Date of birth:

August 3rd, 1893 (Dordrecht, The Netherlands)

Date of death:

March 7th, 1942 (Ind. Ocean o/b ss. Poelau Bras)

Nationality:

Dutch

Captain at the Stoomvaart Maatschappij 'Nederland'; passenger ms Poelau Bras

On February 28, 1942, the ms Poelau Bras left Tjilatjap with an unknown destination by order of the Dutch East Indies government. On March 2, the ship was recalled by telegraphic order. Shortly before entering Tjilatjap, an order came from the Commander of the Navy to go to Wijnkoopsbaai where they anchored on March 4. We had to wait for passengers, civilians and soldiers, who did not embark until March 6. That same day at 8 p.m., the ship departed, destination Colombo, by order of the Commander of the Navy. The next morning the air raid siren was sounded at 10.30 am. Ten Japanese bombers were spotted, which carried out a concentrated attack on the Poelau Bras from 11:00 to 11:40. Despite sailing at full speed on zigzag courses and with the anti-aircraft defense in full action, the ship was gradually paralyzed by fatal bomb hits. While sinking, the decks, the manned boats and later the drowning people were constantly bombarded with machine gun fire. The ship sank quite quickly and on March 7, 1942 at 11.40 am it disappeared straight into the depths at a position approximately 180 miles SW of Wijnkoops Bay.
There were an estimated 81 crew members and 179 passengers on board.
It is suspected that approximately 120 people on board survived the catastrophe. Captain Crietee, mates Kruijt and Kettner, and passengers Zwama and Berentsen lost their lives in the disaster.

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• - POLDERMAN, K. & RUITER, H. DE, IN MEMORIAM, VOK, Amsterdam, 2020.
  - Marcus Adriaan Zwama | Oorlogsgravenstichting
  

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