My Grandfather's Photography
Images of the Dutch East Indies
In August of 1945, the proclamation of Indonesian independence was signed. Over four years later, in December 1949, the Netherlands formally handed over sovereignty to the government of the Republic of Indonesia. In between the period of 1945 and 1949, the region was torn by diplomatic hardships and warfare, resulting in estimates of up to 100,000 Indonesian casualties and 6,000 fatalities among soldiers of the Dutch armed forces. Although the intervention of the Netherlands in 1945 was initially viewed as a ‘police action’, a term often used by the Global North to indicate a limited military operation, time has taught us it was nothing short of a war on the wrong side of history; something my grandfather realized and spoke about long before the Dutch government, to a certain extent, acknowledged it.
My grandfather served as a soldier in the Dutch army in East Indonesia from 1946 to 1949. During these years he captured many of his lived experiences through photography, which I only became aware of shortly after his passing in May of last year (2023). All the photographs were assembled into one book, which had remained in a drawer for many years (i.e. decades), and featured over 200 images taken throughout Borneo, Tarakan, Java and other parts of Indonesia. Within these images I recognized a natural curiosity, an eye for humanity, and an appreciation for comradery. On this page the archived images can be found and explored, categorized based on location and accompanied by a short text in which my grandfather’s journey to East Indonesia is briefly described, alongside provided information on my grandfather’s stance on war and the values he stood for. I invite whoever may view these images to examine and learn from the interchanges at play, recognizing that these photographs of the past do not represent all sides of a story but serve as important tokens of a particular side’s collective memory.
Continue the text below or go directly to the categories of the archived images by clicking here.
His time as a Dutch soldier
My grandfather, Jeu, was born on April 8, 1925, in a small town in North Limburg, the Netherlands. The hardworking man that he was, Jeu spent his childhood years in agricultural education preparing himself for the task of becoming a farmer, which he eventually went on to do with great joy. He ran a small livestock ranch, containing not much more than some cattle, porcine, a couple horses and a selection of fruits and vegetables. Although he would’ve been more than content doing this uninterrupted for the rest of his life, the recently introduced obligatory military service meant that his farming days, at least for the time being, were coming to an unintended end. The men that were born in 1925 were part of the first group of people mandated to join the Dutch military, as up until 1946, joining the military was only done on a voluntary basis. Thus, despite having no desire or initial intention to do so, my grandfather joined the Dutch army on July 1st 1946. Jeu was stationed at the Ernst Casemir barracks in Roermond, from which, together with over 800 other soldiers, he was sent to East Indonesia. During this time in history the region was in the middle of the Indonesian National Revolution, which came to symbolize the battle against the decolonization of the former Dutch East Indies. As part of battalion 3-11-RI, Jeu departed by boat (the Kota-baroe) on October 15th 1946 and arrived on November 17th 1946 in Makassar, South Celebes. The first Dutch soldiers to arrive in the region of East Indonesia did so a year prior in 1945, when the beginnings of warfare started to take shape. Upon arrival in South Celebes, the entire battalion received a crash course in guarding. Afterwards the soldiers were divided among different tasks and territories, with my grandfather being stationed on a small island in front of the coast of Borneo, called Tarakan. Here, together with the rest of the group, consisting of a corporal, a sergeant, and about 10 other soldiers, he was tasked to guard the Batavian Oil Company (Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij). The changing of the guards happened on a monthly basis, with the to be guarded location being nearly a night’s boat journey removed from the island. Here, according to my grandfather, despite the barriers of language, the locals were kind and open hearted.
Although Jeu was supposed to only serve two years in the military, due to the ongoing and unfortunate escalation of regional warfare, he ended up staying for over 40 months; a year and four months longer than anticipated. During those years he witnessed many events, met many people, and traveled many places. His time in Indonesia was mostly divided between the island of Tarakan and the vast spans of land on the islands of Celebes and Java. Whereas his time in Tarakan remained relatively peaceful, as the soldiers and locals lived among each other without conflict, the situation on Java and Celebes differentiated quite a bit. Here, unlike in Tarakan, the soldiers were ordered to remain armed and many of the towns and regions were plagued by crime and local gang activity. Although he never liked to talk about it all that much, I know my grandfather and his battalion were not spared the clash of conflict, having had to engage in skirmishes and shootouts. Battalion 3-11-RI lost 24 soldiers between the period of 1946 and 1949.
After 40 months, on December 18th 1949, the journey back to the Netherlands began. The ship, called the Big Bear (de Grote Beer), arrived in Amsterdam on January 8th 1950. From there on the soldiers were transported back to their hometowns by bus. For my grandfather that meant he could finally return to living off the land after a previously unexpected and, quite frankly, unwanted journey. Upon return, the Dutch government offered little to no support or care for the veterans.
