Dutch East Indies

[Heliopause]

Aug 5th
Dutch submarine O 23 arrives at Fremantle, Australia after her journey out of Holy Loch, Scotland. She will make a recon patrol on Java's south coast before the end of hostilities.
 

[Heliopause]

August 2nd saw the arrival of the first 14 Mosquito planes of Sqn 1 RAAF at Labuan (British Borneo), followed by seven more on August 4th.

 

"Mosquito aircraft of No. 1 Squadron RAAF now operating against Japanese targets in Borneo. Undergoing a thorough overhaul in readiness for exacting missions ahead"

[Heliopause]

Aug 7th
Sqn 99 RAF (B-24) carries out its last wartime bombing mission. Operating out of the Cocos islands two Japanese airfields near Benkoelen, Sumatra are attacked as these could pose a direct danger to Cocos Airstrip. These bases are bombed followed by strafing the airfield, aircraft and ground equipment. It also proves to be the last RAF bombing mission of WWII.

 

Cocos airstrip. Construction began in 1944 with the first landing(test) performed in January 1945 by an PBY Catalina amphibian of  Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF. The runway then deemed to short and being extended by 2000 yards. Sqn 99 RAF had its first machines arrive on Cocos airstrip on July 16th/17th.

 

B-24's of Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF at Cocos airstrip. The Detachment had arrived on July 9th.

Edited August 7 by Heliopause

[Heliopause]

Aug 8th
Mission towards Kuching by eight Mosquitos of Sqn 1 RAAF out of Labuan. "F/O Hall swung on take off and crashed into stationary Kittyhawk resulting in serious damage". "Some u/s barges strafed at Kuching area. Barracks north of river strafed, one smouldered. Two possible store huts strafed and damaged, both appeared unused. No activity on Kuching aerodrome, which appears u/s. Meagre light accurate A/A from S.W. of Kuching aerodrome; one aircraft holed by .5 . Duty 5 crashed into river. Crew considered killed. Target area considered of no value for Mosquito aircraft".

 

Mosquito Sqn 1 RAAF at Labuan 

 

 

[Heliopause]

Aug 9th
Eight P-40's of Sqn 120 NEI carry out a mission in the afternoon. In the Foe Manoe area enemy personnel and targets of opportunity are bombed and strafed.

Another three P-40's give cover for three American C-47's searching for a C-47 missing in the Manokwari area.
 

[Heliopause]

Aug 11th
Armed recce by nine P-40's of Sqn 120 NEI. Three machines fly towards the Nabire area, three to the Andai area and the remaining three to the Ranski-Moemi area. The machine flown by pilot Van Olmen is seen to crash after hitting a tree and catching fire whilst strafing Moemi airstrip (to the south of Manokwari).

[Heliopause]

Aug 12th
Sqn 120 NEI has pairs of P-40's fly searches for a missing C-47 on the 12th and 13th.

 

Aug 14th
The first B-25's of Sqn 18 NEI and Sqn 2 RAAF arrive at Balikpapan, Borneo. The ground echelons had already arrived on July 17th by Liberty ships out of Morotai.

 

Sqn 120 NEI carries out searches on the 14th, 15th and 16th for a missing B-25 (Sqn 2 RAAF has one machine missing between Darwin and Biak).

 

Sqn 203 RAF has two B-24's carry out a mission out of the Cocos Islands to investigate enemy shipping movements. Between Java and Sumatra one machine is lost due to enemy fighters. Several of the crew are killed when the aircraft ditches into the sea. A radar equipped Liberator of Sqn 356 RAF performs the squadrons last operation searching for survivors.

 

Liberator of Sqn 203 at Cocos airstrip.

[Heliopause]

Aug 15th
The crew of Dutch submarine 0 19 at Fremantle, Australia throws in a welcome party for the crew of US submarine USS Cod as it returns from her war patrol. Cod had rescued the Dutchies from 0 19 on July 9th/10th. News of Japans surrender gives even more joy to the party.

 

USS Cod is preserved as a museum ship and memorial permantly moored in Cleveland, Ohio. Visible are the 0 19 symbol for rescuing and the Martini glass for the party. 

[Heliopause]

Aug 17th
Last operational flight for Sqn 120 NEI. A Recon flight towards Manokwari out of Biak. Enemy AA is present indicating that the news of surrender has not reached all enemy outposts.

 

P-40 Sqn 120 NEI with bomb symbols painted on nose.

[Heliopause]

Aug 18th
Mission flown by a B-25 of Sqn 2 RAAF out of Balikpapan, Borneo. Recce of Japanese shipping in Java sea and Makassar Straits. "Nil bombs to be carried. Full ammunition to be carried. No attack to be made on any target without provocation". Nil important sightings apart from a few native prahus along the Kangean - Bali - Lombok coasts.
Another B-25 also performs a mission with "Meagre probable 25mm. accurate to inaccurate from Grissee".

 

B-25's Sqn 2 RAAF seen at Balikpapan, Borneo.

[Heliopause]

Aug 19th
Mission flown by a B-25 of Sqn 2 RAAF out of Balikpapan, Borneo. "Areas covered by possible ack-ack to be avoided. Nil bombs. Leaflets dropped at Boeloedowang, Takalar and Galesong (all S.W.Celebes) 1500 at each place".

 

Aug 20th
Mission flown by a B-25 of Sqn 2 RAAF out of Balikpapan, Borneo. "Leaflet drop on Bandjermasin" (Borneo). Another machine also performs a mission with: "11,000 leaflets were dropped along south coast Madoera Island" (N.E.Java).

