Were there any Dutch nazis in the East Indies?

Discussion in 'War Against Japan' started by NoFlag, May 3, 2022.

  1. NoFlag

    NoFlag Member

    The Dutch nazi party "Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging in Nederland" was founded pre-war, in 1931, and existed through WW2. Were there any members or supporters among the Dutch population in the Dutch East Indies? And if so, what did they do when the Japanese invaded? Were there any collaborators with Japan from this group?
     
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  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    I've read about how the Dutch population were dealt with after the surrender, the civilians were interned - mainly in the islands - and have never seen any reference to collaborators from within. Does Google not help?

    There are scholarly articles on Dutch war crimes trials after VJ-Day, on JSTOR for example, none appear to concern collaborators and this blogsite article offers very little: Did the Dutch carry out trials for collaboration with the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies?
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2022
  3. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    Hello,

    There are several articles on JSTOR which would assist your enquiries. I have access to them but don't wish to bring down a storm on this forum.

    This provides background.

    Staged Glory: The Impact of Fascism on ‘Cooperative’ Nationalist Circles in Late Colonial Indonesia, 1935–1942 in: Fascism Volume 7 Issue 1 (2018)

    Rest of article at link.

    Regards,

    Dave
     
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  4. NoFlag

    NoFlag Member

    No, I couldn't find any definite answers via Google, that's why I came here. I do know that the "Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging in Nederland" collaborated with the Axis in Europe, so I thought it was worth finding out if they did the same in the colonies. Considering that Japanese propaganda claimed that Japan was giving "independence" to the local Indonesians from Dutch rule, I wouldn't be surprised if any Dutch nazis were just thrown in to internment camps along with the rest of the Dutch population there. But still, I don't like to just assume...

    Thank you for the link, I'll have a look and see if I can get access.
     
  5. TijgerB

    TijgerB Member

    Without looking in any searches I will say no. As I remember Germans and Dutch Nazis were arrested and inteerned on 10th May 1940. When the Germans attacked the Netherlands.
    After 7th December 1941 they were deported to British India but the ship was torpedoed on the way. The result was that many drowned because the crew left the ship leaving them behind.
     
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  6. NoFlag

    NoFlag Member

    Could I ask where you found this information?
     
  7. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    This may be the incident:

    The Dutch ship SS Van Imhoff was sunk on 19th January 1942 following an air attack by Japanese aircraft while transporting Germans interned in the Dutch East Indies to Ceylon. 65 of the 473 internees survived, some going on to form the short lived Republic of Nias.

    Guards opened a few of the internee cages and threw them the keys before abandoning the ship. The Dutch crew took the lifeboats & leaving the internees with possibly a lifeboat stuck in its lowering mechanism, a punt, bamboo rafts & lifejackets. It was reported in a German newspaper that a dutch rescue ship Boelongan which reached surviving internees on 20th Jan sailed away without rescuing any internees or leaving food & water.


    https://historyofyesterday.com/dutch-ship-sunk-in-1942-remains-a-political-issue-575cd6cfdd47

    VanImhoff.info - home
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2022
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  8. NoFlag

    NoFlag Member

    It sounds like it. Although I see no mention of Dutch Nazis on the ship.
     
  9. TijgerB

    TijgerB Member

    As I said it was from memory
     
  10. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    When I was looking at the dedicated website for the sinking I did notice that many of the German nationals aboard the Van Imhoff, had in fact been in the Dutch East Indies for many years and had 15-20 yrs service to the NEI Air Force or Police. Many had been WW1 pow's captured in China & held in Japan, who post WW1 were offered posts in the NEI. Is it possible that as long established residents working for the NEI govt & Dutch companies they could have been described as "Dutch Nazis" by an outside commentator or writer.
     
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  11. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Nor - thanks to Travers research - can that one or more German POWs held in Japan in WW1 (presumably in quite small numbers, given the size of German forces in China) developed or were encouraged to have an affinity for Japan. I am mindful that there was a known traitor serving Japan who was finally detained in Singapore.

    Secondly, I think the Dutch considered they were lucky to remain neutral in WW1, but the shock of the blitzkreig war in May 1940, such as the bombing of Rotterdam, made any German a potential enemy - so "round them up". Which was what happened in the UK too.
     
  12. NoFlag

    NoFlag Member

    I wouldn't consider them to be.
    A "Dutch Nazi" in my opening post implies a native Dutch national who was a follower of National Socialism, like the aforementioned followers of "Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging in Nederland".
     

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