H. R. van Ham was a lieutenant of the Netherlands Indies Army Maréchaussee who commanded the Djeuram detachment of the IIde divisie on the Westkust van Atjeh in March 1942, and who in that capacity was ordered by Captain Kloprogge to march to Tjalang on 12 March 12 March 1942 to await the latter’s return from Lam No, and who subsequently organised and led the convoy evacuation of the Tjalang women and children to Meulaboh. In the Dutch staff history’s account (Deel VI, Hoofdstuk V), Van Ham’s Tjalang-to-Meulaboh march is the staff history’s principal example of the improvised convoy operations of the Westkust evacuation.
The 12 March 1942 march to Tjalang
When, on 10 March 10 March 1942, Captain Kloprogge had marched from Meulaboh with two brigades for Tjalang to relieve the bivak attacked by kwaadwilligen, he left the acting command of the divisie with Lt Zijlmans at Meulaboh and gave Van Ham — at Djeuram — “opdracht zich met 1 brigade naar Tjalang te begeven en daar op de terugkomst van de divisiecommandant te wachten (uiterlijk 12 Maart).” Van Ham was thus the designated reliefer of the Tjalang bivak, intended to allow Kloprogge to march south to Lam No.
The Tjalang-to-Meulaboh convoy (14–15 March 1942)
When, on 14 March 14 March 1942, Van Ham had still heard nothing from Kloprogge at Tjalang, “meende hij op grond van ontvangen berichten over de Japanse landingen en de toename van de opstandige beweging, te moeten aannemen dat deze met zijn brigades gevangen genomen was.” He therefore ordered the evacuation of the Tjalang women and children to Meulaboh. Lt Zijlmans “stelde 6 autobussen beschikbaar, waarmede de vrouwen en kinderen van Tjalang naar Meulaboh konden worden vervoerd.” Van Ham was designated transportcommandant and was given one brigade as dekking.
Van Ham arrived at Meulaboh with the first échelon at 16.00 on 14 March 14 March 1942, having “talloze gevechten moeten leveren” with opstandelingen along the way. After reporting to Zijlmans he departed again for Tjalang, “waarbij hij talloze gevechten moest leveren om het terrein van opstandelingen te zuiveren.” About 20 km from Meulaboh he made telephonic contact with Zijlmans, who informed him of the evacuation and its reasons.
The 14 March Meulaboh incident
When Van Ham arrived at Meulaboh at 16.00, Zijlmans “kreeg een geval van insubordinatie te verwerken” — apparently arising from the threatened shooting of a overtreder by an officer. The overtreder, called to account, “nam een dreigende houding aan, zodat hij door de officier moest worden neergeschoten.” This incident is the only recorded Dutch disciplinary shooting of the Westkust evacuation.
The Dutch koelies and vrouwen en kinderen of Tjalang
The Vertrek of the Tjalang gezinnen, “was in verband met de dreigende toestand vervroegd tot 14 Maart 23.00.” The last auto left on 15 March 15 March 1942 at 04.00. Van Ham’s brigade provided the dekking. With this movement, “waren alle gezinsleden, die in Meulaboh waren geconcentreerd (500) vertrokken,” and the Tjalang women and children were safely removed to the Meulaboh campement, where they joined the Westkust evacuee column southward.
Significance
Van Ham’s Tjalang-to-Meulaboh march is, in the staff history’s Westkust narrative, the principal illustration of the improvised convoy operations by which the Westkust women and children were moved south to the Lae Boetar onderneming. The staff history’s emphasis on the talloze gevechten of the march — set against the panic that overtook the noordkust troops under Bekkers — places Van Ham in the small staff-history gallery of competent Dutch officers of the Westkust theatre.
See Also
- Nederlands-Indië contra Japan
- Korps Marechaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen
- 2de (IIde) Divisie Marechaussee
- Captain L. H. J. Kloprogge
- A. Zijlmans
- Djeuram
- Tjalang
- Meulaboh
- Evacuation of women and children from the Westkust of Atjeh (March 1942)
- 1942
Source
Nederlands-Indië contra Japan, Deel VI: De strijd op Ambon, Timor en Sumatra, bewerkt door C. van den Hoogenband en L. Schotborgh (‘s-Gravenhage: Staatsdrukkerij- en Uitgeverijbedrijf, 1959), Hoofdstuk V (“De strijd in Noord-Sumatra (Atjeh)”), pp. 128–132.
