Memorials Eeuwit Bal & Jan Leendert Mijnders New Cemetery Dirksland

Eeuwit Bal was born in Dirksland. On September 3, 1936, Eeuwit voluntarily signed up as a colonial for 5 years and on November 12 that same year he was found suitable for deployment to the Dutch East Indies.
On December 23, 1936, he left on the SS J.P. Coen to Batavia where he arrived on January 24, 1937 as a brigadier-marechaussee of the infantry.

After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Netherlands also declared war on Japan and the war for the Dutch East Indies began. However, on March 8, 1942, the army had to capitulate and also on this day Eeuwit Bal became a prisoner of war at Bodjong Pitjoeng Tjandjoer on the island of Java. He was later deported to a Thai camp in Burma and died there on December 27, 1943.

At the New Cemetery on the Staakweg in Dirksland there is a Monument with a commemorative plaque in honor of Eeuwit Bal.
Text on the Monument:

DUTCH INDIES
1942 - 1945
EEUWIT BAL
11-24-1917 - 12-27-1943
REMEMBER IN YOUR MIND
THAT THEY GAVE THEIR LIFE
AND FAR FROM THEIR RELATIVES
BURRIED IN THE STRANGE

There is also a memorial stone for Jan Leendert Mijnders, who died on 16-07-1957 in Dutch New Guinea. This stone was added to the monument in 2001.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.com & Adri Kramer
• Photos: Adri Kramer