prisoners of war

The Tomi prison in Fort De Kock served from March 16th 1942 for about 2 weeks as the first internment location for KNIL military personnel. They comprised three companies under Major C.F. Hazenberg, who at the time of the first Japanese landings in Sumatra were underway from central and southern Sumatra. On March 15th they were intercepted by Japanese companies south of Padangsidempoean and, after a short fight, were taken as prisoners of war. In April they were, along with British and Australian prisoners of war from Padang, taken to the Unie Kampong in Belawan.

men

From August 1943 the Tomi prison in Fort De Kock was used to hold hundreds of suspects and condemned people regarding various “political affairs” in northern and central Sumatra. Among them were general-major R.Th. Overakker and colonel G.F.V. Gosenson, the territorial commanders of the KNIL in northern and central Sumatra at the time of the Japanese landings on Sumatra. They were accused of being involved in setting up a resistance group in northern Sumatra. After Overakker and Gosenson were condemned for this in October 1944, they were put to death on January 9th 1945.

Heekeren, C. van, e.a., Het pannetje van Oliemans. Vijfhonderd krijgsgevangenen onder de Japanners, Zuid-Atjeh, 1944 (Franeker 1975-2)

• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 447
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 448
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 449
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 450
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 452
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 454
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 270
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 3085
• Inventory 400, Inv.nr. 4672