The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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Hein ter Poorten was born in Java and was commissioned in the artillery in 1911. A licensed pilot, he became an early exponent of air power, returning to the Netherlands East Indies to establish the Army Air Force. He was the Dutch
commander in the Netherlands
East
Indies at the commencement of the Pacific war. He was
subsequently named as commander of land forces under the Allied ABDA command. With the collapse of
Allied resistance on Java, ter
Poorten was compelled to surrender on 8 March 1942.
Although intelligent and innovative in his
thinking, he was somewhat lacking in tactfulness and did not always get
along well with the civilian leadership in the Netherlands East Indies.
A realist, he was pessimistic about the capabilities of his forces.
| 1887 |
Born at Buitenzorg, Java |
|
| 1911 |
Second lieutenant |
Commissioned in the artillery |
| 1919 |
High Military Academy |
|
| 1926 |
Netherlands East Indies general staff |
|
| 1936 |
Colonel
|
Inspector of artillery, Netherlands East Indies |
| 1939-7 |
Chief, General Staff,
Netherlands East Indies |
|
| 1941-10 |
Lieutenant
general |
Commander in chief, Dutch East
Indies |
| 1942 |
Commander, ABDA Land Forces |
|
| 1942 |
Prisoner of war |
|
| 1968 |
Dies |
References
Klemen (2000; accessed 2012-4-14)
Generals.dk (accessed 2008-7-5)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2006, 2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index
