1947 Yogyakarta Dakota incident

1947 shootdown incident in Indonesia Yogyakarta Dakota incident Incident Yogyakarta Dakota incident Diorama.jpg 280px Diorama depicting the aftermath of the crash 29 July 1947 Shot down by Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force Ngoto, Bantul, Indonesia 7 50 22.3 S 110 22 34.6 E inline,title Douglas C-47B-20-DK Skytrain VT-CLA Singapore Maguwo Airfield, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 9 6 3 8 1 The 1947 Yogyakarta Dakota incident occurred when a Douglas C-47 Skytrain was carrying medical supplies to the de facto republican government of Indonesia at Yogyakarta which crashed on 29 July 1947. During the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949), several Indonesian nationalists, including Commodores Agustinus Adisucipto and Abdul Rahman Saleh, were tasked to deliver medical supplies from Malaya. Near the completion of the mission, as their aircraft – chartered from Biju Patnaik's Kalinga Airlines of India and flown by an Australian pilot – approached the airfield at Maguwo, Yogyakarta, two Dutch Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks flew in and shot the aircraft down over Ngoto, Bantul. Only one person survived the crash. August 2006 Australian pilot and international crew who died for Indonesia's freedom in 1947 https://www.indonesia-australia.com/2006/08/foreign-aircrew-that-died-for.html 2026-07-23 Indonesia Australia Report en-GB Although the Dutch initially denied complicity, investigation showed that the Kittyhawks had caused the crash; the Dutch later made restitution to India. On 1 March 1948 a monument to remember the event was built in Ngoto. Since 1979, the Indonesian Air Force has celebrated a Service Day (Hari Bakti) in commemoration of the crash and in remembrance of the deaths. Background In gap between the time of Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945 and the arrival of Allied forces in central and western parts of Indonesia, there was a political vacuum which was used by Indonesian nationalist. On 17 August 1945, Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed the nation's independence. The republican nationalists needed a force to fight for their independence. The first military force, known as the People's Security People's Safety Body (id Badan Keamanan Rakjat, or BKR), was formed on 23 August 1945 but tasked with police work. On 5 October of that year the de facto Indonesian government formed a national military, including provisions for an air force.AU, Sejarah TNI Angkatan UdaraAnderson 2005 103–106 The first pilot in this new air force was Commodore Agustinus Adisucipto, who had flown the first Indonesian aircraft, a Yokosuka K5Y (known locally as a Cureng) left by the Japanese empire.AU, Sejarah TNI Angkatan Udara Another commodore, Abdul Rahman Saleh, established the Air Force Technical School in Malang, East Java.JCG, Abdulrachman Saleh Both officers were involved in the crash of the Dakota C-47.Antara 2009, Hari Bakti ke-62 Allied Dutch and British forces had already landed on the main island of Java by that time, but the latter were mainly concerned with the repatriation of former prisoners of war. Ricklefs M.C. 1993 A history of modern Indonesia since c. 1300 https://archive.org/details/historyofmoderni0000rick_i0z4 archive.org Macmillan Press 216 Many eastern parts of former Dutch East Indies were occupied by Allied forces which liberated most of the archipelago during the Allied offensives of 1943–45. Tensions grew as Indonesians believed that Allied forces had agendas to stamp out their independence and to restore the Netherlands' control in their former colony. Meanwhile, the Dutch sought reoccupy their former colony and punish those who had collaborated with the Japanese during the occupation. Major and minor hostilities broke out between pro-Indonesian forces, pro-Dutch/Allied forces, and Japanese forces. Ricklefs M.C. 1993 A history of modern Indonesia since c. 1300 https://archive.org/details/historyofmoderni0000rick_i0z4 archive.org Macmillan Press 218 Flight thumb|Surviving tail section of the aircraft after the crash Under orders from Sukarno, Adisucipto and Saleh chartered a Douglas C-47B-20-DK from Bijoyanda Patnaik, an Indian national and owner of Kalinga Airlines, to transport medical supplies donated