Town:
Tantoei District:
Ambon Region:
Moluccas Location:
Tantoei is on Ambon Island, on the north coast of the southern peninsula of Leitimor, on Ambon Bay, northeast of Ambon-city.
Internees: prisoners of war Number of internees: 1.250 Number of deceased: 400 (including executions and bombardments) Information: Allied prisoners of war on Ambon were gathered into a new military encampment in Tantoei, encircled with barbed wire. On 29 April 1942 a large number of native KNIL military personnel were set free. On October 26th approximately 500 prisoners of war left for Hainan (southern China). The rest, mainly Australians, stayed on Ambon throughout the Japanese occupation. They were put to work, among other things working on repairs and clearing after Allied air attacks. During an Allied attack on 15 February 1943, a Japanese munitions depot in Tantoei was hit, killing several dozen of the prisoners of war in the camp. Due to bombardments and executions, but mainly due to the regime of systematic abuse, neglect, and starvation, by August 1945 two thirds of the Australian prisoners of war were dead. The 130 survivors - 123 Australians, 7 Dutch and 1 American - were taken by American warships to Morotai on September 10th 1945. Commendant: ltz. Ando (juni 1942-april 1943); kpt. Shiozawa Kazue (vanaf april 1943) Guards: Japanese military personnel, Koreans Camp leaders: lt.-kol. J.R.L. Kapitz; lt.-kol. W.R.J. Scott Literature: Heynneman, R., Ibu Maluku. The story of Jeanne Marie van Diejen-Roemen (Hartwell 2002) Vader, H.J., Bericht uit Hainan. Dagboek van A.J. von Metzsch, krijgsgevangene op het eiland Hainan en zijn ontsnapping naar de Chinezen van de Kwomintang, 5 mei 1943-21 september 1945 (Middelburg 1994)
Internees: men and boys Number of internees: 160 Number of deceased: 6 (at least) Information: At the end of 1942 the “European” internees at the STOVIL in Ambon City were taken to a new military encampment in Tantoei, where the men and boys were kept separated from the women and children. The men’s camp was separated from the women’s with barbed wire. During an Allied attack on 15 February 1943, a Japanese munitions depot in Tantoei was hit, killing six of the men in the men’s camp. Because of this attack, the civilian men and boys were taken to the Advent Church in Ambon City. Commendant: ltz. Ando Guards: Koreans Literature: Stolk, T. en P. Seth Paul, Hoe het ons verging... op Zuidwest Celebes en omliggende eilanden (Emmen [1994])
Internees: women and children Number of internees: 340 Number of deceased: 22 (at least) Information: At the end of 1942 the “European” internees at the STOVIL in Ambon City were taken to a new military encampment in Tantoei, where the men and boys were kept separated from the women and children. The men’s camp was separated from the women’s with barbed wire. During an Allied attack on 15 February 1943, a Japanese munitions depot in Tantoei was hit, killing 22 of the women in the women’s camp. Because of this attack, the women and children were taken to the Bethany Church in Ambon City. Commendant: ltz. Ando Guards: Koreans Camp leaders: mw. J.C. Valderpoort-Wierts van Coehoorn Literature: Heynneman, R., Ibu Maluku. The story of Jeanne Marie van Diejen-Roemen (Hartwell 2002) Valkenburg, R., Djoenkeng owari/Het appèl is afgelopen (Dordrecht 1977-2) Stolk, T. en P. Seth Paul, Hoe het ons verging... op Zuidwest Celebes en omliggende eilanden (Emmen [1994])