General Spoor's Sudden Death, 1949

General Spoor's grave in Jakarta, 1949 (Wikimedia Commons)

On Wednesday, 25 May 1949, news struck the Dutch military in Indonesia: news of the death of General Simon Hendrik Spoor. The commander-in-chief of the Dutch army in Indonesia reportedly died because of blocked blood circulation in his heart.

The cause of death was an official release from the Dutch military, however this is denied by most of the Indonesian freedom fighters in the North Sumatra region. Historical actors in the region say that General Spoor was killed in an ambush by Republican soldiers, but their testimony about which troop killed Spoor still varies.

General Spoor was claimed to have died at the hands of Indonesian troops when he and his entourage were intercepted after returning from a military inspection. Their party was attacked and Spoor was badly hit by gunfire.

Knowing that the leader was seriously injured, the Dutch military panicked and immediately withdrew. General Spoor was immediately taken to the hospital and after that he was flown to Jakarta using a Catalina plane.

At that time the Indonesian army did not know for sure who the wounded Dutch military leader was. But the next day, on 25 May 1949, news came from Dutch radio in Jakarta that General Spoor had died of a heart attack.

The Indonesian soldiers cheered at the news, because they were very sure that the Dutch military leader who was injured in the attack the day before was General Spoor. Their conviction was supported by the testimony of General Spoor's personal bodyguard who claimed to admit that it was his superior who was wounded in the attack that day.

General Spoor at his office in Jakarta, 1949 (Het Nationaal Archief)

General Spoor's death complicated the Dutch military position in Indonesia. The prolonged war and international pressure left the Netherlands with no other choice but to give up its colonies which has been colonized for hundreds of years.

At the end of 1949 the Dutch military finally left Indonesia, but without General Spoor, who had been resting forever at a cemetery in Jakarta.