My grandpa's morals & principles
I have come to know my grandfather as a man of very few words, he spoke when needed to speak and listened when needed to listen. Calm in his approach and mirroring the character of the strong, silent type, reminiscent of Gary Cooper. Just as anyone, my grandfather had his firm beliefs, however, always grounded in the essence of the morals and values that he strived to uphold. He might have not always agreed or shared the same views as whoever was sitting across from him, but he always believed in the fundamental nature of the human experience: we are all made out of flesh and blood, we all have our hardships, and most importantly, we are all equal. Our differences can perhaps divide us, but at the core, there is far more that unites us; understanding that in arguments people often have the same goal but different opinions on how to achieve it. This belief was at the forefront of everything he did, whether it was farming, raising children or caring for his partner. Despite my grandfather’s scarce use of words, I remember many stories from the past that he shared with my family and me, including tales from his time in the Dutch military. What always struck me most about these stories was the ease with which he voiced his opinion on the subject matter, being comfortable in admitting the wrongdoings of one’s own country and not shying away from the horrors of war or offering an unrealistic and glorified version of it, something which I have learnt is not always a given among the disappearing generations. My grandfather has always resented war for all the destruction and despair it brings upon those who do not deserve it, this is something I often heard him mumble as he was watching one of the many nature documentaries or sport events on television. Perhaps without conscious intentions, my grandfather made sure his morals and principles were always known.
Throughout the various stories I have heard my grandfather tell over the years, I’ll always cherish his ability and willingness to understand the struggle of others. Although I do not know to which degree his mandatory military time, including the witnessed experiences abroad, have helped form his strong belief in equality, I can only come to imagine the lengths and depths of it. With that, I am grateful to having heard many anecdotes and stories being told. Hearing the thoughts and opinions on war and all the destruction and dejection it brings forth from someone who has lived through the Second World War and fought for the Dutch military in a war that he, like all wars and conflicts, did not condone, offers perspective and careful consideration on the significance of lived experiences and the ability and willingness to draw lessons from it. Whenever my grandfather spoke about his time in the army, he often took into consideration the temporal elements at play. Although Jeu stated many times that the Dutch government should have had vastly different intentions going in, he, like many other soldiers and civilians at the time, did not know better than to believe what was being told and propagated by the institutions that are supposed to serve as protectors and indicators of what is right and what is wrong. The thing is, news, knowledge and media did not reach the masses in ways it does now. It wasn’t as fast, it wasn’t as diverse, and it surely wasn’t as multi-layered and comprehensive as it aspires (yet oftentimes fails) to be now. With that being said, Jeu never let this offered nuance shy away from the fact that the Dutch interference between 1945 and 1949 was unlawful, misguided and immoral. In being a man of morals and principles, my grandfather exuberated a willingness to learn, listen, and tackle scenarios with an altruistic approach. Come hell or high water, he would never excuse the wrongdoings of the past because he realized the importance of reflection and acknowledgement in preserving the future.
The photographs on display
From local civilians to mountainous landscapes and soldierly camaraderie to military burial rites; the archived images are thematically diverse and showcase various characteristics that are reflective of the circumstances in which they were taken. The images offer the viewer the opportunity to absorb detailed and unexplored footage of the Dutch military in East Indonesia, and are preserved and highlighted for anyone interested in the confluence of history and photography. They are displayed with informative intentions in mind, allowing all those who are interested to catch a glimpse of the past. An extended elaboration and contextualization of my reasoning behind archiving my grandfather’s photographs, taken during the Indonesian National Revolution, can be read here.
The vast majority of these images do not contain a description, and many of the people, landscapes and objects featured within them remain unknown and undisclosed. Below, the individual categories can be found, divided into the locations of Borneo, Tarakan, and Java, with the final two categories featuring images taken in undisclosed locations and colorized recreations. All categories are accompanied by a gallery slide of 10 selected photographs alongside a link to the separate pages that feature all the images of the corresponding categories.
Borneo
The images on Borneo are mostly set out against a backdrop of nature, where locals and soldiers move through the flowing channels of the regional rivers. These images offer a first glimpse at the themes of humanity and nature. Browse through the gallery for a selection of 10 pictures, or view all the 30 images of this category by clicking here.
Tarakan
Situated in the eastern part of the Celebes sea, near north-east Borneo, during the time of the Dutch East Indies the island of Tarakan was an important location for the production of oil. the images of Tarakan reflect various aspects of military life on the island. Browse through the gallery for a selection, or view all the 66 images of this category by clicking here.
Java
From a covey of newborns to military memorial services; the images taken on Java, one of the Greater Sundra Islands in Indonesia and the world’s most populous island, feature a multitude of sceneries and landscapes. Browse through the gallery for a selection, or view all the 81 images of this category by clicking here.
Undisclosed
From shores to military camps and regional markets; these images do not feature a description or location and are most likely taken throughout various locations between 1946 and 1949. Browse through the gallery for a selection, or view all the 60 images of this category by clicking here.
Colorized
Through the assistance of artificial intelligence, the original black and white photographs have been colorized. Although certain images offer a more realistic colorization than others, it nonetheless helps paint a vivid picture of the world as people would have seen it at the time. Browse through the gallery for a selection, or view additional images in color by clicking here.