Albert Eduard Stoové
Encyclopedia
Albert Eduard Stoové was a Sergeant in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
at the start of World War II
. For several actions with the 2-VLG-V
squadron under command of Capt. Jacob Pieter van Helsdingen he received the Vliegerkruis
on 24 February 1942.
and German
descent, and his mother was from Swiss
descent. His father owned a dairy farm named "Louise" in Djetis. Also he trained racehorses and jockeys and delivered racehorses to Sultan Hamengkubuwana VIII of Yogyakarta
. Because of this Ed had a relatively easy childhood.
bombers, but within 6 months he made a transfer to fighter planes. After a re-organisation of all the squadrons Stoové was added on 1 July 1941 to the newly formed second squadron of aircraft group five
(short 2-VLG-V). There he received a 'personal' aircraft, a Brewster Buffalo
with serial number B-3117.
, including 2-VLG-V, the squadron of Stoové, were send to Kallang Airfield for the defense of British Singapore
. In total the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
stationed 27 Glenn Martin 139
bombers and 12 Brewster Buffalo fighters at Kallang Airfield for the defense of Singapore.
From this airfield Stoové flew several missions to defend Singapore, during one of this missions his squadron successfully torpedoed a Japanese destroyer, also his squadron shot down 4 Japanese fighterplanes. During the defense of Singapore one Dutch pilot (Sgt. Groot) lost his life. On 18 January 1942 his squadron headed back to Java for the defense of the islands of the Dutch East Indies. Stoové, together with 7 other Brewster Buffalo pilots flew to Semplak, while all other pilots went to Andir and Tjilitian. Because the Dutch retreated on the 18th for the defense of Java, they just missed the Battle of Singapore
.
. A total of 9 Glenn Martin 139
bombers were escorted by 20 Brewster Buffalo's, from 1-VLG-V and 2-VLG-V. Each Brewster also carried 2 bombs from 110 lbs (50 kg). The damage done by the Brewsters were 8 hits on 4 Japanese ships. During the bombing of the ships the wingman of Stoové, Ensign Robert Adolf Rothkrans was shot down and died. For this air-raid Stoové was awarded with the Vliegerkruis.
2-VLG-V) started their engines. An eight aircraft (one from 2-VLG-V) couldn't participate because the engine caught on fire during a test-run. The participating pilots from 1-VLG-V were: Capt. van
Rest, 1st Lt. Tideman, 1st Lt. Benjamins, Sgt. Adam and Sgt. van Kempen. While under heavy enemy fire the pilots dropped their bombs on several Japanese battle ships and gunned the landing crafts during three runs. Van Rest's aircraft (B-3131) got hit multiple times and after return had to stay on the ground. In almost the same garrison as the first attack (except for Capt. van Rest and Sgt. van Kempen who got replaced with Sgt. Compaan) the brewsters took off for a second attack wave at 07:45. During this run 1st Lt. Benjamins and Sgt. Stoové were instructed to shoot as much as possible Japanese infantry which was landing on the beach. In three runs they gunned and killed tens of dozens Japanese soldiers. On the way back Stoové had to deal with some engine problems but returned safely.
. On this island he and other POWs had to build landing strips for the Japanese airforce.
, he out-served his army contract until January 1947. When the Netherlands gave up the Dutch East Indies in 1949, and it changed into Indonesia, it became very dangerous for citizens with European descent. A lot of civilians from European descent were hunted, attacked and even killed. Specially ex-military and indigenous civilians who for many years helped the Dutch were the victims. After Stoové heard from a friend that people were looking for him, to kill him, he decided to flee the country. In 1954, Stoové together with his wife, Janet Edith van Handenhove, emigrated to the Netherlands. Started on the 12th of May, they sailed for three weeks on the MS Willem Ruys
from Yogyakarta to Rotterdam
. After a short time in pensions they settled in Bloemendaal
.
were looking for ex-pilots from the ML-KNIL for jobs in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. He sollicitated was accepted and got stationed at Soesterberg airfield flying for the 334th Squadron. Because of this the family moved to Delft
. Stoové only flew transport aircraft, and transported goods and personal of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and goods and members of the Royal Dutch Family
. At the end of 1975 Stoové had to go with pension, because of his 55th birthday. After this he worked for 15 years in a Opel
garage as a mechanic. He died in a nursing home in Delft, Netherlands
, on 23 September 2010. He was 89 years old.
