National Army Museum

The informant tells her story to officers and press correspondents.

photograph, photograph

Accession Number

NAM.2009-11-4-71

Description

The informant tells her story to officers and press correspondents. Photograph of an Indonesian peasant woman who informed British authorities what had happened to members of a Dakota plane filled with Indian troops of 2/19 Kumaon Regiment which crashed near Bekasi, in what became known as the Dakota Crash Atrocity; nd. Photograph issued December 1945. From a collection of 185 photographs of Japanese, Chinese, Indian, British, German and American soldiers, aircraft, aerial photography and ships at sea. Associated with Indonesia (1945-1946).

Campaigns

Indonesia (1945-1946)

Units

Kumaon Regiment

Inscriptions

Label on back: ‘Army Film and Photo Section, SEAC. Dope sheet SE 5888-5892. Dec.45. / Bodies of Plane Crew and Troop Passengers Murdered by Indonesians Discovered Near Batavia… / On November 23rd a Dakota plane carrying Indian troops to Semarang made a forced landing six miles from Batavia. Rescue parties were unable to trace either survivors or bodies. A peasant woman who had escaped from Indonesians at the village of Bekassi gave information that the crew and troop passengers of the crashed aircraft were captured and murdered by Indonesians. The victims were led one by one to the bank of a river, brutally done to death, then roughly buried. A strong force of British troops went to Bekassi and the bodies were recovered. Fifteen Indonesians suspected of complicity in this outrage have been rounded up. / SE 5892..The informant tells her story to officers and press correspondents. / Picture by Army Film Unit. Please credit. Issued Dec. 45.’