H. R. van Ham was a lieutenant of the Netherlands Indies Army Maréchaussee who commanded the Djeuram detachment of the IIde divisie on the Westkust van Atjeh in March 1942, and who in that capacity was ordered by Captain Kloprogge to march to Tjalang on 12 March 12 March 1942 to await the latter’s return from Lam No, and who subsequently organised and led the convoy evacuation of the Tjalang women and children to Meulaboh. In the Dutch staff history’s account (Deel VI, Hoofdstuk V), Van Ham’s Tjalang-to-Meulaboh march is the staff history’s principal example of the improvised convoy operations of the Westkust evacuation.
The 12 March 1942 march to Tjalang
When, on 10 March 10 March 1942, Captain Kloprogge had marched from Meulaboh with two brigades for Tjalang to relieve the bivak attacked by kwaadwilligen, he left the acting command of the divisie with Lt Zijlmans at Meulaboh and gave Van Ham — at Djeuram — “opdracht zich met 1 brigade naar Tjalang te begeven en daar op de terugkomst van de divisiecommandant te wachten (uiterlijk 12 Maart).” Van Ham was thus the designated reliefer of the Tjalang bivak, intended to allow Kloprogge to march south to Lam No.
The Tjalang-to-Meulaboh convoy (14–15 March 1942)
When, on 14 March 14 March 1942, Van Ham had still heard nothing from Kloprogge at Tjalang, “meende hij op grond van ontvangen berichten over de Japanse landingen en de toename van de opstandige beweging, te moeten aannemen dat deze met zijn brigades gevangen genomen was.” He therefore ordered the evacuation of the Tjalang women and children to Meulaboh. Lt Zijlmans “stelde 6 autobussen beschikbaar, waarmede de vrouwen en kinderen van Tjalang naar Meulaboh konden worden vervoerd.” Van Ham was designated transportcommandant and was given one brigade as dekking.
Van Ham arrived at Meulaboh with the first échelon at 16.00 on 14 March 14 March 1942, having “talloze gevechten moeten leveren” with opstandelingen along the way. After reporting to Zijlmans he departed again for Tjalang, “waarbij hij talloze gevechten moest leveren om het terrein van opstandelingen te zuiveren.” About 20 km from Meulaboh he made telephonic contact with Zijlmans, who informed him of the evacuation and its reasons.
The 14 March Meulaboh incident
When Van Ham arrived at Meulaboh at 16.00, Zijlmans “kreeg een geval van insubordinatie te verwerken” — apparently arising from the threatened shooting of a overtreder by an officer. The overtreder, called to account, “nam een dreigende houding aan, zodat hij door de officier moest worden neergeschoten.” This incident is the only recorded Dutch disciplinary shooting of the Westkust evacuation.
The Dutch koelies and vrouwen en kinderen of Tjalang
The Vertrek of the Tjalang gezinnen, “was in verband met de dreigende toestand vervroegd tot 14 Maart 23.00.” The last auto left on 15 March 15 March 1942 at 04.00. Van Ham’s brigade provided the dekking. With this movement, “waren alle gezinsleden, die in Meulaboh waren geconcentreerd (500) vertrokken,” and the Tjalang women and children were safely removed to the Meulaboh campement, where they joined the Westkust evacuee column southward.
Significance
Van Ham’s Tjalang-to-Meulaboh march is, in the staff history’s Westkust narrative, the principal illustration of the improvised convoy operations by which the Westkust women and children were moved south to the Lae Boetar onderneming. The staff history’s emphasis on the talloze gevechten of the march — set against the panic that overtook the noordkust troops under Bekkers — places Van Ham in the small staff-history gallery of competent Dutch officers of the Westkust theatre.
See Also
- Nederlands-Indië contra Japan
- Korps Marechaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen
- 2de (IIde) Divisie Marechaussee
- Captain L. H. J. Kloprogge
- A. Zijlmans
- Djeuram
- Tjalang
- Meulaboh
- Evacuation of women and children from the Westkust of Atjeh (March 1942)
- 1942
Source
Nederlands-Indië contra Japan, Deel VI: De strijd op Ambon, Timor en Sumatra, bewerkt door C. van den Hoogenband en L. Schotborgh (‘s-Gravenhage: Staatsdrukkerij- en Uitgeverijbedrijf, 1959), Hoofdstuk V (“De strijd in Noord-Sumatra (Atjeh)”), pp. 128–132.