by the Red Cross of Malaya to the Red Cross of Indonesia.Antara 2009, Hari Bakti ke-62Soewito Suyono Suhartono 2008 86ASN, Criminal Occurrence description The flight was approved by both British and Dutch forces, who guaranteed a safe flight. The night before the flight's departure, Malayan radio broadcast that a flight with the registration number VT-CLA would be carrying medical supplies to Yogyakarta.Hakim Adrian Septriadi 2010 65 The flight departed Singapore, piloted by Alexander Noel Constantine, ex-R.A.F. at 1:00 a.m. West Indonesian Time (UTC+7) for Maguwo, the airfield at Yogyakarta.Antara 2009, Hari Bakti ke-62 Due to rising tension between the Netherlands and Indonesia, hostilities erupt sporadically. After Japanese surrender in Indonesia, Indonesian military took over many remaining Japanese aircraft, equipment, airfields. Dutch launched Operation Pelikaan (as a part of Operation Product) on 21 July 1947 which destroyed many of the aircraft they had accumulated. In retaliation, the Indonesian air force (with two "Willow" biplanes and a "Sonia" dive bomber) bombed Dutch strongholds in Semarang, Salatiga and Ambarawa on early hours of 29 July which did little damage and no casualty. About two hours later two Dutch P-40 Kittyhawks strafed Yogyakarta.http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Constantine.htm The Airmen's Stories - F/O A N Constantine 21 September 2021 Battle of Britain Monument, LondonAU, Sejarah TNI Angkatan Udara After three hours of flight, the Dakota C-47 arrived near Maguwo. After the landing gear descended, two Dutch P-40 Kittyhawks appeared and shot at the aircraft. After bullets destroyed the left engine, the aircraft went into a dive, first crashing into a tree then into paddy fields in Ngoto, Bantul.Antara 2009, Hari Bakti ke-62 Only its tail remained in one piece.Hakim Adrian Septriadi 2010 65 Aftermath thumb|A replica of the aircraft's tail Of the nine passengers and crew, seven died on impact. Two others, the pilot's wife Beryl and Abdulgani Handonotjokro, rushed to Bethesda Hospital in the city. Beryl Constantine succumbed to her wounds at the hospital, while Handonotjokro survived.Soewito Suyono Suhartono 2008 110 After a memorial service at Tugu Hotel, which had been used as a temporary barracks for the air force, Adisucipto and Saleh were buried at Kuncen Cemetery in Yogyakarta, while Adi Soemarmo Wirjokusumo was buried in Kusumanegara Heroes' Cemetery.Soewito Suyono Suhartono 2008 110 The Dutch initially rejected that the Kittyhawks were involved in the crash, stating that the plane seemed to have crashed into something. However, witnesses on the ground reported that the Kittyhawks had come from the viewer's right of the Dakota and shot at it. An inspection of Wirjokusumo's body, when it was recovered, confirmed that he had been shot.Soewito Suyono Suhartono 2008 110 The Dutch later denied knowledge of the flight and said that it not had Red Cross markings.ASN, Criminal Occurrence description After India protested the incident, the Dutch government sent a Dakota C-47A along with financial restitution to India.Soewito Suyono Suhartono 2008 112 Legacy thumb|Memorial to the crash, in Ngoto On 1 March 1948, a monument to commemorate the crash was built in Ngoto.AFA 2011, Ngoto, Peristiwa Heroik Both Adisucipto and Saleh were declared National Heroes of Indonesia in 1974.Indonesian Social Ministry, Daftar Nama Pahlawan In 2000, Adisucipto and Saleh were moved from their initial burial spots to the monument, where they are buried together with their wives.AU, Sejarah TNI Angkatan Udara Since 1979, the Indonesian Air Force has celebrated a Service Day (id Hari Bakti) in commemoration of the crash and in remembrance of the deaths, based on Decision of the Indonesian Air Force Commander Number 133/VII/1976.Hakim Adrian Septriadi 2010 64 The Air Force base in Malang is named after Abdul Rachman Saleh, while the one in Yogyakarta is named after Adisutjipto._TNIAU 1427591006799634435 2021-08-17 17 Agustus 1952, Kasau Komodor Udara Soerjadi Soerjadarma mengeluarkan Kep Nomor: 76/48/Pen.2/KS/52 ttg perubahan nama lapangan udara militer terbesar mjd nama para pelopor Angkatan Udara sbg penghargaan & penghormatan atas pengorbanan & jasa mereka dlm menegakkan kemerdekaan RI. id 2024-06-02 Victims Seven people died when the