The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Women's Corps (, VK-KNIL) was the women's branch of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) that consisted of female oorlogsvrijwilligers. It was founded during World War II on 5 March 1944 in Melbourne and disbanded at the conclusion of the Indonesian War of Independence with the abolition of the KNIL on 26 July 1950.
Background
In August 1943, the Netherlands East Indies Commission for Australia and New Zealand (, NINDICOM) in Melbourne wrote to the minister of the Colonies with the request to send information about the women's auxiliary corps that the Dutch government-in-exile intended to set up in England. In October 1943, mr. N.S. Blom, member of the Council of Assistance for Netherlands East Indies Affairs () in London, forwarded all documents concerning the organization of the women's auxiliary corps to the commission in Australia.
On 20 December 1943, the Dutch minister of War, jhr. O.C.A van Lidth de Jeude, issued the so-called 'Auxiliary Corps Decision' in England, establishing the first Dutch women's corps to be given military status. This made it possible to deploy women in a military context. The corps was given the name Volunteer Women's Auxiliary Corps (, VVHK) and was part of the Royal Netherlands Army. The first certificate of enlistment was signed on 25 April 1944, which is why this date officially counts as the date of entry of women into the Royal Netherlands Army. The first commander of the VVHK was Major C.E. Smit-Dyserinck.
History
On 5 March 1944 the Women's Corps of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was established by the Netherlands East Indies government-in-exile in Melbourne, as the counterpart of the new women's corps of the Dutch army in Europe. This was the first colonial women's corps within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Initially, the corps consisted of women from wealthy families with ties to the Dutch East Indies, from areas of the Netherlands that had already been liberated in 1944, and from various countries outside occupied Europe, such as the Dutch West Indies, Canada, the United States, England, Argentina, Cuba, and Australia. The first VK-KNIL officers were kommandante first lieutenant J.M. Meerburg, second lieutenant C.A. Smit and second lieutenant J.C. Person.
Quoting Mrs Blom-Gelderman, recruiting officer in New York City: "The VK-KNIL was founded with a focus on "island hopping". It was thought that the Indies should be conquered island by island and that the troops should go to such an island. And where are the troops, there you need secretaries, medical analysts, pharmacists and doctors. And they were often recruited from the VK-KNIL at the time, that was its purpose."
After World War II, volunteers in the Netherlands were asked through newspaper advertisements by the Department of War (now the Ministry of Defence) to apply to join the VK-KNIL. They were often well-educated and were deployed for additional tasks as a pharmacist (assistant), secretary, nurse or for work in the soup kitchens and canteens. From 1946 they could also be employed in administrative work, such as in the intelligence service and the liaison service.
Until the abolition of the KNIL a total of around 1,000 women served with the corps, with a contract duration of 6 months to 3 years. The women of the Vrouwenkorps received military training spanning from several weeks to several months, although the women's corps was non-combatant. In the first years after formation, recruits did receive weapons training, but in practice VK-KNIL members served unarmed.
1944–1946
From April 1944, women of the Vrouwenkorps were deployed to Hollandia, Western New Guinea. The mainly medical personnel were deployed to bring aid to the population. In September 1945, the first VK-KNIL members left Australia by plane for Java and Sumatra to work as welfare officers for the "Displaced Persons" (KDP) and the "Recovery Allied Prisoners of War and Internees" (RAPWI) offices. The goal was to register and reunite as many people as possible with their families.