Smeets, Albert Fernand Marie Joseph

Date of birth:: March 11th, 1912 (Maastricht/Limburg, Netherlands)
Date of death:: May 14th, 1949 (Kroja/Java, o/b B 25 M 409, Dutch Indies)
Buried on:: Dutch War Cemetery Menteng Pulo
Plot: Cil.. Grave: 191.
Nationality:: Dutch

Biography

Tijd. Res. Kap. 1 Lu Tpn

Albert was born on 11 March 1912 in Maastricht and lived in Breda. After the German invasion, Albert decided to flee to the United Kingdom, where he finally arrived in June 1942 after a long and difficult journey.

As an experienced officer, he joined the Allied forces in the fight against the German occupiers. He joined the Princess Irene Brigade and contributed to the liberation of the Netherlands. Albert then took a leading role in the establishment of the Air Force Command, part of the Royal Netherlands Army. After the war, he left with the Air Force as a captain for the Dutch East Indies to restore Dutch authority there. His company was mainly deployed to guard the Maguwo air base near Yogyakarta, the Indonesian government centre that had been taken by Dutch troops after the Second Police Action.

During his service in the Dutch East Indies, Albert contracted malaria several times, which seriously undermined his health. He was also known for his concern; when his men were on patrol, he spent sleepless nights.

On 14 May 1949, he was one of eight passengers on board the N5-209 Mitchell aircraft M-409 that crashed near Kroja on East Java that Saturday afternoon due to a technical fault. All those on board were killed, including Albert. He was 37 years old.

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