aircraft was shot down and one died in the hospital, they were:Antara 2009, Hari Bakti ke-62Soewito Suyono Suhartono 2008 109 Alexander Noel Constantine (pilot), an Australian national Roy L. C. Hazelhurst (co-pilot), a British national Bhida Ram (flight engineer), an Indian national Beryl Constantine, an Australian national Air Commodore Abdul Rahman Saleh Air Commodore Agustinus Adisucipto First Lieutenant Adisumarmo Wiryokusumo Zainal Arifin References Footnotes 30em Bibliography 30em Abdulrachman Saleh Indonesian http://www.jakarta.go.id/jakv1/encyclopedia/detail/2958 Jakarta City Government JCG, Abdulrachman Saleh 16 May 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120530093201/http://www.jakarta.go.id/jakv1/encyclopedia/detail/2958 30 May 2012 dead https://books.google.com/books?id=87totx4p3ZcC Java in a Time of Revolution: Occupation and Resistance, 1944–1946 978-979-3780-14-6 Anderson Benedict Richard O'Gorman 2005 Equinox Jakarta https://books.google.com/books?id=ypdsNHupkrkC Berdaulat di Udara: Membangun Citra Penerbangan Nasional Sovereign in the Air: Creation a Vision of Flight Nationally Indonesian 978-979-709-478-2 Hakim Chappy Adrian Beny Septriadi Dicky 2010 Kompas Jakarta ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47B-20-DK VT-CLA Yogyakarta http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19471021-0 Aviation Safety Network https://web.archive.org/web/20121013114131/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19471021-0 13 October 2012 ASN, Criminal Occurrence description 16 May 2012 dead Citing Indonesian Aviation 1945-1950 by Jos Heyman, Riverton, Australia, November 2005. Daftar Nama Pahlawan Nasional Republik Indonesia List of Names of National Heroes of the Republic of Indonesia Indonesian http://www.depsos.go.id/modules.php?name=Pahlawan&opsi=mulai-1 Awards of the Republic of Indonesia Indonesian Social Ministry https://web.archive.org/web/20120414053011/http://www.depsos.go.id/modules.php?name=Pahlawan&opsi=mulai-1 14 April 2012 9 May 2012 Indonesian Social Ministry, Daftar Nama Pahlawan dead Hari Bakti ke-62 TNI AU Diperingati 62nd Service Day for Air Force Indonesian http://www.antaranews.com/berita/149132/hari-bakti-ke-62-tni-au-diperingati Antara 29 July 2009 Antara 2009, Hari Bakti ke-62 https://web.archive.org/web/20220619231507/https://www.antaranews.com/berita/149132/hari-bakti-ke-62-tni-au-diperingati 19 June 2022 16 May 2012 dead http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%203544.html Indonesian Air Force Flight 12 December 1952 752 Flight 1952, p. 732 Ngoto, Peristiwa Heroik Perjuangan TNI AU Ngoto, Heroic Struggle of the Indonesian Air Force Indonesian http://www.aau.ac.id/show.php?mode=news&id=224 Air Force Academy 29 July 2011 AFA 2011, Ngoto, Peristiwa Heroik https://archive.today/20121218121150/http://www.aau.ac.id/show.php?mode=news&id=224 18 December 2012 16 May 2012 dead Sejarah TNI Angkatan Udara History of the Indonesian Air Force Indonesian http://tni-au.mil.id/content/sejarah-tni-angkatan-udara Indonesian Air Force AU, Sejarah TNI Angkatan Udara https://web.archive.org/web/20120518062416/http://tni-au.mil.id/content/sejarah-tni-angkatan-udara 18 May 2012 16 May 2012 dead Indonesian Tionghoa dalam Pusaran Politik Indonesia's Chinese Community under Political Turmoil Setiono Benny G. 2008 TransMedia Pustaka Jakarta 978-979-96887-4-3 https://books.google.com/books?id=CH0p3zHladEC https://books.google.com/books?id=Se_rDebKtxUC Awal Kedirgantaraan di Indonesia: Perjuangan AURI 1945–1950 Beginnings of Flight in Indonesia: The Struggle of the Air Force 1945–1950 Indonesian 978-979-461-672-7 Soewito Irna Hanny Nastoeti Hadi Suyono Nana Nurliana Suhartono Soedarini 2008 Obor Foundation Jakarta Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1947 Category:1947 mass murders Category:Airliner shootdown incidents involving combat aircraft Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Douglas C-47 Skytrain Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia Category:20th-century aircraft shootdown incidents Category:1947 in Indonesia Category:Dutch war crimes in Indonesia Category:War crimes in the Indonesian National Revolution Category:Violations of medical neutrality Category:Indonesia–Netherlands relations Category:July 1947 in Asia Category:1947 disasters in Indonesia