Mandoers — overseers in Dutch colonial military vocabulary — were the native overseers employed by the K.N.I.L. to supervise the forced labourers (dwangarbeiders) in the field operations of the Atjeh-oorlog, organised in small numbers (typically one or two to a detachment of 15–25 dwangarbeiders) and attached to the various Dutch columns. The mandoers are the principal native supervisory personnel of the 1896 campaign in ATJEH ‘96 (1913).
Role and organisation
The mandoers were employed by the K.N.I.L. to supervise the forced labourers in the field operations of the Atjeh-oorlog. They were organised in small numbers — typically one or two to a detachment of 15–25 dwangarbeiders — and attached to the various Dutch columns. Each company of infantry, section of artillery, detachment of engineers, and platoon of cavalry was allocated one mandour for its 15 dwangarbeiders; each battery of artillery was allocated one mandour for its 12 dwangarbeiders; each ambulance was allocated one mandour for its 15 dwangarbeiders. The mandoers were fed according to the same schaftorde (ration scale) as the dwangarbeiders.
The 1896 campaign
The mandoers were the principal native supervisory personnel of the 1896 campaign. The 1e Deel of ATJEH ‘96 records the mandoers’ allocation to the various Dutch columns of the year, including the relief column of Biloel and Lamkoenjit on 8 April 1896 (where the column’s train was allocated 8 mandoers and 166 dwangarbeiders) and the great tuchtiging of the IV and VI Moekims of 23–25 May 1896 (where the column was allocated 4 mandoers and 215 dwangarbeiders under the gewestelijke intendant). The Tweede Deel records the mandoers’ allocation to the expedition to Lepong of August 1896 — for which the Nota betreffende de verpleging van troepen en dwangarbeiders bij den tocht naar Lepong (Bijlage XIV of the Tweede Deel) set out the detailed arrangements for the feeding and care of the mandoers and dwangarbeiders.
Significance
The mandoers are the principal native supervisory personnel of the 1896 campaign in ATJEH ‘96 and the principal native supervisors of the forced labourers. The mandoers’ role in the supervision of the dwangarbeiders was essential to the conduct of the Dutch field operations, and their care and feeding were the subject of the Nota betreffende de verpleging van troepen en dwangarbeiders bij den tocht naar Lepong (Bijlage XIV of the Tweede Deel of ATJEH ‘96).
See Also
- ATJEH ‘96 (book by A. Kruisheer)
- 1896
- Dwangarbeiders
- Beren (dwangarbeiders)
- Schaftorde
- Tandoes
- K.N.I.L.
- Militair Commando van Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden
- Relief of Biloel and Lamkoenjit (8 April 1896)
- Three-day Dutch offensive of 23–25 May 1896
- Excursie to Lepong and Lohong (10–14 August 1896)
- Aceh War
Source
ATJEH ‘96. 1e Deel, door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L. (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913), Hoofdstuk I, p. 53: trein … 8 mandoers en 166 dwangarbeiders; Hoofdstuk II, p. 271: 4 mandoers en 215 dwangarbeiders ter beschikking van den Gewestelijken Intendant.
ATJEH ‘96. Tweede Deel (2c Deel), door A. Kruisheer (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913), Bijlage XIV, Nota betreffende de verpleging van troepen en dwangarbeiders bij den tocht naar Lepong.