[jeanba]

Fantastic thread

Thank you for all those stories heliopause 

[Heliopause]

I will put some extra info the next few weeks and then thats it ... the war was over ☺️

 

 

Aug 22nd
Mission flown by a B-25 of Sqn 2 RAAF out of Balikpapan, Borneo. "Meagre m/g inaccurate from stern position of a small navalsloop or frigate stationary near wrecks at north entrance to Soerabaja Strait" and "A probable Mavis airborne over Soerabaja". Some 6,500 leaflets are dropped along the north coast of Bali-Banjoewangi-Nth. coast Madoera. Another machine sights "only the native craft" with "6,500 leaflets dropped along the north coast of Bali, Lombok and Soembawa".

 

Machine of Sqn 2 RAAF at Morotai

[Heliopause]

Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF crews seen in front of their B-24 Liberators at Cocos Airstrip sometime after the surrender.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Missionbug]

This has been a really interesting thread to go through, great work, thanks for doing the work really appreciated.

 

 

Take care and be safe.

 

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[Heliopause]

On the 22nd and 23rd of August Sqn 31 RAAF carried out leaflet dropping over the Halmaheras. The missions conducted out of Tarakan. On the first day of the month the squadron had carried out its final attack mission. Two Beaufighters performed a rocket attack on a W/T at Kuching out of Labuan. "The mission was quite successful and resulted in the complete dislocation of the station".

 

Beaufighter of Sqn 31 RAAF seen here at Morotai

Edited August 25 by Heliopause

[Heliopause]

Aug 28th
Sqn 2 RAAF at Balikpapan, Borneo carries out its daily recon missions. "A few personnel identified as Japanese were seen waving at some scattered points along the beaches of North cost Bali". Another B-25 crew reporting: "A few Japanese were observed on the Singaraja area waving hats. Normal shipping sightings, also".

[Heliopause]

[Heliopause]

Sept 2nd
Recce mission by Sqn 1 RAAF out of Labuan. "Recce Kuching for message Lintang Barracks. One aircraft, possible Sonia took off from Kuching airfield on course 210. Three other aircraft on ground. All aircraft bore white crosses or red pennants. Some showers enroute otherwise good".

 

On behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Admiral C. Helfrich accepts the Japanese surrender on the battleship USS Missouri. Around this time he is informed that his wife and two daughters are found in an internee camp near Batavia (Jakarta). His two sons are probable in an internee camp near Bandung.

[SARFlytitus]

@Heliopause  I just discovered this fantastic thread.

Now I can clear up some of my confusion about the Pacific War.

 

Thank you so much.

[Heliopause]

Sep 3rd
Mission flown by a B-25 of Sqn 2 RAAF out of Balikpapan, Borneo. At Macassar an Prisoner of War camp is located. A code is dropped in order to set up a wireless (successful the next day). For the next three weeks supplies are dropped by the Squadron aircraft with the Commanding officer landing the first Allied aircraft in the Celebes on Sept 12th. On September 24th the Squadron begins its conversion to the transport role.

 

Return to the colony. First ML-KNIL plane to land at Laha, Ambon island. From left: Lt. W.F.A. Winckel, SM. Wardenaar and Sgt. Snoeck. Winckel had started flying in the Dutch East Indies in the 1930's on the Glenn Martin B-10 bomber. During the start of hostilities he flew the Lockheed Lodestar on many a mission.

Out of Australia he flew B-25 missions with Sqn 18 NEI. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 101.
 

[Heliopause]

Sept 4th
Recce missions by Sqn 1 RAAF out of Labuan. "Recce Kuching. Signals LXLLL on hut roof. "A.I.F. Officers" on ground. C.47 appeared to take off from strip. Man in compound with flags but did not signal".
"Seaward Recce, negative results, only 50% coverage. At Saigon one surfaced Sub, one FTO 4000 tons two cargoes 2000 tons. Several aircraft Long Than aerodrome. One Topsy flight Long Than to Saigon. Much M/T activity in area. Hoa Trink one train with vehicles. Phu Nuan barracks with possible white men".

 

Some of the pilots of Sqn 1 RAAF at Labuan.

[Heliopause]

Sqn 18 NEI at Balikpapan starts to fly for the RAPWI (Recovery Allied Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees) organization with relief goods being dropped by parachute. However today one machine is lost with B-25 N5-255 crashing at Malino, Celebes.

[Heliopause]

A number of transport planes of Sqn 19 NEI are ordered to Java for the RAPWI (Recovery of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees) organisation. Five C-47's and five TB-25's have set out on Sept 8th to Merauke out of Townsville, Australia. On Sep 9th the route flown was Biak - Morotai and today the machines are flown to Balikpapan, Borneo. On Sept 13th TB-25 N5-129 is flown to Kemajoran airfield at Batavia (Jakarta). It is the first Allied aircraft to land on Java. On the 17th the C-47 and remaining TB-25 planes also arrive at Kemajoran airfield.

 

B-25 N5-129 with RAPWI sign on nose

[Heliopause]

Lt-Col. Asjes will soon be Head of RAPWI H.Q. Control Staff of Java. Other organisations have also recently been set up like "Kantoor displaced persons" (Office of Displaced Persons) a Dutch organisation together with "Leger Organisatie Centum" (Army Organisation Centre) focussing on food, medicine, registration, housing, etc.
B-25's of Sqn 18 NEI stationed at Balikpapan, Borneo also participate with supply drops of food, medicine and clothes over the internee camps on Java. The squadron started performing such missions on September 2nd.

 

Asjes had commanded Sqn 18 NEI for a tour in 1944 whilst the squadron was operating out of Batchelor, Australia. He is seen here sitting on the left facing camera with the TB-25's behind at Kemajoran airfield, September 1945. Post war he kept flying besides working for the Shell Oil Company (amongst others). He passed away in 1997.