History of the Rangers: I will be on my way to Long Nawang in East Kalimantan (KALTIM) to re-investigate the killing of about 70 Europeans and Eurasians by the Japanese in 1942 By James Ritchie
The Courageous Who Have Looked At Death In The Eye
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.”
“Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace,
for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man." “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
I will be on my way to Long Nawang in East Kalimantan (KALTIM) to re-investigate the killing of about 70 Europeans and Eurasians by the Japanese in 1942 By James Ritchie
Monday, May 01, 2023
Reverend Fr Felbrugge
The Killing of Reverend Fr Felbrugge of the Marudi Roman Catholic. Reverend Father Joseph Leo Louis Marie Feldbrugge was a Mill Hill priest who became a Parish priest in Marudi. When the Japanese invaded Sarawak he helped rescue a Dutch Air Force pilot and three airmen in a Martin B-10 bomber who had crashed in the Baram river just below the town of Marudi on December 15, 1941.
Two Dutch airmen were killed in the crash and were buried at the Marudi church. After this Father Feldbrudge, Baram Resident Donald Hudden and Sarawak Oil General Manager B.B. Barry and the four Dutch airmen left Marudi for Long Nawang.
Fr Feldbrugge with Catholics in Miri.
On reaching Long Nawang Hudden decided to return to Sarawak and take refuge among some of his Saban friends adjacent to the Kelabit Highlands.
However, Hudden was later killed by three Iban—former prisoners at the Baram jail—and beheaded.
. With Catholics at Marudi.
When the 76 Japanese marines from Samarinda under Captain Sima Mora arrived at Long Nawang on August 20, 1942 they immediately attacked the barracks where about 60 Europeans were housed killing six people.
On September 23, the Japanese under Captain Shima second in command (2IC) Lt Okino and 26 marines bayoneted the remaining eight European women and children and threw them in another mass grave.
Fr. Feldbrugge’s boat on the Baram river below the Marudi rectory Dutch bomber crashed on Decdember 15, 1941.Fr Felbrugge rescued four Dutch Airmen men.
On August 26 a native Kenyah from Long Nawang who hid in his hut remembered seeing Father Feldbrudge, wearing his white 'sultana' and his red sashes, being led out into the open with the others. They had to two large graves for themselves.
They were bayoneted and fell into the grave.
He was the last one to be killed.
According to the report, 72 in total were massacred. Dutch military and Dutch civilians, American, British and Australian military.
Roman Catholic Missionary Fr Joseph Feldbrugge was born on October 1, 1900 at Groningen. His parents were Joseph and Maria (nee Swagemakers), and he had five brothers and 4 sisters.
In 1920, after having studied for four years at the Culemberg seminary) he joined St. Joseph’s Missionary Society (the Mill Hill Missionaries0 and entered St. Joseph’s Missiehuis at Roosendaal to study Philosophy. In 1922 he was promoted to study Theology at St. Joseph’s College in Mill Hill, London.
On July 18th 1926 he was ordained a priest, and on October 22nd left for Borneo.
