Mochammad Idjon Djanbi

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Mochammad Idjon Djanbi
(Rodes Barendrecht Visser)
Idjon Djanbi.jpg
Mochammad Idjon Djanbi
Birth nameRodes Barendrecht Visser [1]
Born(1914-05-13)13 May 1914
Boskoop, Netherlands
Died1 April 1977(1977-04-01) (aged 62)
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Allegiance Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Dutch East Indies
Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia
Service/branch Royal Netherlands Army Logo Koninklijke Landmacht Logo.jpg Royal Netherlands Army
KNIL logo 2.jpg Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
Insignia of the Indonesian Army.svg Indonesian Army
Years of service1938–1969
Rank Nl-landmacht-sergeant-wachtmeester.svg Sergeant Royal Netherlands Army (KL)
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger Tentara Kerajaan Hindia Belanda Rank Insignia KNIL 1942-1950 Kapitein Captain.jpg Captain Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL)
17-TNI Army-LTC.svg Lieutenant colonel Indonesian Army (TNI)
Unit No. 2 Dutch Troop
No. 10 (Inter Allied) Commando(1942–1945)
4th Special Service Brigade
Combined Operations Headquarters, War Office, British Government
Korps Speciale Troepen (1945–1949)
Kopassus (1952–1969)
Commands Kopassus
Battles/wars
Awards

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mochammad Idjon Djanbi (13 May 1914 – 1 April 1977) previously known as Rodes Barendrecht "Rokus" Visser, also spelled as Barendregt, was a Dutch-born Indonesian soldier who served as a Dutch commando during World War II, Korps Speciale Troepen officer and eventually became first commander of Kopassus. [2] [3]

Contents

Military career

Military career during World War II

Born the son of a successful Tulip farmer. At the outbreak of World War II in 1939 Visser was drafted into the Dutch army. Visser fought during the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940. [2] As a conscript sergeant Visser was assigned to the Dutch Legion in United Kingdom. He volunteered in 1942 to be Radioman in No. 2 Dutch Troop, No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. Along with other allied troops, Visser participated in his first battle in Operation Market Garden, when the unit was incorporated into 82nd Airborne Division. Two weeks later, Visser was reassigned to 101st Airborne Division and landed in Eindhoven. [4] Despite heavy enemy fire, Visser managed to establish a connection with the resistance in Veghel. In the weeks that followed, he took part in the fierce battle in the region. Visser also made himself useful by capturing Germans who wanted to surrender. [5]

On 1 November 1944, Visser was reassigned to Royal Commando and conducted amphibious assault in Walcheren. [6] This unit tried to land on 1 November in Westkapelle in Zeeland. However, the action led to so many losses that the Marines had to withdraw. The next morning another attempt was made, with Visser in charge of a number of landing craft (LCVP). It worked and the marines advanced to Domburg. They went to Veere by vessels for the supply of ammunition and the removal of wounded. This all happened under enemy fire from snipers positioned in trees. Visser was awarded the Bronze Cross for his bravery during these operations. [5] [1]

Military Career in Royal Netherlands East Indies Army

Visser attended officer school prior to being sent to Asia. In 1945, he rejoined No. 2 Dutch Troop in India and attended a paratrooper school. In Ceylon, he underwent jungle training together with Raymond Westerling intended to join other allied forces in Asia to fight the Japanese forces in Dutch East Indies. However, Japan surrendered before Visser was sent to the Dutch East Indies. Visser was assigned to be an instructor in a Dutch special forces school in India known as School Opleiding Parachutisten /SOP (Paratrooper School). The school was later moved to Jakarta in 1946 and then moved again to Hollandia. [7] During this time he also conducted operations with DST like the South Sulawesi campaign of 1946–1947.

