Colonel De Brabant was a senior Dutch officer who assumed command of the expeditionary force against Bandjar after the illness of Major Van Heemskerk during the 1868 campaign. He directed the combined land‑sea assault that ultimately secured the fortified kampong of Kali-Anget.
Role in the 1868 Campaign
When Major Van Heemskerk fell ill, Colonel De Brabant took over the leadership of the operation. Under his command, the marine landing division, now reinforced with additional infantry (X bataljon), succeeded in capturing the kraton and the surrounding kampong, leading to the surrender of the local leader Ida Madé Rahi.
Significance
Colonel De Brabant’s leadership exemplified the Dutch practice of rotating senior officers to maintain momentum in protracted colonial campaigns in Aceh.
See Also
- Major Van Heemskerk
- Marine Landings Division
- Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
- Bandjar
- Kali-Anget
- Ida Madé Rahi
Source
De geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Korps Mariniers van 1665‑1945, OCR transcription, pp. 118‑119.