded in Captain Maan's memoirs, was not recognised by many
Australians. Yet for those who struggled across the Kokoda track from
Port Moresby, these ships were essential in transporting tanks and supplies to
the other side of Papua New Guinea... to Milne Bay, Oro Bay and Buna.
The Japanese
caught up with my mother and her four children in Java, and from there we were
interned in concentration camps. Life in Camp Kareës was hard; and it was
here that boys of 10 and over were taken from their mothers ... for many it was
the last they saw of their families. Life was even worse in Tjideng under
Captain Sonei's rule where many died from starvation, including my mother, and
others were brutally punished for committing the slightest offences. At
the end of the war on 15 August 1945, many POW's and civilian internees were
still confined to the camps until liberated by Allied troops which for us, was
not until after the British arrived about the middle of September 1945.
While many
people around the world celebrated the end of the war, we ... who had survived
all the above, were now at risk of being killed as we were thrust into another
war - The Indonesian Revolution. At that time, Dutch ships in Australian
ports were black-banned by the Australian wharf labourers, thereby diminishing
assistance to provide us with much needed supplies of food, medicines and a
means of leaving the country!
For more
info click here.
"FOOTSTEPS
IN MEMORIES and..." ISBN 0646374915 is available
from the publisher, MARKEN PTY LTD.
The limited
paperback edition is priced at $30 plus $6.36 postage and packing to anywhere within Australia
after receipt of a cheque drawn on an Australian bank or Australia Post money
order. Please note that 10% GST applies within Australia, i.e. total price of $40.00.
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