Dutch Luger

[Vlim]

Phil,

Although many Dutch were evacuated in time, a lot of people were rounded up and placed in concentration camps, where they remained for the duration of the war. Men were kept separate from the women and children, but all were interned. Many did not survive the harsh conditions and a lot of women were forced to 'work' in Japanese army brothels.

The way the Japanese behaved in the Dutch colonies is one of the darkest pages in the Dutch and Japanese history and it is still very much a painfull part of the common history of both countries as Japan has not shown that much remoarse nor offered official apologies for years. Not a lot of Dutch people felt bad when the US nuked Japan twice.

So there would have been quite a few captures, although most were indeed taken from storage in arsenals, etc..

[dandypoint]

Here is another picture I took of my Luger on a captured Japanese Flag. Also in the picture is a picture of my Dads squad on Guam. Of the 10 men in the picture, 8 received the Purple Heart, one was later killed in action on Okinawa. He was awarded the Navy Cross. There also was one Silver star and one Bronze star awarded to two of the group. The man on the left in the back row in the picture found my Luger and gave it to my Dad (back row far right).