"Indian Pattern odd job"

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Nick Balmer commented:

I wonder which route supplies of vehicles from India, Burma & Malaysia used to reach the Dutch East Indies?

I know that many of the initial vehicles supplied had arrived in Java with the Indian Armies 23rd Division which was sent to Java and the 26th Division in Sumatra following the surrender of Japan. I believe that once these forces handed over to the newly arriving Dutch forces, they handed over their vehicles to the Dutch.

Other vehicles almost certainly were shipped directly from India to Java or Sumatra.

The presence of this very unusual vehicle in Australia points towards a third route via Australia.

I know that many of the Dutch forces who left Java & Sumatra in 1942 were shipped to Australia, where they reformed and built up a substantial air force.

Did the Dutch refugees also form army or marine units in Australia between 1942-1946?

If so where?

I wonder if they received Indian Army trucks to assist in the training at depots in Australia?

When did the Dutch forces leave Australia? Where they using somewhere like Fremantle as a operating & logistics hub in 1945-1948?