Vogel was a Dutch sergeant of the marechaussée, called by the Ambonese of his corps Oom-Pandjang — long uncle — who is remembered for his attempt to save an Acehnese boy during the surprise of Anak Galoeng on 29 June 1896.
The episode of the burning hut
P. H. R. Beuming relates that in the confused fighting inside the benting, which was filled with open huts that made the struggle more difficult, Vogel became aware of half a dozen Acehnese and a small boy in one of them. He summoned them to come out and surrender, and they refused.
Goede raad was duur. As little firing as possible was permitted, so as not to hit the comrades posted outside, and moreover Vogel wished at any price to save the child. He therefore had the hut set on fire and went inside himself. Under a rain of klewang blows, which he parried masterfully while dealing killing blows right and left, he seized the boy and dragged him out of the hut under a thundering cheer from his men.
De jongen was gered, doch slechts voor een oogenblik. Toen men hem los liet, sprong hij de hut weer binnen en kwam met de anderen om in de vlammen — the boy was saved, but only for a moment; when they let him go he sprang back into the hut and perished with the others in the flames. Beuming records that it grieved the good non-commissioned officer greatly that he had not been able to prevent this sad end.
Entry in the Maréchaussée register of honours (1930)
The Overzicht van Onderscheidingen printed in the 1930 jubilee number of Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië records under 1898 the award to Eur. Sergt. Mar. E. H. Vogel, Alg. Stb. No. 22210 of the knight’s cross of the Militaire Willems-Orde 3rd class. He was one of the small number of non-commissioned officers to receive that class — a distinction granted in total, the editors noted, to only eleven members of the corps: five officers, one onderluitenant, four sergeants and one soldier.
See Also
- Surprise of Ana’ Galoeng (29 June 1896)
- Ambonese soldiers
- Korps Marechaussee
- Graafland
- 29 June
- 1896
- Overzicht van Onderscheidingen toegekend aan het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden (1890-1930)
- Het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh (Jubileum-nummer 1930)
- Militaire Willemsorde
Source
Schetsen uit den strijd op Groot-Atjeh, met speciaal vervaardigde kaart en toepasselijke photo’s, bewerkt door P. H. R. Beuming, oud-onderofficier van het Ned.-Indische Leger (Amsterdam, December 1911; uitgegeven ten bate van het te stichten Herstellingsoord voor Rijks-Ambtenaren). Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, Br N 82-144
Acknowledgement of sources. The material in this article derives from Schetsen uit den strijd op Groot-Atjeh, met speciaal vervaardigde kaart en toepasselijke photo’s, bewerkt door P. H. R. Beuming, oud-onderofficier van het Ned.-Indische Leger (Amsterdam, December 1911). Dutch passages are quoted in the original with an English rendering.
Het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh: De Atjehsche Garde, 1890 - 2 April 1930 (“The Corps of Maréchaussée in Atjeh: The Atjehnese Guard”), 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.