400 years Netherlands-Australia: Allies: Relations: Reminders

War memorial in Fremantle commemorating the Dutch servicemen and merchant navy personnel who helped to defend Australia during the Second World War, July 1999.

Reminders

Today, in 2006, there are still reminders of the Dutch military presence in Australia during the Second World War. Many Dutch ex-servicemen who had served in Australia returned there after the war. They and their descendants form part of Australian society. Many of these Dutch veterans in Australia still see one another regularly at meetings organised by the Netherlands Ex-Servicemen & Women’s Association (NESWA). This organisation was launched in 1951, and branches were later set up in all Australian states. Originally it had 1,200 members, but this figure has since declined significantly as many veterans have died.

The presence of Dutch forces in Australia during the war is also reflected in the war memorials dedicated to Dutch servicemen in several Australian cities. For instance, an official memorial was unveiled on Monument Hill in Fremantle in July 1999 and another in Melbourne in May 2004. Further evidence of the Dutch military presence during the war can be found at cemeteries. There are Dutch war graves in Sydney (19), Brisbane (7), Melbourne (10) and Perth (25). There is also a collective grave for 20 Dutch victims at the military cemetery of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Cairns.

Of the Dutch forces stationed in Australia, the Royal Netherlands Navy has left the most traces behind. The remains of three Dutch submarines still lie in Australian waters. The K VIII and the K XI were sunk in the Cockburn Sound off Fremantle, while the K IX was lost off the coast of New South Wales in June 1945. The K IX gained considerable publicity in Australia and the Netherlands in August 1999 when the wreck was discovered 54 years after it was lost. Using metal detectors, a team from the NSW Heritage Office managed to locate it under three metres of sand at Submarine Beach near Seal Rocks NSW. The high cost prevented the submarine from being salvaged. The discovery was announced in the Australian ‘Daily Telegraph’ and the Dutch ‘Telegraaf’, and details were also published on the Internet.

Nowadays the wreck of the K VIII is no more than unrecognisable twisted metal spread over a 61 by 10 metre area. Most of it is buried and has little to offer archaeologists and amateur divers. The valuable photographic and historical records are all that remain for the general public and diving community.

After the dismantling of the K XI, the hull was towed to a point 12 miles west of Rottnest in September 1946 and was sunk in an area with great deeps, known as Ships’ Graveyard. The submarine is of no value to the public, and cannot be reached by amateur divers since it lies at a depth of 80 metres. However, its 3.5 inch deck cannon can be admired by all. It is located in the grounds of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club on the banks of the Swan River.

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	War memorial in Fremantle commemorating the Dutch servicemen and merchant navy personnel who helped to defend Australia during the Second World War, July 1999. Reminders Today, in 2006, there are still reminders of the Dutch military presence in Australia during the Second World War. Many Dutch ex-servicemen who had served in Australia returned there after the war. They and their descendants form part of Australian society. Many of these Dutch veterans in Australia still see one another regularly at meetings organised by the Netherlands Ex-Servicemen & Women’s Association (NESWA). This organisation was launched in 1951, and branches were later set up in all Australian states. Originally it had 1,200 members, but this figure has since declined significantly as many veterans have died. The presence of Dutch forces in Australia during the war is also reflected in the war memorials dedicated to Dutch servicemen in several Australian cities. For instance, an official memorial was unveiled on Monument Hill in Fremantle in July 1999 and another in Melbourne in May 2004. Further evidence of the Dutch military presence during the war can be found at cemeteries. There are Dutch war graves in Sydney (19), Brisbane (7), Melbourne (10) and Perth (25). There is also a collective grave for 20 Dutch victims at the military cemetery of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Cairns. Of the Dutch forces stationed in Australia, the Royal Netherlands Navy has left the most traces behind. The remains of three Dutch submarines still lie in Australian waters. The K VIII and the K XI were sunk in the Cockburn Sound off Fremantle, while the K IX was lost off the coast of New South Wales in June 1945. The K IX gained considerable publicity in Australia and the Netherlands in August 1999 when the wreck was discovered 54 years after it was lost. Using metal detectors, a team from the NSW Heritage Office managed to locate it under three metres of sand at Submarine Beach near Seal Rocks NSW. The high cost prevented the submarine from being salvaged. The discovery was announced in the Australian ‘Daily Telegraph’ and the Dutch ‘Telegraaf’, and details were also published on the Internet. Nowadays the wreck of the K VIII is no more than unrecognisable twisted metal spread over a 61 by 10 metre area. Most of it is buried and has little to offer archaeologists and amateur divers. The valuable photographic and historical records are all that remain for the general public and diving community. After the dismantling of the K XI, the hull was towed to a point 12 miles west of Rottnest in September 1946 and was sunk in an area with great deeps, known as Ships’ Graveyard. The submarine is of no value to the public, and cannot be reached by amateur divers since it lies at a depth of 80 metres. However, its 3.5 inch deck cannon can be admired by all. It is located in the grounds of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club on the banks of the Swan River.



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