For a long time in Dutch historiography and discourse, the entirety of the Indonesian War of Independence was referred to by the euphemistic term politionele acties, as used by the government at the time. In the Netherlands, the prevailing impression was that there had only been two distinct, short-term police actions intended to restore Dutch authority over a rebellious overseas territory. This perspective disregards that between the arrival of Dutch troops in March 1946 and the cession of sovereignty in December 1949, a full-scale military occupation and a continuous counterinsurgency had taken place involving 120,000 conscripts.
Some conscripts encountered something they would not have seen in the Netherlands. At this stage, the Netherlands was still quite Puritan, so public nudity was reasonably alien, although it was part of the Indonesian culture.
The photographs are from an album named “Memories from the Tropics,” from conscript Corporal J. de Raad.
I have to admit, this was a welcome distraction from my usual heavy Holocaust pieces.
Source
Donation
Your readership is what makes my site a success, and I am truly passionate about providing you with valuable content. I have been doing this at no cost and will continue to do so. Your voluntary donation of $2 or more, if you are able, would be a significant contribution to the continuation of my work. However, I fully understand if you’re not in a position to do so. Your support, in any form, is greatly appreciated. Thank you. To donate, click on the credit/debit card icon of the card you will use. If you want to donate more than $2, just add a higher number in the box left from the PayPal link. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
$2.00
History of Sorts 
Leave a comment