Beneath the Jakarta sun stands the Hemelboom War memorial. It’s more than just a tree. It’s a monument to those who suffered.
The Hemelboom War memorial marks a site of profound sorrow. Hundreds of people from the Netherlands and the Commonwealth were executed here. The Japanese occupiers carried out these atrocities during World War II. This location is within Ancol War Cemetery.
Let us remember the words on the plaque. It reads: “Hemelboom. They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we shall remember them. We shall remember them… Antjol, 1942-1945”.
The Ancol War Cemetery is also known as Dutch Field of Honor Ancol. In Dutch, it is called Nederlands Ereveld Ancol. In Indonesian, it is Makam Kehormatan Belanda di Ancol. This cemetery was inaugurated on September 14, 1946.
More than 2,000 victims of the Pacific War are buried here. Among them are 1,328 members of the resistance. They fought against the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies.
After Japan surrendered in 1945, investigations began. The Dutch Temporaire Krijgsraden looked into Japanese war crimes. Ancol, then spelled Antjol, was a swampy execution field.
In June 1946, the Graves Service visited Ancol. They found a cement gravestone and a wooden cross. The inscription in Japanese meant “cemetery-deceased”.
An elderly deaf-mute guardian of a Chinese temple helped. He showed investigators execution sites. Single and communal graves were found. The area was cleared. Remains were collected and identified. The ground was leveled and drained.
A temporary wooden monument stood where the cement gravestone had been. It read: “Their spirit has conquered, 1942–1945”. On September 14, 1946, the cemetery was inaugurated. It was the first in the southwest Pacific constructed by the Royal Netherlands Army Graves Service.
A grand ceremony honored the executed. The Dutch flag was draped over the monument. Gravestones were decorated with palm branches. Rose petals were spread on all the graves. Dignitaries from different countries attended. H.J. van Mook spoke of those who persevered for their country, humanity, and freedom.
The Hemelboom War memorial itself became a symbol. The tree’s shape seemed to reach to heaven in horror. It was an Ailanthus excelsa. According to the temple guardian, women had been executed under it.
When the tree died, a rescue operation took place. The roots had sprouted a shoot. This symbolized the past, present, and future. The old tree was preserved. A copper plate was added. It quoted Laurence Binyon’s poem “For the Fallen.”
The inscription reads: “They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted: They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. Ancol, 1942–1945”.
A semi-circular bench surrounds the Hemelboom War memorial. It is a place for reflection. Victims buried here were executed after betrayal, show trials, or torture. The Netherlands War Graves Foundation manages Ancol War Cemetery.
As you stand here at the Hemelboom War memorial, remember their sacrifice. Think of their courage and resilience. Let us honor their memory always. This place reminds us of the cost of freedom.