Strangers in the Motherland

1/72 P-40, 1/72 Ki-46, 1/72 Spitfire

by Iwan Winarta

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  Indonesia Independence Day   

Strategically located at the crossroad of 2 continents (Asia & Australia) and 2 oceans (Pacific and Indian Oceans), the area presently known as Indonesia has lured the major forces of the past.  The Dutch, British, Portuguese and Japanese had occupied the area until the end of World War II, when the Indonesian nationalists declared independence. 

Prior to World War II, the archipelago was occupied by the Dutch, and known as Nederland East Indies (NEI), until the arrival of the Japanese in 1942, who stayed until the end of the war.  At the later stage of the World War II, aircraft from the Allied forces began to arrive especially on the eastern part of the archipelago and started harassing the Japanese forces. 

After the war, the Dutch intention to return to her ex-colony didn’t go smooth as the “Indonesian rebels” was now equipped with ex-Japanese weapons and hostilities continued until 1949. 

This article tried to portray some foreign planes that had been based in the archipelago presently known as Indonesia.  Due to limited time frame, I only managed to complete 3 aircraft

P-40N RAAF

No.80 Squadron, No.78 Wing, 1st Tactical Air Force, RAAF.

Morotai in the Moluccas islands, February 1942

(Academy 1/72 with kit decal) 

Click on images below to see larger images

 

Mitsubishi Ki-46-II Dinah

76th Dokuritsu Dai Shijugo Chutai (Independent Squadron)

Imperial Japanese Navy

No clear information about the exact location of the base.  Limited information only revealed that this aircraft was based on East Indies in 1943.

(Hasegawa 1/72 with spare decals) 

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Spitfire Mk.IX

No.322 Squadron

Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force (RNEIAF)

Semarang, Central Java circa 1947-1949

(Airfix 1/72 with spare decals) 

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cheers

Iwan 

Jakarta, Indonesia

Photos and text © by Iwan Winarta