Dr. Döring was a Dutch medical officer 2nd class (officier van Gezondheid der 2e klasse) of the Netherlands Indies Army in Atjeh in 1876. He became, in H. F. Meijer’s official history Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876 (1883), the celebrated example of a non-combat officer who saved a detachment: ambushed on 28 July 1876 between Kota Alam and Oleh Karang, thrown by his horse among the first dead, he rallied the scattering soldiers under his own authority and led the counter-charge that drove the attacking Atjehers from the field with a loss of 12 dead.
The ambush of 28 July 1876
Dr. Döring made the march from Kota Radja to Oleh Karang on horseback with the 31-man escort of the Madurese barisan lieutenant Raden Ario Setjo Negoro. When red-clad Atjehers fired on the escort at the channel bridge and charged with naked weapons, his horse shied and threw him, one foot hanging in the stirrup; around him three soldiers fell mortally hit. Freeing himself, he collected seven fusiliers, called on them to stand together and fell back, firing, to a covered position, where the barisan lieutenant joined him with seven more Madurese. As the enemy began to work round the little party’s left wing, Döring called out — first in Dutch, then in Malay — “Stand fast, stay together, help must come at once.”
Seeing two fallen soldiers ahead, one still waving for help, he ran forward under fire to give aid; only two European fusiliers followed him — none of the Madurese budged — and both men were beyond his help. Back in cover, he saw some Atjehers leaving their position, divined their withdrawal, made his men give powerful volleys and himself, with the Madurese lieutenant beside him, ordered and led the charge. With a strong hurrah the soldiers went forward; the enemy abandoned his position, stood again in kampong Lamkoeloepang and was driven out by the Kota Alam patrol arriving under First Lieutenant Van Hoytema, who took command and completed the pursuit.
Dutch losses: 5 killed, 7 wounded. The enemy left 12 dead. Meijer stated expressly: that the soldiers had been kept together was solely owing to the energetic bearing of the medical officer 2nd class Dr. Döring; otherwise the same would have happened as in the disaster of 14 July. For a long time afterwards convoys on that road were left unattacked.
See Also
- Ambush between Kota Alam and Oleh Karang (28 July 1876)
- Raden Ario Setjo Negoro
- Kota Alam
- Oleh Karang
- Guerilla warfare in Groot-Atjeh
Source
Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876, door H. F. Meijer (Breda: P. B. Nieuwenhuijs, 1883), chapter VII, pp. 239–245.