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36-738: From 1832 to 1950 a substantial colonial army was maintained in the Dutch East Indies under the title of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). Following Indonesian independence the Dutch and indigenous personnel of this force were demobilised but with the establishment of the Regiment van Heutsz on July 1, 1950, the traditions and distinctions of the KNIL were transferred to the new regiment. These included

72-686: A sizeable European military segment in the KNIL and reduce costly recruitment in Europe, the colonial government introduced obligatory military service for all resident male conscripts in the European legal class in 1917. In 1922 a supplemental legal enactment introduced the creation of the Home Guard ( Dutch : Landstorm ) for European conscripts older than 32. Dutch forces in the Netherlands East Indies were severely weakened by

108-587: A small number had been delivered, and many were obsolete models. There were five groups, three of bombers and two of fighters, each of three to four squadrons. A sixth depot group provided support, transport and training. Reconnaissance aircraft were placed directly under command of the Army to give support to ground troops. Despite stubborn resistance the Japanese occupied the Dutch colonies , though numbers of aircraft found their way to northern Australia to continue

144-642: Is shown on every parade and function of the regiment in tandem with the Sovereign's Colour awarded years after (which makes the regiment the only one in the RNA to carry a UK-style strand of colours). American and Korean battle streamers, representing the US Presidential Unit Citation , are attached to this flag. The Regiment suffered 116 Dutch and 20 attached-Korean soldiers killed in action , three soldiers are still MIA , while one Dutchman

180-749: The Dutch East Indies , in areas that are now part of Indonesia . The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force . Elements of the Royal Netherlands Navy and Government Navy were also stationed in the Netherlands East Indies. The KNIL was formed by royal decree on 14 September 1814. It was not part of the Royal Netherlands Army , but a separate military arm specifically formed for service in

216-790: The Japanese occupation , most of the Dutch and Ambonese personnel were interned in POW camps. During the Indonesian National Revolution , the KNIL's officers were still largely Dutch and Eurasians although most of its troops were recruited from predominantly Indonesian Christian ethnicities, particularly Batak, Moluccas, Timor and Manado. Although there were smaller numbers of Javanese, Sundanese , Sumatran and other Muslim troops in Dutch service, these received comparatively lower rates of pay than their Christian counterparts, leading to resentment and distrust. The Dutch sought to take advantage of these ethnic tensions by claiming that

252-644: The Netherlands East Indies . Its establishment coincided with the Dutch drive to expand colonial rule from the 17th century area of control to the far larger territories constituting the Dutch East Indies seventy years later. The KNIL was involved in many campaigns against indigenous groups in the area including the Padri War (1821–1845), the Java War (1825–1830), crushing the final resistance of Bali inhabitants to colonial rule in 1849, and

288-599: The United Kingdom and United States were forbidden from serving. Other foreigners who could not prove fluency in either Dutch or German were also not accepted for service. It was against the law to send Dutch conscripts from the Netherlands to the East Indies but Dutch volunteers continued to enlist for colonial service in the KNIL. In 1890 a Colonial Reserve Corps (Koloniale Reserve) was established in

324-820: The defeat and occupation of the Netherlands itself, by Nazi Germany , in 1940. The KNIL was cut off from external Dutch assistance, except by Royal Netherlands Navy units. The KNIL, hastily and inadequately, attempted to transform into a modern military force able to protect the Dutch East Indies from foreign invasion. By December 1941, Dutch forces in Indonesia numbered around 85,000 personnel: regular troops consisted of about 1,000 officers and 34,000 enlisted soldiers, of whom 28,000 were indigenous. The remainder were made up of locally organised militia, territorial guard units and civilian auxiliaries. The KNIL air force, Militaire Luchtvaart KNIL ( Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force ; ML-KNIL) numbered 389 planes of all types, but

360-575: The 19th century. During the protracted Aceh War the numbers of European troops were kept to 12,000 but continued Achenese resistance necessitated the deployment of up to 23,000 indigenous soldiers (mainly from Java , Ambon , and Manado ). Even slaves of the Ashanti ( Ivory Coast and Ghana ) were recruited in limited numbers for service in the East Indies (see Belanda Hitam ). The ratio of foreign and indigenous troops to those of Dutch origin

396-562: The Ambonese would lose their special privileges and pensions under a Javanese-dominated government. As noted above, these factors contributed to clashes between demobilised KNIL units and the Republic of Indonesia 's military throughout 1950. Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force ( Dutch : Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger , ML-KNIL )

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432-501: The Dutch soldiers in that battalion interned and imprisoned 500 of their Indonesian native comrades within the camp. Harsh treatment and penalties were issued out by the Dutch on any independence seeking soldiers. This led to the deaths of two KNIL native soldiers; one was a possible suicide and the other was a protest leader. This brought about condemnation from Australian locals, who forced the Australian authorities to repatriate all

