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62 Comments
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Hans van Ekelenburg
7:57 AM on February 5, 2018
Ben bezig om voor mijn oom Gerrit den Hoedt een MOK te krijgen.
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Flo
2:03 AM on July 23, 2017
Thank you for putting together this amazing site! I stumbled upon it just now as I was trying to find out information about my grandfather (Julianus Maatita), who reportedly died in the camp on 6 June 1945. He's buried in the Nederlands ereveld Kembang Kuning te Surabaya I look forward to checking back often, and I also look forward to seeing the site one day soon when I make it to Indonesia.
Peace, Flo Maatita
Peace, Flo Maatita
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Paul Broekhuizen
6:47 AM on June 18, 2017
Thanks for putting this site together
my grandfather has worked at this railroad during WOII. I am cleaning the house of my parents and found some things related to my grandparents history in Indonesia during those years. My grandfather suffered from eyesight problems because of welding he had to do without protection. His marriage broke up after the wor. It all influenced their lives heavily. Thanks again for putting in all the work. Paul
my grandfather has worked at this railroad during WOII. I am cleaning the house of my parents and found some things related to my grandparents history in Indonesia during those years. My grandfather suffered from eyesight problems because of welding he had to do without protection. His marriage broke up after the wor. It all influenced their lives heavily. Thanks again for putting in all the work. Paul
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inge jensen
2:21 AM on January 21, 2017
my father, Jan Willem van der Mey, survived the junyo maru disaster and "worked" on the pakan baru railroad. he recently passed away at the ripe age of 99. Never talked about his experiences, just once to my husband. never to his wife and/or kids.
So, for us this is a wonderful site, where we can get information and learn about the past. hope to visit sumatra coming september.
So, for us this is a wonderful site, where we can get information and learn about the past. hope to visit sumatra coming september.
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Renee Novakovich
5:05 PM on January 2, 2017
My father worked on this rail road as a POW. He was in the camps for 2 years but I have no information as to which one. I am dutch and my father was dutch-indonesian. He was born in Kutaradja, Sumatra. After the war he was released from the POW camp and he met and married my mother. When the independence revolution started in Indonesia he was transported to Rotterdam with my mother 7 months pregnant and my half brother Marc.
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JefferyFarrell
6:55 PM on July 11, 2016
This is a new site we as a family have been working on and it has only just gone live. Its around 85% complete (hope to have it fully done soon) and although has some history, it deals more with the present and what is left of the railway today.
I will also be traveling there next month and plan on taking my drone and cameras to get some much better shots of the areas along the railway.
My sisters site will remain as it is a great source of history and she promises that she is going to update it sometime soon.
We are always interested in stories about the railway and any other info or pictures people may have.
So if you have time please take a look
http://www.pekanbarudeathrailway.com/
The Farrells
I will also be traveling there next month and plan on taking my drone and cameras to get some much better shots of the areas along the railway.
My sisters site will remain as it is a great source of history and she promises that she is going to update it sometime soon.
We are always interested in stories about the railway and any other info or pictures people may have.
So if you have time please take a look
http://www.pekanbarudeathrailway.com/
The Farrells
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Wendy Woodford
6:39 PM on June 26, 2016
My uncle Private Ronald Edward Allen Shields from the 2nd/18th Battalion AIF was a POW on this railway, however we do not know which camp he was kept at along the railway.
He returned to us, a bag of bones but ALIVE!
He never had children, so I payed to get his war records for our family history nook.
He returned to us, a bag of bones but ALIVE!
He never had children, so I payed to get his war records for our family history nook.
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James Walker
11:53 AM on February 18, 2016
Hi Phyllis I am wondering if you are the author of The Sumatra Death Railway 70 years on? One of the sources of information that you quote is 'One Man and his War' by W R Smith. This is of interest to me as W R Smith is my late father in law. I have a copy of 'One Man and his War' which he gave to me before he passed away. I believe he may have deposited a copy with the IWM in London and wondered if this is where you obtained your information? I would love to hear from you as I am thinking of editing the copy with a view to getting it published.
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James Walker
11:07 AM on February 18, 2016
Hi Anthony My late father in law Ray Smith was a POW with your father in Camps 2, 3 and 3A. He mentions him in his diaries along with his Irish friend called Paddy Davin. He also mentions their activities selling clothing to the natives in the jungle. The money raised was used to purchase a water buffalo for food to supplement their meagre diet. My late father in law was camp interpreter in these camps so had some interesting encounters. I am hoping to convert his diaries into a book with the intention of getting it published.
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Arold de Vries
7:51 AM on November 21, 2015
Hi, my grandfather Arend Wind was a POW at Pakanbaru railway and was airlifted after the war to Singapore. he returned to his family end '45 and my mum still remembers saying: "Mum, there i a man at the door who says he is my father" . the family returned to Holland/Friesland and my grandfather returned to Indonesia for the politionele Akties. We never heard any stories about the war from him. But i remember him having bad dreams, when we stayed over as small children. The war never left his mind
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