We - me and my father - were staying well west of Arnhem when we did Arnhem in 2004. Each day we passed a large cemetery so decided to pop in to find it was a Dutch cemetery from 1940. Might be able to find some photos, sometime. These are relevant, I think the second one is available as a reprint now:
Good book about the opening phase of the invasion, "Battle for The Hague: 1940", by E.H. Brongers. By the way, and hoping this does not deviate that much from the main subject of the thread, does anyone know why the Dutch Indies, both Western and Eastern, were so independent from European Holland? Several instances mention that even arms deals were made by the authorities in both Batavia and Paramaribo, I don't know if with the blessing of Amsterdam. Administrative arrangements of the Dutch Government, or something born out of necessity after May 1940?
Without checking I suspect it was because the Dutch Government was in exile, they were evacuated under Op Harpoon, so other territories continued fighting when and where they could. It was only the Dutch armed forces that surrendered in Holland on the 15th May.
Well one and all seems this thread was a good idea and is flowing nicely.............but I have yet to hear the sound of clogs
I'm sure the Klompen Tanzer's will be along soon I had to Google that! but what I sight it would be to see Phillip and the likes of Ramon, doing such things and I though Morris dancers, were strange
Even the army was split: The Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger - KNIL - or Royal Dutch East Indies Army (including air and naval components), was independent from the Royal Netherlands Army based in The Hague and commanded by Winkelman in May 1940. The fact that it was created like this back in the XIX century, would provide some substance to the concept of autonomy due to distance and non-efficient communications (at least in those years), which was not revised afterwards.
Quite a few of the Dutch SOE personnel were recruited from the Dutch East Indies Army and returned there early in 1945 just in time to face an independence war.
Quite a few of the Dutch SOE personnel were recruited from the Dutch East Indies Army and returned there early in 1945 just in time to face an independence war. Already thinking beyond WW2? Japanese offerings of independence throughout SE Asia were well known to the Allied intelligence apparatus, and the Dutch weren't about to give up that part of their Empire so easily.
Not just the Japanese but the American's also Democrats always try to break the mold, and Roosevelt was no exception, having the thought for the Philippines since the early 30's.
Without checking I suspect it was because the Dutch Government was in exile, they were evacuated under Op Harpoon, so other territories continued fighting when and where they could. It was only the Dutch armed forces that surrendered in Holland on the 15th May. It indeed was only the Dutch army that surrendered, but because the Dutch government and Royal family had left the country, the Germans had to establish a new civil government. About operation Harpoon: (Dutch) Go2War2.nl - Britse troepen in Nederland in mei 1940
I've got all the Op Harpoon files from Kew-I've just been considering downloading them all, but there's quite a few reports and maps. Anyone interested?
I've got all the Op Harpoon files from Kew-I've just been considering downloading them all, but there's quite a few reports and maps. Anyone interested? Absolutely!
It indeed was only the Dutch army that surrendered, but because the Dutch government and Royal family had left the country, the Germans had to establish a new civil government. About operation Harpoon: (Dutch) Go2War2.nl - Britse troepen in Nederland in mei 1940 Nice article on your site Pieter. I have my Computer set up to automatically translate any articles I find on Dutch sites.
That is a nice add Rob. We (STIWOT) are in touch with student translators who could translate our articles about Dutch subjects into English, as there is indeed no much information to find in English about it. I wrote the article for a magazine which was published in Holland and Belgium. It is the Dutch version of BBC's World at War magazine.