468-657: The Dutch, at least two died. The traditions of the Regiment van Heutsz are currently maintained by one battalion serving as part of 11 Luchtmobiele (Airmobile) Brigade : From 2006 to 2010, the battalion formed the basis of the battlegroup attached to Task Force Uruzgan , the primary Dutch component of the multi-national forces in Afghanistan . For this, the regiment was awarded with the battle honour "Noord-Kandahar 2006 en Uruzgan 2006-2009" for operations in Afghanistan, especially for combat operations in 2006 and 2007,

504-459: The Indonesian archipelago. After 1904 the Netherlands East Indies were considered pacified, with no large-scale armed opposition to Dutch rule until World War II , and the KNIL served a mainly defensive role protecting the Dutch East Indies from the possibility of foreign invasion. Once the archipelago was considered pacified the KNIL was mainly involved with military policing tasks. To ensure

540-632: The Japanese as POWs . 25% of the POWs did not survive their internment. A handful of soldiers, mostly indigenous personnel, mounted guerrilla campaigns against the Japanese. These were usually unknown to, and unassisted by, the Allies until the end of the war. During early 1942, some KNIL personnel escaped to Australia. Some indigenous personnel were interned in Australia under suspicion of sympathies with

576-669: The Japanese. The remainder began a long process of re-grouping. In late 1942, a failed attempt to land in East Timor , to reinforce Australian commandos waging a guerrilla campaign ended with the loss of 60 Dutch personnel. Four "Netherlands East Indies" squadrons (the RAAF-NEI squadrons ) were formed from ML-KNIL personnel, under the auspices of the Royal Australian Air Force , with Australian ground staff. KNIL infantry forces (much like their counterparts in

612-547: The KNIL ceased to exist but its traditions are maintained by the Regiment Van Heutsz of the modern Royal Netherlands Army . At the time of disbandment the KNIL numbered 65,000, of whom 26,000 were incorporated into the new Indonesian Army and should be received with the same rank. Some of them later in the 70s reached the rank of Major General in Indonesian Army. It is estimated that around 39,000 of

648-594: The KNIL were involved in an abortive coup in Bandung planned by Raymond Westerling and Sultan Hamid II . The coup failed and only accelerated the dissolution of the federal Republic of the United States of Indonesia . The KNIL was disbanded by 26 July 1950 with its indigenous personnel being given the option of demobilising or joining the newly formed Indonesian military . However, efforts to integrate former KNIL units were impeded by mutual distrust between

684-497: The Netherlands itself to recruit and train these volunteers and to re-integrate them into Dutch society upon the conclusion of their overseas service. On the eve of the Japanese invasion in December 1941, Dutch regular troops in the East Indies consisted of about 1,000 officers and 34,000 men, of whom 28,000 were indigenous. The largest proportion of these "native troops" had always consisted of Javanese and Sundanese soldiers. During

720-643: The UK ), were augmented by recruitment among Dutch expatriates around the world and by colonial troops from as far away as the Dutch West Indies . During 1944–45, some small units saw action in the New Guinea campaign and Borneo campaign . Just south of Casino, New South Wales , a camp was established in 1942 for a KNIL Technical Battalion. Upon the declaration of the Indonesian Republic,

756-414: The actual war, as the units that arrived after the armistice (July 27, 1953) did not participate in any fighting. The Korean War battalion of Regiment van Heutsz was formed on 9 September 1950. They left the Netherlands on October 26, 1950, and arrived Pusan on 23 November 1950, but took the detachment as its first battalion. The regiment has the battle honor Korea 1950–1954 on its colors. In Korea,

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792-476: The army consisted of European soldiers, while the other half was made up of indigenous soldiers. However, starting from the late 1830s the ratio between European soldiers and indigenous soldiers went from 1:1 to 1:3. The reason for this was that there were not enough European volunteers to keep up with the recruitment of indigenous soldiers. Besides European volunteers and indigenous recruits the KNIL also recruited foreign mercenaries of several nationalities during

828-643: The designation of ML-KNIL on 30 March 1939. In 1950, following Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence, its bases and facilities were handed over to the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU). On 1 January 1942, the Dutch forces joined the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command , but at the onset of the Japanese assault the ML-KNIL was not up to full combat strength. Of the aircraft that had been ordered, only

864-451: The fight. Four Dutch squadrons were formed in Australia. The first of these, No. 18 (NEI) Squadron RAAF , was formed in April 1942 as a medium bomber squadron equipped with B-25 Mitchell aircraft. The second joint Australian-NEI squadron, No. 119 (NEI) Squadron RAAF , was also to be a medium bomber squadron. No. 119 NEI Squadron was only active between September and December 1943 when it

