Case study 122 NEI Squadron Medan - periode 1946 / 1950 [en]

16 October 2019

^Version ^date: ^2021-09-16

Grandfather C.W. Bastiaans was as KNIL-ML engineer involved with 122 (NEI) Sqn from the outset. At Polonia Medan he was a ML-KNIL adjudant and head of hangar and regular service.

Grandmother, mother and uncle lived there from 1947.

"On November 12, 1946, Captain Deibel personally led the flight of the first twelve P-51s, under the guidance of a B-25, from Tjililitan to Medan, a distance of 1390 km. In the B-25 was a technical team service under the command of adjutant CW Bastiaans " ^[1].

1. Bron: Ward O.G.; pagina 181

P-51D Mustang parked on 11VB Polonia Medan 1946

A few days ago I started combining my collected content of and additional research into the 122 (NEI) squadron.

The squadron stationed in Medan plays a significant role in my immediate family. My grandfather worked for it and later my grandmother, mother and uncle lived in Medan. In fact, Medan was in 1946 an enclave on North Sumatra and surrounded on three sides by the Republican army.

"In the beginning there was a lot of shooting and we were not allowed to leave the site", my mother said. At the time in her teenage years. The circumstances have undoubtedly had a major impact.

Nobody in the family spoke about it. That is why I started this case study.

Unknown

Relatively little is known about this ML-KNIL squadron equipped with P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers. It is a small but not unimportant part of Dutch history in the former Dutch East Indies after the declaration of independence of the Republic of Indonesia on 15 August 1945.

Gitlab

The progress of the case study can be followed on a public repository on Gitlab . It is possible to give comments or additions there ^[2].

One of the main goals is to find all names and faces of crew of 122sqn.

You are cordially invited to help out..

The content consists of:

History
 1e politionele actie: "operatie Product"
 2e politionele actie: "operatie Kraai"
 Strength of 122 Squadron
 Assignments of 122 Squadron
Creation of the squadron
Airbase 11VB Polonia - Medan
Background
 The P-51 Mustang
 Airfields Sumatra
 Airforce Command Sumatra
 Lockheed Electra
 17 Squadron VARWA
The crew of 122 Squadron
Photos
 Crew / portraits
 P-51

2. For comments and additions a (free) account on Gitlab or Discord is required