G.B. no. 1z from 24 February 1942
Sergeant-kortverband-vlieger der Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies from 1939 until 1950...
at the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. For several actions with the 2-VLG-V
2-VLG-V (ML-KNIL)
Tweede afdeling, vliegtuiggroep vijf or short 2-VLG-V was a squadron of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force from the 1st of July 1941 to the 8th of March 1942.-Establishment:...
squadron under command of Capt. Jacob Pieter van Helsdingen he received the Vliegerkruis
Airman's Cross
The Airman's Cross is an important military decoration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands created in 1941. The cross is meant for those Dutch military, who displayed during one of more flights in an aircraft, initiative, courage and perseverance against the enemy or during hostile actions...
on 24 February 1942.
Childhood
Albert Eduard (Ed) Stoové was born on 26 December 1920 in Yogyakarta in the Netherlands East Indies. He was the third from in total eight children of Jozeph Leophinus Gaillard Stoové and Louise Caroline Françoise Manz. His father was from DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
descent, and his mother was from Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
descent. His father owned a dairy farm named "Louise" in Djetis. Also he trained racehorses and jockeys and delivered racehorses to Sultan Hamengkubuwana VIII of Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (special region)
The Special Region of Yogyakarta , on the island of Java is the smallest province of Indonesia . Yogyakarta is the only province in Indonesia that is still governed by a pre-colonial monarchy, the Sultan of Yogyakarta, who serves as the hereditary governor of the province. The city of Yogyakarta...
. Because of this Ed had a relatively easy childhood.
Start Of Service
Because Stoové celebrated his 18th birthday in December 1938 he had to report for duty in januari 1939. After his basic training he got added to the Navy. However he didn't feel like being months away at sea and asked for a transfer to the air force, which was granted. Because of his good descent he was allowed to start a pilot training at Kalidjati airfield in Bandoeng-Java. Here he trained several months in a Koolhoven FK 51 and in December 1939 Stoové received his wings. At first he flew Glenn Martin 139Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
bombers, but within 6 months he made a transfer to fighter planes. After a re-organisation of all the squadrons Stoové was added on 1 July 1941 to the newly formed second squadron of aircraft group five
2-VLG-V (ML-KNIL)
Tweede afdeling, vliegtuiggroep vijf or short 2-VLG-V was a squadron of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force from the 1st of July 1941 to the 8th of March 1942.-Establishment:...
(short 2-VLG-V). There he received a 'personal' aircraft, a Brewster Buffalo
Brewster Buffalo
The Brewster F2A Buffalo was an American fighter aircraft which saw limited service early in World War II. Though the Buffalo won a competition against the Grumman F4F Wildcat in 1939 to become the US Navy's first monoplane fighter aircraft, it turned out to be a big disappointment...
with serial number B-3117.
Battle of Malaya
The Dutch support for the British army in Singapore was already agreed before the war broke out in the pacific. From October 1940 the Dutch and British agreed to share military information, and one month later the British, Dutch and Australians decided to defend the pacific area together. On 9 December 1941 several squadrons from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air ForceRoyal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies from 1939 until 1950...
, including 2-VLG-V, the squadron of Stoové, were send to Kallang Airfield for the defense of British Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. In total the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies from 1939 until 1950...
stationed 27 Glenn Martin 139
Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
bombers and 12 Brewster Buffalo fighters at Kallang Airfield for the defense of Singapore.
From this airfield Stoové flew several missions to defend Singapore, during one of this missions his squadron successfully torpedoed a Japanese destroyer, also his squadron shot down 4 Japanese fighterplanes. During the defense of Singapore one Dutch pilot (Sgt. Groot) lost his life. On 18 January 1942 his squadron headed back to Java for the defense of the islands of the Dutch East Indies. Stoové, together with 7 other Brewster Buffalo pilots flew to Semplak, while all other pilots went to Andir and Tjilitian. Because the Dutch retreated on the 18th for the defense of Java, they just missed the Battle of Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
.