900-506: The imprisoned soldiers, despite being reluctant to heed earlier requests for assistance. Following World War II, the KNIL was used in two large military campaigns in 1947 and 1948 to re-establish Dutch control of Indonesia. The KNIL and its Ambonese auxiliaries have been accused of committing war crimes during this "police action". Dutch efforts to re-establish their colony failed and Netherlands recognition of Indonesian sovereignty came on 27 December 1949. On 26 January 1950, elements of

936-702: The inscription 'Military Operations Royal Dutch East Indies Army 1816-1950', still carried on the King's Colour. The van Heutsz Regiment was incorporated into the Nederlands Detachement Verenigde Naties (NDVN) ( Netherlands Detachment United Nations ), which also included the Dutch Naval component sent to Korea. While 16,225 people volunteered for service in Korea, only 3,418 men were accepted and sent. 2,980 of those participated in

972-445: The number of Africans much higher ) and at least 1,666 Eurasian recruits. The officer corps was wholly European and was probably close to 1,300. There were also about 1,300 horses. Recruitment was carried out in the Netherlands and Indonesia, with over 1,000 Dutch subjects and 500 foreigners enlisting annually. The foreign troops consisted of Flemish , German , Swiss , and French volunteers. Walloons , Arabs , and nationals of both

1008-479: The operation Tura Ghar in 2008-2009 and the actions of the doorgunners between 2006 and 2009. Royal Netherlands East Indies Army The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army ( Dutch : Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger ; KNIL , pronounced [knɪl] ; Indonesian : Tentara Kerajaan Hindia Belanda ) was the military force maintained by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of

1044-510: The predominantly Ambonese KNIL troops and the Javanese -dominated Republican military, leading to clashes at Makassar in April and the attempted secession of an independent Republic of South Maluku (RMS) in July. These revolts were suppressed by November 1950 and approximately 12,500 Ambonese KNIL personnel and their families opted for temporary resettlement in the Netherlands. Following this,

1080-509: The prolonged Aceh War (1873–1904). In 1894, Lombok and Karangasem were annexed in response to reports of the local Balinese aristocracy oppressing the native Sasak people. Bali was finally taken under full control with the Dutch intervention in Bali (1906) and the final Dutch intervention in Bali (1908) . In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the KNIL resumed the conquest of

1116-611: The remaining KNIL troops who majority of whom came from Ambon , took the option of retiring or joining the Royal Dutch Armed Forces and serving in Papua or Suriname. Some of them were involved in the Dutch contingent in Korean War (1950–1953). During its formation, it was stated that the KNIL would include both European and indigenous soldiers. In the beginning the KNIL was equally divided, which meant that half

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1152-590: The van Heutsz troops (being understrength) were re-enforced by South Korean " KATCOM " troops. The Dutch served at three key battles, all around the Iron Triangle sector between 1951 and 1953. Since the Regiment van Heutsz did not have its colors in 1950, a Dutch flag that was used in Korea as the battle flag of the Nederlands Detachement Verenigde Naties became the regimental colour. This flag now has official status and

1188-502: Was largely outclassed by superior Japanese planes. The Royal Netherlands Navy Air Service, or MLD, also had significant forces in the NEI. During the Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–42, by forces of the Empire of Japan, most of the KNIL and other Allied forces were quickly defeated. Most European soldiers, which in practice included all able bodied Indo-European males, were interned by

1224-478: Was reported to be 60% to 40%. After the Aceh War, the enlistment of non-Dutch European troops ceased and the KNIL came to consist of Dutch regulars recruited in the Netherlands itself, Indonesians, Indos (Eurasians), and Dutch colonists living in the East Indies and undertaking their military service. In 1884 personnel strength was numbered at 13,492 European, 14,982 Indonesian, 96 African (though some sources put

1260-807: Was taken prisoner and died in a North Korean POW camp. The Dutch casualties are buried at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan , including their commander, Lt. Col. Marinus Petrus Antonius den Ouden , who was killed in action during the Battle of Hoengsong in February 1951 (Den Ouden posthumously received the Netherlands' highest military award, the Military Order of William ). A total of 381 soldiers were wounded. A total of 115 Surinamese soldiers also fought together with

1296-497: Was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia ) from 1939 until 1950. It was an entirely separate organisation from the Royal Netherlands Air Force . The unit was founded in 1915 as the "Test Flight Service" ( Proefvliegafdeling-KNIL, PVA-KNIL ). In 1921, it became the "Aviation Service" ( Luchtvaartafdeling-KNIL, LA-KNIL ), before finally receiving

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