Ambarawa              Ambarawa 8          Central-Java

 

                                                                                                                                                                    April 27, 2011

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) / Broeders van de Onbevlekte Ont­vangenis (Brothers of the Immaculate Conception). It 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

Mrs. W(ies) van Leeuwen (women’s camp)

Mr. C. B. F. Refuge (men’s camp)

 

Transports (source: Atlas Japanse Kampen)

Date

Arrived from

Transferred to

Number

in

transport

Total

number

in camp

Individual

type

 

WOMEN’S CAMP

 

 

 

 

June 19, 1943

Jogja Environs

 

227

 

w,ch (1)

Aug. 13, 1943

Jogja Environs

 

183

 

w,ch (1)

Sept. 1, 1943

Sem: Gedangan

 

14

 

n

Nov. 16, 1943

Amb: Ambarawa 9

 

4

 

m

Jan. 18, 1944

 

Sal: Djoen Eng

4

 

b

June 8, 1944

Sem: Gedangan

 

150

 

w,ch

Aug. 5, 1944

Mal: De Wijk

 

100

 

w,ch

Aug. 9, 1944

Amb: Banjoebiroe 11

 

65

 

w,ch

Aug. 9, 1944

Amb: Banjoebiroe 11

 

1

750

m (2)

Sept. 16, 1944

 

Amb: Ambarawa 9

30

 

w,ch

Sept. 16, 1944

 

Amb: Ambarawa 7

175

 

w,ch

Sept. 17, 1944

 

Amb: Ambarawa 6

130

 

w,ch

Sept. 18, 1944

 

Amb: Banjoebiroe 10

200

 

w,ch

Sept. 19, 1944

 

Amb: Banjoebiroe 11

120

 

m,n,w,ch

Sept. 19, 1944

 

 

 

76 (3)

 

 

MEN’S CAMP

 

 

 

 

Sept. 16, 1944

 

 

 

76

b,m

Sept. 16, 1944

Amb: Ambarawa 9

 

48 (4)

 

b,m

Sept 17, 44 (5)

Amb: Ambarawa 6

 

160 (6)

 

b,m,n

Sept. 17, 1944

Amb: Banjoebiroe 11

 

106 (7)

 

b,m,n

Sept. 18, 1944

Amb: Banjoebiroe 10

 

217 (8)

 

b,m,n

Sept. 19, 1944

Amb: Ambarawa 7

 

102 (9)

 

b,m,n

Sept. 24, 1944

 

Amb: Bandoengan (10)

65 (11)

 

b,m

Oct. 25, 1944

Amb: Bandoengan

 

2 (12)

 

b,m

Oct. 25, 1944

 

Amb: Bandoengan

35 (13)

 

b,m

Nov. 15, 1944

 

Sem: Bangkong

3

 

m

Nov. 25, 1944

Band: 15e Bataljon

 

150

 

b,om

Nov. 25, 1944

Tjim: 4e en 9e Bat

 

550

 

b,om

Dec. 13, 1944

Sem: Bangkong

 

18 (14)

1400

m

Dec. 14, 1944

Amb: Bandoengan

 

20

 

b

Dec. 14, 1944

 

Amb: Bandoengan

20

 

b

Jan. 16, 1945

 

Amb: Ambarawa 7

31

 

n

Feb. 3, 1945

 

Amb: Ambarawa 7

5

 

b

Mar. 6, 1945

 

Amb: Bandoengan

20

 

b

Mar. 24, 1945

Amb: Bandoengan

 

7

 

b

Mar. 24, 1945

 

Amb: Bandoengan

7

 

b

Apr. 17, 1945

 

Amb: Ambarawa 6

1

 

b

Apr. 17, 1945

 

Amb: Ambarawa 7

2

 

b

May 1, 1945

 

Amb: Ambarawa 7

887 (15)

 

b,om,n

May 17, 1945

 

Amb: Bandoengan

135 (16)

 

b,m,n

May 17, 1945

 

Amb: Ambarawa 7

15

 

b

May 17, 1945

 

Deceased

230 (17)

0

b,m

Abbreviations / Notes

b=boys, ch=children, m=men, n=nuns, om=old men, w=women

Amb=Ambarawa, Band=Bandoeng, Jogja=Jogjakarta, Mal=Malang, Sal=Salatiga, Sem=Semarang,

Tjim=Tjimahi; 4e en 9e Bat=4e en 9e Bataljon, 15e Bat=15e Bataljon

(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, 230 deaths in all

 

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, pg 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, 2000, pg 148; Volume II, 2002, pg 121

Sprang, Alfred van - Dodenkamp Ambarawa, 1945, 1994 (boys, men)

Zr. Renata, Brief aan het moederhuis, Archive of the Zrs. Franciscanessen of Heythuysen (boys, men)

Zrs. OLV van Amersfoort - Onder de gevreesde vloedgolf, 1948, pg 112-114, 136-140 (II)

Zwaan, D.H. (Ventje Sowan) – Dagboek vanaf 19.09.44 (diary men’s camp – privately published)

 

Photographs / Drawings

Al, Joop - Ambarawa, Bandoengan en de Belg Refuge, 1994, pg 15, 27, 56, 164

Claassen, Rob en Joke van Grootheest - Getekend, 1995, pg 96-101

Diessen, J.R. van et al - Boven Indië, 1993, pg 98

Dulm, J. van et al – Atlas Japanse Kampen, Volume I, 2000, pg 148

Linden-Flohr, Mw A. van - Donkere dagen voor Ambarawa, Moesson 33/5 (1988), pg 16 (aerial photo)

Mobach, Jan - Gaan, Moesson magazine 34/2 (August 15, 1989), pg 11

Nederlanders in Japanse kampen (catalogus tentoonstelling – exhibition catalog), 1976, pg 31

 

Rosters

Al, Joop - Ambarawa, Bandoengan en de Belg Refuge, 1994, pg 255 (boys, men)

NN - NIOD, IC 081.342 (boys, men)

Zrs. OLV van Amersfoort - Onder de gevreesde vloedgolf, 1948, pg 112-114, 136-140 (boys, men)

 

Camp Map

Beekhuis, H. et al – Japanse burgerkampen in Nederlands-Indië, Volume 1, 4th Edition, pg 62

Dulm, J. van et al – Atlas Japanse Kampen, Volume I, 2000, pg 148

 

Bersiap

Nov 20, 1945     British and Japanese troops protecting the camp were attacked

Nov 20, 1945     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

 

 

Ambarawa 8 Camp Map

 

 

Index                    Camps on Java