October 10, 2012

Alternate Camp Names

St. Louis, Bunsho III, Camp 8 (per Japanese administration)

Camp Location

Ambarawa was about 45 kilometers south of Semarang. This camp was located in the St. Louis school and boys’ boarding school, run by the Broeders van Maastricht (Brothers of Maastricht) or Broeders van de Onbevlekte Ont¬vangenis (Brothers of the Immaculate Conception), which was on the west side of Ambarawa, on the road to Magelang.

Japanese Camp Commanders

Takada (April 1944 to May 1944), Urata (May 1944 to June 1944), Hada (June 1944 to November 1944), Takada (November 1944 to August 1945)

Dutch Camp Leaders

Women’s camp: Mrs. W(ies) van Leeuwen
Men’s camp: Mr. C. B. F. Refuge

Abbreviations / Notes

b=boys, ch=children, m=men, n=nuns, om=old men, w=women
(1) Families of men who worked for the sugar companies.
(2) Physician.
(3) 1 woman, 17 nuns, 17 boys and 41 men.
(4) 42 boys and 6 men.
(5) Through September 19, 1944.
(6) 128 boys, 15 men, 17 nuns.
(7) 36 boys, 45 men, 25 nuns.
(8) 135 boys, 39 men, 43 nuns.
(9) 56 boys, 15 men, 31 nuns.
(10) Labor camp (for growing vegetables).
(11) 63 boys and 2 men.
(12) 1 boy and 1 man.
(13) 30 boys and 5 men.
(14) 10 men (carpenters) and 8 medical personnel.
(15) 204 boys, 599 old men (including the sick) and 84 nuns.
(16) 97 boys, 23 men, 15 nuns.
(17) Includes 10 deaths in September 1944, otherwise 230 deaths.

References

Al, Joop – Ambarawa, Bandoengan en de Belg Refuge, 1994 (from a diary) (boys, men)
Beekhuis, H. et al – Japanse burgerkampen in Nederlands-Indië, Volume 1, 4th Edition, pp. 62-63
Broeshart, A.C. et al – Vrede, maar geen bevrijding, 1989 (Bersiap)
Brommer, B. et al – Semarang, Beeld van een stad, 1995 (Bersiap)
Dulm, J. van et al – Atlas Japanse Kampen, Volume I, p. 148; Volume II, p. 121
Sprang, Alfred van – Dodenkamp Ambarawa, 1945, 1994 (boys, men)
Verveen, A.A. – A Dutch child born in Indonesia, 1995, pp. 338-353 in: No longer silent. World-Wide Memories of the Children of World War II, C. LeRoy Anderson, Joanne R. Anderson, Yunosuke Ohkura, Editors. Autobiographic essays.
Wendelaar Bonga, Dieuwke – Eight prison camps, 1996, p. 147
Zr. Renata, Brief aan het moederhuis, Archives of the Zrs. Franciscanessen van Heythuysen (boys, men)
Zrs. OLV van Amersfoort – Onder de gevreesde vloedgolf, 1948, pp. 112-114, 136-140 (II)
Zwaan, D.H. (Ventje Sowan) – Dagboek vanaf 19.09.44 (diary of September 19, 1944 – privately published)

Photographs / Drawings

Al, Joop – Ambarawa, Bandoengan en de Belg Refuge, 1994, pp. 15, 27, 56, 164
Claassen, Rob en Joke van Grootheest – Getekend, 1995, pp. 96-101
Diessen, J.R.van et al – Boven Indië, 1993, p. 98
Dulm, J. van et al – Atlas Japanse Kampen, Volume I, p. 148
Linden-Flohr, Mw A. van – Donkere dagen voor Ambarawa, Moesson magazine 33/5 (October 1, 1988), p. 16 (aerial photo)
Mobach, Jan – Gaan, Moesson magazine 34/2 (August 15, 1989), p. 11
Nederlanders in Japanse kampen (catalogus tentoonstelling – exhibition catalog), 1976, p. 31

Rosters

Al, Joop – Ambarawa, Bandoengan en de Belg Refuge, 1994, pp. 255 through 291 (boys, men)
NN – NIOD, IC 081.342 (boys, men)
Zrs. OLV van Amersfoort – Onder de gevreesde vloedgolf, 1948, pp. 112-114, 136-140 (boys, men)

Camp Map

Beekhuis, H. et al – Japanse burgerkampen in Nederlands-Indië, Volume 1, 4th Edition, p. 62
Dulm, J. van et al – Atlas Japanse Kampen, Volume I, p. 148
Liesker, H.A.M. – Wij weten van hoe, 2005, p. 230

Bersiap

Nov 20, 1945 British and Japanese troops protecting the camp were attacked; the camp itself was attacked;
water and electricity were cut off.
Nov 25, 1945 Evacuation to Fort Willem I.
Dec 14, 1945 British troops left Ambarawa.