Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force

The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (Dutch: Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until 1950.In 1921, it became the "Aviation Service" (Luchtvaartafdeling-KNIL, LA-KNIL), before finally receiving the designation of ML-KNIL on 30 March 1939.On 1 January 1942, the Dutch forces joined the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, but at the onset of the Japanese assault the ML-KNIL was not up to full combat strength.Reconnaissance aircraft were placed directly under command of the Army to give support to ground troops.Despite stubborn resistance the Japanese occupied the Dutch colonies, though numbers of aircraft found their way to northern Australia to continue the fight.
Air Vice-Marshal Conway Pulford greeting pilots of the ML-KNIL in Singapore, January 1942.
No. 120 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF Badge 1943–1946
A pilot with his Fokker C.V, 1937.
ML-KNIL Martin 166 bombers over Malaya in January 1942.
ML-KNIL Brewster F2A Buffalo fighters
Brewster B-339C Buffalo replica on display at the National Military Museum in Soesterberg , Netherlands
Royal Netherlands East Indies ArmyAir forceAerial warfareWorld War IIIndonesian War of IndependenceDutch East IndiesIndonesiaRoyal Netherlands Air ForceIndonesian Air ForceAir Vice-MarshalConway PulfordAmerican-British-Dutch-Australian CommandJapanese occupied the Dutch coloniesAustraliaNo. 18 (NEI) Squadron RAAFmedium bomberB-25 MitchellNo. 119 (NEI) Squadron RAAFNo. 120 (NEI) Squadron RAAFNo. 19 (NEI) Squadron RAAFIndonesian National RevolutionFarmanAvro 504Curtiss P-6De Havilland DH-9Fokker C.IVFokker C.VFokker C.XFokker DC.1Fokker D.VIIFokker F.VIIbFokker S.IVMorane-Saulnier ARNVI F.K.31Pander DVickers VikingMartin 166Brewster F2A BuffaloBrewster B-339C BuffaloSoesterbergNetherlandsBrewster B-339C/DBücker Bü 131Commonwealth CA-6 WackettConsolidated Model 28-5MNConsolidated Model 28-5AMNCurtiss Model 75A-7Curtiss-Wright CW-21Curtiss-Wright CW-22 FalconDouglas C-47 DakotaDornier Do 24KDouglas DC-3Fairchild F-24R-9Glenn Martin 139/166Hawker Hurricane IIbLockheed 212Lockheed 12Lockheed Model 18 LodestarDouglas C-54 SkymasterCurtiss P-40E/N KittyhawkMitsubishi Ki-57Koolhoven F.K.51Lockheed C60 LodestarMesserschmitt Bf 108North American P-51 MustangNoorduyn NorsemanNorth American AT-16 HarvardNorth American B-25 MitchellPiper J-4Piper L-4JRyan STM-2Taylorcraft L-2Tiger MothWaco EGC-7Waco UKCL.H. van OyenHein ter PoortenJacob van HelsdingenAlbert Eduard StoovéAugust DeibelGerard BrugginkNetherlands East Indies campaignJan HilgersFree Dutch ForcesAustralian War Memorial