Visser grew to like living in the Dutch East Indies, and asked his wife (a British woman he had married during the war) and his son and daughters to remain with him in the Dutch East Indies. His wife wished to provide a more secure future for her children and she and her family returned to the UK where she opted for divorce. By the time he returned in 1947, the school had already moved to Cimahi, Bandung, and Visser was promoted to captain. During 1947–1949, the paratrooper school led by Captain Visser continued to educate elite paratroopers until Indonesia's independence in 1949. Captain Visser then opted to stay in Indonesia as a civilian, moved to Bandung, worked as a flower farmer in Pacet, Lembang, embraced Islam, married his Sundanese lover and adapted the name Mochammad Idjon Djanbi. [8]

Military Career in Indonesian Army

On 15 April 1952, Colonel Alexander Evert Kawilarang began to form Kesatuan Komando Tentara Territorium III/Siliwangi (Kesko TT), the early name of Kopassus and the basis for this special forces unit. [9]

Not long after, Kawilarang managed to locate and meet with Visser who had remained a peaceful and law-abiding citizen in the newly independent Indonesia, settled in West Java, married an Indonesian woman, and was known locally as Mochammad Idjon Djanbi. He was the first recruit for the Army special forces and given the rank of major, as well as its first commander. [10] Due to him, the unit which later became Kopassus wear red berets (color used by paratroopers wing Corps of Regiment Speciale Troepen and traditionally favored by airborne troops in Europe) instead of the distinctive green beret. [11]

In 1956, with increasing combat capability of special forces, Army leadership saw opportunity to place the unit under the hands of indigenous officers. Due to lack of tact, this angered Djanbi and caused him to resign his position as commander. Later he was given position at a plantation as a result of the nationalization of a number of foreign-owned plantation. [12] Prior to his retirement in 1969, he was promoted to be lieutenant colonel at the special force anniversary. [13]

Trivia

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airborne forces</span> Military units set up to be moved by aircraft and "dropped" into battle

Airborne forces are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as paratroopers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green beret</span> Military headdress

The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos, a special-forces unit active during World War II. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF who serve within 3 Commando Brigade and who have passed the All Arms Commando Course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian Army</span> Land service branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces

The Indonesian Army is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR) "People's Security Army" first emerged as a paramilitary and police corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kopassus</span> Special forces unit of the Indonesian Army

The Kopassus is an Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) special forces group that conducts special operations missions for the Indonesian government, such as direct action, unconventional warfare, sabotage, counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, intelligence gathering and special reconnaissance (SR). Kopassus was founded by Alexander Evert Kawilarang and Mochammad Idjon Djanbi on 16 April 1952. It gained worldwide attention after several operations such as the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and the release of hostages from Garuda Indonesia Flight 206.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taifib</span> Indonesian amphibious reconnaissance unit

Taifib is an elite recon unit within the Indonesian Marine Corps which is tasked for conducting amphibious reconnaissance and special reconnaissance. It is operationally similar to the Combat Reconnaissance Platoon from the Army's Kostrad corps. Taifib was previously known as Kipam which literally means in English: the Para-Amphibious reconnaissance Commandos, it was formed in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korps Speciale Troepen</span> Military unit

Korps Speciale Troepen was a Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) special forces unit that was established for deployment against the Indonesian revolutionaries during the Indonesian National Revolution. It was formed in 1948 with the Depot Speciale Troepen at its core and disbanded alongside the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in 1950, by which time it had been renamed to the Regiment Speciale Troepen. The DST consisted of about 570 men at its establishment in 1945 and had a precursor in the Korps Insulinde that conducted clandestine operations during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. In June 1949, 250 men of the 1st Parachute Company were integrated into the Corps. The KST, which would reach a maximum strength of 1250 men, was composed of Dutch war volunteers (OVWs), Eurasians and native soldiers, including Moluccans. The present day Korps Commandotroepen of the Royal Netherlands Army is considered a continuation of the RST.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maroon beret</span> International symbol of airborne forces

The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of airborne forces since the Second World War. It was first officially introduced by the British Army in 1942, at the direction of Major-General Frederick "Boy" Browning, commander of the British 1st Airborne Division. It was first worn by the Parachute Regiment in action in North Africa during November 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Evert Kawilarang</span> Indonesian military commander (1920–2000)

Alexander Evert Kawilarang was an Indonesian freedom fighter, military commander, and founder of Kesko TT, which would become the Indonesian special forces unit Kopassus. However, in 1958 he resigned his post as military attaché to the United States to join the separatist Permesta movement where he encountered Kopassus as his opponent. His involvement in Permesta damaged his military career, but he remained popular and active in the armed forces community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Operations Regiment (Belgium)</span> Military unit

The Special Operations Regiment is a special operations force of the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. Its headquarters is located in Heverlee. It was known as the Light Brigade until 3 July 2018 when it was renamed and transformed into its current form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian Army infantry battalions</span>

