Foreign Volunteers in KNIL ( Dutch East Indies Armed Forces)

[Silent_Hunter]

Do you have information about Foreign Volunteers in KNIL ( Dutch East Indies Armed Forces)

[Salonen]

In the 19th century KNIL was a kind of Foreign Legion. They recruited all kinds of Europeans, because it wasn't possible to get enough Dutch to sign up. The French poet Rimbaud served for a while in KNIL. I don't know about the 20th century.

[nata4190]

The KNIL was largely made up out of foreigners just like the French Foreign Legion only the troops got the keep their own identity. Up until after the Aceh war the KNIL drafted many Europeans (Germans, Belgians, Swiss etc), natives (Molukans Timorese and Mandorese) and even the Ashanti (African Ghanese tribe) to fight in the jungles of the East Indies. After the Aceh war the Dutch mainly drafted the natives, Indo Europeans and Dutch living in the East Indies. It was actually forbidden by law to send Dutch consripts to the Dutch East Indies. The ratio of foreign troops to Dutch troops was 60% to 40%.

[Silent_Hunter]

Do you have information about American, Canadians, and Australians volunteers in KNIL ( Dutch East Indies Armed Forces)

[nata4190]

Do you have information about American, Canadians, and Australians volunteers in KNIL ( Dutch East Indies Armed Forces)

There are accounts of Americans, Canadians and Australians in KNIL, however there was not an official recruitment program. Basically, any American, Canadian and Australian could volunteer on an indvidual basis but not en mass

[Javaa]

@nata4190
Could I ask you a question about your avatar?
I assume 'Korps Marinir' means Marine corps. Does the name has its origin from the Dutch 'Korps Mariniers'? I guess so, because I can't imagine that is native Malay. I am aware of the fact that Indonesia has a marine corps. Is this the patch of the current corps, or from a old unit?

Regards,

Javaa

[nata4190]

Korps Marinir indeed means Marine Corps. The name Korps Marinir originates from the Dutch name Korps Mariniers and on September 1945, its name was "Indonesianized" to Korps Marinir. The patch is the current patch or lencana kesatuan of the Korps Marinir Indonesia

[Silent_Hunter]

Do you have infromation about ASIAN Volunteers ( Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongol) in KNIL