E. P. A. Geluk was a Dutch captain of the Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger who was killed in action on 9 April 1896 at the relief of the besieged temporary posts of Biloel and Lamkoenjit in the XXV Moekims of Groot-Atjeh. He is named in the Atjeh-Album of 1896 as one of the seven officers killed in the spring 1896 crisis, and his portrait is one of the six reproduced in the album’s closing plates.
The relief of Biloel and Lamkoenjit
The Atjeh-Album records that the relief expedition of April 1896 — the relief of Biloel and Lamkoenjit — was undertaken by a column of two battalions that marched from the geconcentreerde linie to disengage the besieged posts. The column was preceded by the vuren — heavy fire — of the enemy, and the engagement was severe. The album records the cost of the relief in a single sentence: Kapitein Geluk en zeven minderen, die sneuvelden — Captain Geluk and seven subordinates, who fell — and de Luitenants ten Seldam en Hockstein, die met 23 minderen werden gewond — the Lieutenants ten Seldam and Hockstein, who with 23 subordinates were wounded.
The chronology of the spring 1896 fallen
The Atjeh-Album’s roll of the fallen gives the dates of the seven officer fatalities of the spring 1896 crisis as follows:
- Lieutenant K. H. Westendorp — died of wounds 11 March 1896
- Lieutenant J. W. Vuijk — killed at Senelop 30 March 1896
- Captain E. P. A. Geluk — killed at the relief of Biloel and Lamkoenjit 9 April 1896
- Lieutenant H. L. Maarschalk — killed at Tjot Rang 14 April 1896
- Lieutenant J. B. Zon — killed at Senelop 19 April 1896
- Captain H. O. W. L. Kramer — killed at the storming of Lampisang 23 May 1896
- Lieutenant C. G. A. C. Krohne — died of wounds 4 May 1896
The roll establishes Geluk’s death as the third of the spring casualties, and the first at the relief expeditions of April.
Burial at Kota Potjoet
The album records that Geluk was buried at the cemetery of Kota Potjoet, whose entrance bears the inscription Aan onze Kameraden, gevallen op het Veld van Eer.
Significance
Geluk’s significance in the documentary record of the Atjeh-oorlog is as the highest-ranking officer fatality of the relief of Biloel and Lamkoenjit — the first major Dutch offensive of the post-defection period. His death — together with the seven subordinates killed and the 23 wounded, including Lieutenants ten Seldam and Hockstein — established the cost of the relief operations and set the pattern for the engagements that would follow.
See Also
- Relief of Biloel and Lamkoenjit (April 1896)
- Biloel
- Lamkoenjit
- XXV Moekims
- Ten Seldam
- Hockstein
- K. H. Westendorp
- J. W. Vuijk
- H. L. Maarschalk
- J. B. Zon
- H. O. W. L. Kramer
- C. G. A. C. Krohne
- Toekoe Oemar’s defection (1896)
- Kota Potjoet
- Aceh War
- 9 April
- 1896
- Atjeh-Album (Eigen Haard, 1896)
Source
Atjeh-Album van Eigen Haard, uitgave van de N.V. Het Tijdschrift “Eigen Haard”, Amsterdam, 1896, pp. 10, 28, 30 (Een Terugblik — Wat Reeds Verkregen Werd; Gevallenen, hun Roeping Vervuld!).