The Indonesian Army has formed a large number of infantry battalions since it was formed from provisional militias during the Indonesian National Revolution against the Dutch colonial rule, 1945–1949. Today, the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance 2007 lists the Army with 2 brigades plus 60 other battalions in the KODAMs, or Military Regional Commands, and nine battalions in KOSTRAD, the Army Strategic Reserve Command. There are also around nine airborne battalions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kopasgat</span> Special forces unit of the Indonesian Air Force

The Kopasgat is the air force infantry and special forces corps of the Indonesian Air Force. The corps is also known as the Orange Berets from the colour of their service headgear. Kopasgat is trained to seize and defend airfields from enemy forces known as Operasi Pembentukan dan Pengoperasian Pangkalan Udara Depan , airborne operations, and other specific military operations within the scope of the Indonesian Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando</span> British Army WWII commando unit

No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando was a commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War, recruited largely from non-British personnel from German-occupied Europe. This unit was used to help co-ordinate attacks with other Allied forces.

The Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion was one of the main elite military units of the Cambodian Army, part of the Khmer National Armed Forces, which fought in the final phase of the Cambodian Civil War of 1970-75.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slamet Rijadi</span> Indonesian Army general

Brigadier General Ignatius Slamet Rijadi was an Indonesian soldier.

Brigadier general Thao Ty Lithilusa, best known as Thao Ty, was a Laotian Paratrooper officer and commander of the Airborne Forces and the Special Forces of the Royal Lao Army, the land component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces, the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korps Commandotroepen</span> Special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army

The Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) is the elite special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. The KCT traces its origins to the Second World War with the founding of No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, and the founding of the Korps Speciale Troepen during the Indonesian War of Independence. At present, the unit is tasked with conducting the full spectrum of special operations, its principal tasks being direct action, special reconnaissance, military assistance and counter-terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Lao Army Airborne</span> Military unit

The Royal Lao Army Airborne was composed of the élite paratrooper battalions of the Royal Lao Army (RLA), the land component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces, which operated during the First Indochina War and the Laotian Civil War from 1948 to 1975.

Korps Insulinde was a Dutch special forces unit established in March 1942 in British Ceylon, present-day Sri Lanka. The unit, originally called the Netherland Special Operations, emerged from the Princess Irene Brigade alongside No. 2 (Dutch) Troop of the No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. The Korps Insulinde fought during World War II against the Japanese occupiers of the Dutch East Indies. The corps was commanded by Major Frits Mollinger of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) and was stationed in Ceylon. It carried out a number of infiltration and intelligence operations in occupied Sumatra. The corps was disbanded between November 1945 and early March 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogie Suardi Memet</span> Indonesian general and politician (1929–2007)

Raden Muhammad Yogie Suardi Memet was an Indonesian military officer who also served as Minister of Home Affairs under Suharto between 1993 and 1998, and as Governor of West Java between 1985 and 1993. He was also commander of the special forces unit Kopassandha and of the Siliwangi Military Region.

References

  1. 1 2 "Visser, Rodes Barendrecht "Rokus"" . Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Idjon Djanbi: Kopasus First Training In The Hands Of The Dutch Army". 6 November 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Ini Cerita Putra Kedua Idjon Djanbi Tentang Akhir Hayat Sang Pendiri Kopassus". tribun News (in Indonesian). 30 August 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Operatie Market Garden" (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Postuum Bronzen Kruis voor dappere dienstplichtige" (in Dutch). Ministry of Defence. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "10IA Cdo. 2 'Dutch' troop – postings 5/9/44 – 20/11/44". 22 November 1944. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. ↑ Conboy 2003, p. 17.
  8. ↑ Conboy 2003, p. 16.
  9. ↑ "Sejarah Kopassus". kopassus.mil.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  10. ↑ Conboy 2003, pp. 18–21.
  11. ↑ Conboy 2003, p. 26.
  12. ↑ Conboy 2003, p. 29.
  13. ↑ "Mengenal Sosok Mohammad Idjon Djanbi, Tokoh Pendiri Kopassus". wartaindonews (in Indonesian). 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  14. ↑ Muchlis, Ardy, ed. (29 August 2018). "Mengenal Idjon Djanbi, Komandan Kopassus Pertama yang Ahli Perang dan Berkelahi Tanpa Senjata". Tribun News. Retrieved 31 January 2023.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.