Suwoek was a Menadonese maréchaussée-soldier of the Korps Maréchaussée who took over the command of his brigade on the west coast of Atjeh during the action of 1925–1927, after Captain J. Paris, the brigade commander, and finally the wounded Javanese maréchaussée Kromo-di-Koro had each in turn been put out of action.
Succession to the command
In the engagement in which Captain Paris fell, Kromo-di-Koro held the command until loss of blood threatened to make him collapse, and then “droeg het commando over aan den Menadoneeschen Maréchaussée-soldaat Suwoek” — transferred the command to the Menadonese Maréchaussée-soldier Suwoek — having first ordered shots to be fired into the surrounding alang-alang.
The pursuit
As a result of that fire the maréchaussée Sumangkut saw an opponent flee out of the high alang-alang with a klewang in his hand. Being himself severely wounded, Sumangkut could not pursue and warned Suwoek instead. Suwoek “zat den vluchteling op de hielen” — stayed on the fugitive’s heels — and brought him down fifty metres further on.
Context
Of the brigade only two men remained unhurt; besides Captain Paris five other soldiers were killed and twelve wounded, while some twenty opponents were laid low and twenty-six klewangs captured.
Additional detail from the jubilee number
During the 1925 West Coast ambush following the death of Captain J. Paris, Suwoek assumed command from the severely wounded Kromo-di-Koro. He directed counter-fire, pursued charging Acehnese insurgents through the grass, and held the perimeter until reinforcements arrived.
See Also
- Gevecht waarin kapitein Paris sneuvelde (Westkust van Atjeh, 1925-1927)
- Kromo-di-Koro
- Sumangkut
- J. Paris
- Leleng
- Korps Maréchaussée te voet in Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden
- Joannes Benedictus van Heutsz
- Louis Adriaan Snell
Source
Het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh: De Atjehsche Garde, 1890 - 2 April 1930, Extra Jubileum-nummer of Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië issued for the fortieth anniversary of the corps (1930), pp. 1-16. Offprint DLP-143, Bibliotheek KITLV, accession 621 116 794.