By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA This story is a hidden gem in the history of Dutch-American military relations surrounding WWII. I had the good fortune of finding this organization and talking with Mr. James E. Stewart Jr. who has graciously agreed to share this photo and background information. Mr. James E. Stewart Jr. is the…
Book Review By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA In 2004 my quest for English language literature about the Dutch East Indies came to a screeching halt when I discovered this wonderful book. Disguised A teenage girl’s surival in World War II Japanese prison camps, by Rita la Fontaine de Clercq Zubi published in 2001 is a…
By Jack Profijt, Canada Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent much of my time in contemplation of the Indo experience. Reading the various posts on blogs and web sites and on Facebook groups, I have begun to see that we are all not really that far apart. Yes, we are separated by…
by Tim OCallaghan, Chicago, Illinois, USA Even though the East Indies had been dominated by the Dutch, for its access to spices, since 1602. It wasnt until 1796 when the VOC filed for bankruptcy that the Dutch administration took over and the Dutch East Indies bacame a colony of the Netherlands. Through the years…
by Robert Vanderwaall of Massachusetts, USA “May of 1961” It was May of 1961 We arrived by boat from Amsterdam. A voyage that my mind refuse to leave behind. The voyage that changed the course of all our lives. The Statue of Liberty is coming near. From the porthole below deck I hear the cheers.…
Excerpt by Kathryn Pentecost (van der Poel family) of Adelaide, South Australia On my mother’s side, I come from an enormous family of van der Poels – some of whom migrated to the Netherlands Indies in the early 1800s. The van der Poel clan dates back before 1600; some members of the family migrated from Holland:…
BDH: Where were you born ? JK: I was born in the beautiful tourist town of Malang, in East Java, the former Dutch East Indies, prior to the Japanese invasion. After struggle for independence, the country became known as Indonesia and the Dutch were expelled. BDH: How did you emigrate ? JK: As a 17-year…
by Tim O’Callaghan of Chicago, Illinois USA My name is Tim O’Callaghan and I am the youngest son of Maria Gerichhausen who left the Netherlands at age 11 months with her family to begin a new life in the Dutch East Indies. They lived initially in Bandung and then Batavia for a total of 22 years. The…
As told by Carol Ann Von Kristeinberg, Mallorca, Spain This photo was taken in Djakarta at the Jl. Gunung Sahari, our home, around 1951. I was 3 years old and my sister was 4. I was born in Djatinegara, my sister in Djakarta, my mother in Makassar and my Dad in Djokjakarta. At the photo…
As told by Carol Norwood of Pennsylvania, USA The photo from the home page slideshow is of Carol Norwood’s mother named Cita at the age of 2 in January of 1930. They were walking with their baboe (nanny) with mother and baby. Carol’s German grandfather worked for a Dutch company by the name of Senembah…