Battle of Balikpapan
On 23 January 1942 Stoové took part in an air-raid against the Japanese navy fleet in the Makassar StraitMakassar Strait
Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea.The Mahakam River of Borneo empties into the strait....
. A total of 9 Glenn Martin 139
Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
bombers were escorted by 20 Brewster Buffalo's, from 1-VLG-V and 2-VLG-V. Each Brewster also carried 2 bombs from 110 lbs (50 kg). The damage done by the Brewsters were 8 hits on 4 Japanese ships. During the bombing of the ships the wingman of Stoové, Ensign Robert Adolf Rothkrans was shot down and died. For this air-raid Stoové was awarded with the Vliegerkruis.
Battle of Java
On 1 March 1942 Capt. van Helsdingen decided to do an attack on Japanse infantry who were landing on the beached of Eretan Wetan, he chose Stoové as his wingman. Around 05.30 am, seven brewster buffalo's (5 from 1-VLG-V eand 2 from2-VLG-V) started their engines. An eight aircraft (one from 2-VLG-V) couldn't participate because the engine caught on fire during a test-run. The participating pilots from 1-VLG-V were: Capt. van
Rest, 1st Lt. Tideman, 1st Lt. Benjamins, Sgt. Adam and Sgt. van Kempen. While under heavy enemy fire the pilots dropped their bombs on several Japanese battle ships and gunned the landing crafts during three runs. Van Rest's aircraft (B-3131) got hit multiple times and after return had to stay on the ground. In almost the same garrison as the first attack (except for Capt. van Rest and Sgt. van Kempen who got replaced with Sgt. Compaan) the brewsters took off for a second attack wave at 07:45. During this run 1st Lt. Benjamins and Sgt. Stoové were instructed to shoot as much as possible Japanese infantry which was landing on the beach. In three runs they gunned and killed tens of dozens Japanese soldiers. On the way back Stoové had to deal with some engine problems but returned safely.
Prisoner Of War
After the capitulation of the Dutch East Indies on 8 March 1942, Stoové was imprisoned in several Japanese POW camps. His longest stay in one camp was in a Japanese POW camp on the island FloresFlores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
. On this island he and other POWs had to build landing strips for the Japanese airforce.
Emigration
After the war had ended, and Stoové was liberated from the Japanese POW camp on FloresFlores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
, he out-served his army contract until January 1947. When the Netherlands gave up the Dutch East Indies in 1949, and it changed into Indonesia, it became very dangerous for citizens with European descent. A lot of civilians from European descent were hunted, attacked and even killed. Specially ex-military and indigenous civilians who for many years helped the Dutch were the victims. After Stoové heard from a friend that people were looking for him, to kill him, he decided to flee the country. In 1954, Stoové together with his wife, Janet Edith van Handenhove, emigrated to the Netherlands. Started on the 12th of May, they sailed for three weeks on the MS Willem Ruys
MS Achille Lauro
MS Achille Lauro was a cruise ship based in Naples, Italy. Built between 1939 and 1947 as MS Willem Ruys, a passenger liner for the Rotterdamsche Lloyd. It is most remembered for its 1985 hijacking...
from Yogyakarta to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. After a short time in pensions they settled in Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
.
Back In Service
From an old friend from the Dutch East Indies, Stoové heard that the Royal Netherlands Air ForceRoyal Netherlands Air Force
The Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots...
were looking for ex-pilots from the ML-KNIL for jobs in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. He sollicitated was accepted and got stationed at Soesterberg airfield flying for the 334th Squadron. Because of this the family moved to Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
. Stoové only flew transport aircraft, and transported goods and personal of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and goods and members of the Royal Dutch Family
House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
. At the end of 1975 Stoové had to go with pension, because of his 55th birthday. After this he worked for 15 years in a Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
garage as a mechanic. He died in a nursing home in Delft, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, on 23 September 2010. He was 89 years old.
Awards
- Vliegerkruis (Flyers Cross)
G.B. no. 1z from 24 February 1942
Sergeant-kortverband-vlieger der Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger