Wilhelm August Bethge
Victim | 21 July 1882 | Retired KNIL Sergeant-Major
Born in Uthmöden, Germany
Registered as "stateless" because he was stripped from his German citizenship as he migrated to NEI and joined the KNIL.
Wilhelm was retired from the KNIL in the rank of sergeant major and resided in Ungaran (near Semarang) at the time of his arrest. He was deported with ss Van Imhoff and drowned. His death was confirmed by mail from the Red Cross in Switserland in 1949.
The Netherlands' War Graves Foundation (https://oorlogsgravenstichting.nl/persoon/11314/wilhelm-august-bethge) considered Wilhelm a Dutch victim of war. The foundation searched for family members as part of the process to officially recognize his seaman's grave. Related correspondence is shown below.
In the Foundation's notes, reference is made to Wilhelm's daughter Anna Emma Louisa born on 28 May 1907 and her legalization when she was 16 years. This was supported with a GB (=Gouvernements Besluit) on 11 July 1923 nr 32 (see copy below). In 1957 Anna's last known address was: Havenweg, Hollandiahaven, Hollandia (Nieuw-Guinea, Irian Barat) where she was registered as the wife of NN Blaauw.
(Info and materials: descendant Maria Postma-Blaauw)
Mail from captivity, Ngawi 15 August 1940. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Ngawi, August 1940. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Ngawi 16 July 1940. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Ngawi 21 July 1940. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Ngawi, 18 December 1940. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Kuta Cane, March 1941. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Kuta Cane, 6 April, 1941. (Click t0 enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Kuta Cane, 2 May 1941. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Kuta Cane 19 May 1941. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Kuta Cane, 14 June 1941. (Click to enlarge)
Mail from captivity, Kuta Cane, 3 November 1941. (Click to enlarge)
Submit additional information about this person
Back to list