Oorlogskamp Oransbari bij Manokwari

[webmaster]

Ben niet in Nieuw Guinea geboren maar mijn vrouw Loes Beynon wel. Ik wil graag informatie over en reactie van eventuele mensen die zich nog iets kunnen herinneren van het oorlogskamp Oransbari bij Manokwari waar mensen gevangen hebben gezeten in het kamp. Groeten, > > Bas Opdenkelder > > Getrouwd met Loes Beynon - Opdenkelder

[Marcel]

Hallo Allemaal, Ik las toevallig op het internet een vraag van een schrijver/historicus die verbonden is aan de Alamo Scouts Assn. Deze Alama Scouts waren betrokken bij de bevrijding van een Nederlandse familie, verder 52 Javanen waaronder bedienden en een Franse familie van 12. Het betrof een internerings/evacuatie-kamp vlakbij Oransbari. Volgens de verhalen zou het v.w.b. de Nederlanders een Gouverveur en zijn familie betreffen. Het is hen echter nooit duidelijk geworden wie ze daadwerkelijk bevrijd hebben en ze willen graag in kontakt komen met de kinderen van die Nederlandse familie. Zijn er wellicht mensen die hierover wat weten of na kunnen vragen ?? Aan het einde van het verzoek ook nog een ander onderwerp, nl de bevrijding van zo'n 121 missionarissen op 28 april 1944 nabij Hollandia. . . Hieronder het verzoek :

I am the historian for the Alamo Scouts Assn, a group of WWII U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers who liberated a Dutch Governor and his family; 52 Javanese, and a French family of 12 from an un-named internee camp near Cape Oransbari, DNG (E Vogelkop) on October 5, 1944. The early morning raid (made by 14 Scouts and six Dutch & Javanese guides) was a complete surprise and some 25 Japanese were killed with no Allied losses. The raid is considered one of the finest in US military history. After years of searching I found a report by the Dutch officer, Lt. Louis Rapmund, who participated in the operation from Roemberpon Island. Unfortunately, he was murdered in 1945 in Java, but I recently located his daughter--who was a native of Holland now living in the U.S. She is very excited about the possibility of learning more about her father and in corresponding with any surviving internees. My problem is this: I am attempting to discover the name of the Dutch Governor and to locate his living children to attempt a reunion among the PT boat crews who assisted in the rescue; the Alamo Scouts; and the daughter and son of Louis Rapmund. Nowhere have I been able to learn the name of the Governor. Upon liberation the internees were turned over to NICA officials on Biak Island on 5-6 October 1944, and that's the last that was heard of them. The Alamo Scouts were decorated for the action, but were soon shipped out for the invasion of the Philippines, and that was that. They never learned (or recorded) the names of those they rescued. Can you help? Or can you distribute this email to the thousands of others who suffered as internees of the Japanese in hopes that someone might know the name of the Governor and/or of his family? Surely, there are those out there who can help. Also, I would be interested in speaking with anyone who had any contact with Alamo Scouts, especially anyone who has knowledge of the Alamo Scouts resuce of some 121 missionaries near Hollandia on 28 April 1944. Please feel free to visit our website at http://www.alamoscouts.org to learn more about our organization, or email me directly at Alamoscouts@aol.com if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you so very much in advance. Lance Zedric Author/Historian Alamo Scouts Assn. http://www.alamoscouts.org Alamoscouts@aol.com