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Additional
Information: |
Son of
John and Margaret Hutler, of Wheatley Hill, Co. Durham. |
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Cemetery:
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JAKARTA
WAR CEMETERY, Indonesia |
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Grave
Reference/ |
4. G.
13. |
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Location:
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Jakarta (Djakarta) lies on the north-west coast of the
island of Java. Djakarta War Cemetery is in the suburb of Menteng Poeloe, 11
kilometres from the city centre and is adjacent to the Netherlands Field of
Honour, Jakarta Selatam (South Jakarta). It can be reached by two main roads
- Jalan Dr Saharto and Jalan Casablanca. The Cemetery is entered on the
northern side by a short flight of steps leading into the Memorial building.
The entrance faces the old civilian cemetery where hawkers from the local
market often spill out, partly blocking access to the cemetery. The local
name for the cemetery is Makam Perang Jakarta. |
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Historical
Information: |
Jakarta,
the capital of the Republic of Indonesia, lies on the north-west coast of the
island of Java. It was the administrative capital of the former Netherlands
East Indies and was known as Batavia, the name used in the records of the
1939-1945 War. Batavia was the port by which thousands of British and
Commonwealth servicemen entered Java in February 1942 from Singapore and
Sumatra, shortly before the Japanese invasion of the island. It was defended
by Nos. 232 and 605 (Fighter) Squadrons from Tjililitan airfield, a few miles
distant. Although greatly outnumbered and dwindling in strength, the fighters
remained in action in defence of the capital from 17th-27th February. The
77th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment was also employed in Batavia's defence. On 25th
February H.M.S. Exeter, Electra, Encounter and Jupiter and H.M.A.S Perth
sailed from Batavia to join the Eastern Striking Force at Sourabaya before
meeting the Japanese in the Battle of the Java Sea (see page iv). On 1st
March the Japanese landed near Batavia, by the 4th the Dutch had ordered its
evacuation, and on the 5th the Japanese occupied the town. Most of the Allied
prisoners of war captured in Java were later concentrated in a number of
prison camps around Batavia, one of the largest being "Bicycle
Camp", so named because it had been the barracks of a Dutch cycle
battalion. The camp held among its first prisoners 300 survivors of H.M.A.S.
Perth, and 250 soldiers of the 2/15th Punjab Regiment who had fought in
Borneo. In 1961 at the request of the Indonesian Government, the Commonwealth
dead from the Netherlands Field of Honour at Sourabaya, and from those at
Palembang, Medan and Muntok in Sumatra, were brought into the cemetery, which
already contained 474 Commonwealth war graves. Additional land was acquired
to accommodate all the graves, and the total number of burials was increased
to over 1,000. Jakarta War Cemetery therefore contains the graves of many who
died in defence of Java and Sumatra during the swift Japanese advance in 1942
and many others who perished afterwards as prisoners of war. Among the dead
were sailors who fought in the Battle of the Java Sea, soldiers of
"Blackforce" including a number of Australians whose graves lie
together in plot 6, and airmen who died in flying battle and airfield
defence. The cemetery is entered on its northern side by a short flight of
steps leading into a memorial building. Two main grass avenues cross the
site, one running north-south and one east-west, and the Cross of Sacrifice
stands at their intersection. The graves of members of the forces of
undivided India lie on a terrace in the southern part of the cemetery. Here
an Indian Forces monument has been set up; it is a stone pillar crowned by a
sculptured wreath and bearing wreaths on two sides, with "INDIA"
inscribed below one and "PAKISTAN" below the other. The graves are
marked by bronze plaques set in concrete pedestals. The cemetery is covered
with turf and planted with many colourful sub-tropical trees and shrubs. |