Faa 1847 Squadron
Hanno
Yes...... it is difficult to understand how so many died in training exercises in such a short space of time; somehow the mind could accept their deaths more readily had they been killed in combat.
I cannot even begin to understand how their Commanding Officer, L/C(A) H Colville-Stewart RNVR must have felt in trying to come to terms with the loss of so many young men under his command. You say he was relieved of his post; in that case, do you think he would have been allocated a job on the ground.
Surely the deaths of these young men, whatever the cause(s) must have adversely affected him for the rest of his natural life.
Your grandfather's brother, Johannes Blok, was born in Java, as was EH den Hollander. Might I ask what happened to Johanne's parents (your G'Grand-parents)and siblings during the war years? Did they relocate elsewhere before the Japanese invasion of Java? The reason I ask is that it might give me some indication as to what happened to the den Hollander family?
Marbeth
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